JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 20, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 20, 2024

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Eric Hansen

3:16

OK, that's going to do it for this week. Thanks for all the great questions, including the ones my fingers and brain were too slow to get to. We'll do it all over again next Wednesday at noon, yes Thanksgiving week — same time noon ET — as usual.

3:15

Bill, thanks for the update!

Bill from St Joe, MI

3:14

Eric, FYI, ND has just released ticket information for the first round games earlier this hour. Season ticket holders have “first dibs”. There will be very limited availability if ND plays the first round game on the road which I guess is unlikely (win out and it’s a home game, lose a game and ND is likely eliminated from playoff contention).

Eric Hansen

3:14

Len!!!! You want to Aruba and didn't take us with you? Oh all right. The thing that would concern me the most is getting Army's offense off the field. They limited a North Texas team that is third in the nation in total offense to 3 points in part by limiting their offense to just SIX possessions.

Len from the Jersey Shore

3:12

Hello Eric !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I might not understand it but I have to admit that the CFP rankings, AP poll and coaches poll are eerily similar. Winning seems to be important. Too bad for FSU it is a year late. I still thing IU is getting a pass. They have a week in conference schedule, which might not be their fault. But scheduling zero power 4 schools out of conference is. And I am not sure how Penn St schedule is ranked so high. Now for the important matter, beating Army. What about this game concerns you as a coach? Injuries, having to play up every week (ND has been in playoff mode since loss), Army off a bye week? What says Eric that we should watch for in this game. In Aruba, hope this comes thru in time!!!

Eric Hansen

3:12

Hey Ray. Everybody does NOT do what Connor Stallions did at Michigan. As far as what teams do, I don't know if my speculation is going to give you what you're looking for. Yes, you study film and formations, etc. That's WAY WAY different than what Stallions did.

Ray from Grand Rapids

3:10

Greetings, I asked a question a few weeks ago about what if any "intelligence" program ND has within it's football program? "Intelligence" meaning more than just scouting, but focusing upon the signal that opponents use to call play, formation etc on each side of the ball. The springboard for the question being the aftermath of the Conner Stallions scandal at Michigan, and his assertions basically saying "everybody does it." You tabled the topic to look more carefully. No problem if this is too sensitive a topic. I greatly appreciate the work that you. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

3:10

Not a bad idea, Bobby, but they just finished their season, so I'm not sure they could make that work. Plus Mitch Jeter is recovering.

Bobby Allen

3:09

The Dallas cowboys kicker is a former soccer player from Notre dame. Considering our current kicker status are there any kickers on our current soccer team that could help?

Eric Hansen

3:09

Hi Matt. I think I've hit the Army stuff earlier, so let me hit the recruiting question. I don't think Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng ends up in ND's class, and he is a really good player. But ND is recruiting at such a high level in both the 2025 AND 2026 classes, this is not a concern for me. They do need to finish strong with the WRs and they've given themselves a fighting chance there.

Matt from Austin

3:04

Hi Eric. I hope this finds you well and I hope that you will ease the no bare feet rule this week as it is balmy here. Two quick ones. What do you see as areas that we need to clean up as ND faces Army and USC? Perhaps line play and red zone? Secondly, its seems that we are having trouble closing the deal with our 2025 recruiting at LB and WR. Our top two receiver targets seem very hesitant to flip and our top linebacker target seems to be more than flirting with Michigan. Does this give you cause for concern? Thanks Eric as always. Matt

Eric Hansen

3:01

Hi Mike. I think Jeter wanted to do both and was really good at both, so he won those jobs. Given his condition now and how well Eric Goins has handled things, I think they'll stick with Goins. But there are plenty of examples of schools splitting those duties up or sticking with one guy to do it. If you remember, Kyle Brindza could punt too. So there's that. Just evaluate each situation is the best way.

Mike aka Mo from Maumee OH

2:59

Hi Eric- a question about our current place kicking situation. I think that Jeter initially pulled his groin during a kickoff. I did some checking on ND's roster page, and found that Yoakam as an ND freshman had almost the same percentage of kickoffs for touchbacks as Jeter did his senior year at South Carolina. Now, as an absolutely AWFUL HS kicker back when we kicked straight-on with a square-toed shoe, I can state that kickoffs put more strain on the leg than field goal or extra point attempts. Maybe this injury to Jeter was just a freak thing, but has ND considered having a kickoff specialist separate from a field goal/extra point specialist? They basically did that in Yoakam's frosh year, & I think he was a walk-on. Do you know what changed the thought process to allow our #1 kicker to handle all duties? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

2:59

Against USC, sure. If the defense shows it's vulnerable to that, why not?

Steven nettrouer

2:58

Hey coach I'm from goshen Indiana and been wondering if you would consider doing a flea flicker on offense with the players we have.

Eric Hansen

2:58

When you say teams getting love for reputation, who are you alleging that is happening with? The CFP committee? AP voters? Your friends on Facebook? People named Booger on ESPN? I can speak to my own experience. You really have to be disciplined when you are evaluating. Michigan is a good example. DEFENDING national champs. But guess what they are this year? They are team 129 out of 133 in total offense. Are they really better than a lot of Group of Five teams? They beat Arkansas State 28-18 early in the year. Arkansas State is 6-4 overall, but lost to Texas State 41-9 and Louisiana 55-19. And when Indiana beats Michigan, 20-15, I think it counts more in some people's minds that beating a better team with a lesser name brand, like UNLV for instance.

2:51

Hi Shane and thank you. Let's start with the parity thing. And maybe once we get into the actual player, it'll play out differently, but I do think the pool of real national title contenders is much deeper than I can remember in a while. And even the next level of team, there seems to be more parity there too ... and I do think NIL and the portal are big contributors. Teams not only can plug holes they used to have to live with, they can upgrade at positions where they swung and missed with their recruiting evals. And then there's the flip side at Florida State, where you hit it big in the portal one year and fall flat the next. (more)

Shane from White Deer, Texas

2:47

Hey Eric. Last week I questioned the punting, and boom, Mr. Rendell showed me what’s what. So, no more questioning the players, only you. Do you think there seems to be more parity in the league this year due to NIL and transfer portal? Or, do you think this is just one of those years that there isn’t just one or two dominant teams? Also, do you think some teams are getting “love” based more on reputation than performance this year? Thanks for the chats. My weekly ND highlight.

Eric Hansen

2:47

Matthew, thanks for subscribing. And thanks for what I thought was a great question ... and it is. One problem. There were THIRTY new coaches at the start of 2022. So let me defer that until next week, so I have a chance to dig up the numbers and give it the proper thought and attention ... deal?

Matthew from Aldie, VA

2:45

Hey Eric, I never miss a chat transcript, and subscribing was the best move I've ever made (OK, top ten)!!!!! Keep the basketball coverage coming too - this could be a big year for the women AND the men! Here's the Q: How does Coach Freeman compare (in whatever metric you'd like, W-L record, recruiting success, big wins, positive program momentum, etc.) to the other coaches of major programs who began their tenures in the same year? I'm thinking about Lincoln Riley, Brent Venables, Mario Cristobal, Dan Lanning, BK, and anyone else you'd like to lump in. I think Freeman looks pretty good in comparison, especially considering he's a first-time HC (many others had previous HC experience). Would love to get your thoughts/analysis if you have the time for this question, and thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:45

All right JBuck. You soften me up with compliments, only to go full-blast Twilight Zone on me at the end LOL. It's a good thing I'm properly caffeinated. Let me attempt to bundle your questions and suppositions into a succinct response. 1) These things tend to work themselves out in the final rankings. 2) The committee's rankings are very similar to my AP ballot, so where's my damn NIL money? 3) I am skeptical of Penn State, but open to the possibility they could prove me wrong. 4) Part of what has made those Big Ten teams poll-worthy is there's not a deep elite group of teams or even a strong middle class as there is in some of the other leagues like the SEC. The fifth-best team in the Big Ten is ... Iowa? Minnesota? Illinois? Could they beat the SEC's tied for ninth-place teams LSU or Vandy?

J Buckley, San Diego

2:36

Hello, and thanks for your wonderful insight and of course taking my, I'm mean our questions :) Now, why is Penn St #4, The BIG 10 has 4 of the top 5 spots? Will see how good OHIO St and Indiana are this week, but Penn St has nobody left and hasn't beaten a currently ranked opponent? Oregon has a 6-5 Washinton team? Tin Hat (your Honor, Conspiracy) ohhhhh and there's Alabama who jumped an Idle Miami team? Do you think all four of the BIG 10 teams are going to get into the playoffs? It definitely seems the committee members are looking out for their conference teams, too much money involved to keep this above board???? Is some "NIL" money finding its way into the Committee members pockets?

Eric Hansen

2:36

Hey Ryan. You picked out three of the stars of that Virginia game. Xavier Watts is an All-American, again, no doubt, at least on my ballot. Kiser and Mills are surging at the right time. As far as the score, I'll pick that tomorrow, but I think you're seeing a higher-scoring game than me, and you tend to be right, so maybe I should rethink my position.

Ryan Frankfort illinois

2:34

Good afternoon Eric what do you think about the play of Rylie Mills Xavier watts and Jack Kiser they have all looked good my prediction is 49-10 Irish or something like that GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈

Eric Hansen

2:33

Hi Bill, and thank you for acknowledging in a nice way I'm an old geezer! Seriously, thank you ... and for the one-part question. My favorites. Two things ... Virginia was very disciplined in their run fits, 2) down and distance took a lot of the good Riley Leonard plays out of the playbook for a week, because of all the penalties.

Guest

2:31

Bill from Denver CO. Hey Eric... Been an avid reader of yours forever, since Irish Sports Report Days. One part question. Riley Leonard seemed to struggle a bit running the ball against Virginia. Did they figure out a scheme to slow him down that other teams will copy, or was it just how the game played out this time? Thanks for your great work!

Eric Hansen

2:31

It's about discipline and keys and rules and recognizing concepts, not necessarily how they're packaged. As Marcus Freeman said on Monday, Army is not Navy 2.0, but having played triple-option and single-wing concepts fairly recently, I think, will be of great value in preparation.

2:29

Hi Lorne. You covered a lot of ground with the leadup to that question. I think there was one about Army in there too. But let me get to the Mike Mickens question first and then go back and dig out the other one. Mickens will get defensive coordinator offers. No question. But because he likely would be ND's next defensive coordinator, because he's been given more responsibility to grow as a coach at ND and grow his bank account, and because of his relationship with Marcus Freeman and his love for ND, I think the bar is really high in terms of what it would take to lure him away. No impossible, but not easy. ... to Army's offense and preparation. ...(more)

Lorne

2:25

Lorne from Reno. Thanks as always for doing these. Two questions about coaching. Jeff Monken is, by any measure, a great coach. This is Army's 6th 9-win season in 9 years -- Army! Army was off last week and had 2 weeks to install wrinkles in their already difficult-to-defend offense. How do you prepare a defense not just for a tough offense, but for variations on the themes? I suspect we'll have more Golden adjustments. The second relates to Mike Mickens: our 2-deep at corner has THREE true freshmen and one grizzled vet, a true sophomore, we've lost our two best pass rushers, and yet we have the best past efficiency defense in the country and the top stop rate in the country. Yes, I know, super safeties, the two DB transfers, tons of talent in the front 6 or 7, but this is still phenomenal. I'm tempted to ask if Mickens has super or magical powers, but instead I'll ask what you think the chances are of us keeping him with Golden locked in at DC (and I still can't believe we were able to sign him).

Eric Hansen

2:25

Mike is a fun guy to be around and likes to have fun with us. So all in good taste and fun.

Guest

2:24

Hi Eric!!!!! How did you take Mike Denbrock’s final statement in yesterday’s presse “but anybody that walks around and has an aura about them that they're really enjoying what they're doing is fun to be around. Like you guys. You know what I mean?”

Bill from St Joe’ MI

2:24

Do you believe it was sarcasm or Denbrock’s honest opinion?

Eric Hansen

2:24

Hi Chris. Notre Dame has won by a combined 87 to 17 the past two games, so Al Golden and LBs coach Max Bullough have expanded the rotation later in games to go beyond the five guys who were manning it earlier this season. But that's true for all five of the guys in the rotation. He's still No. 2 on the team in tackles, still very effective. I'm not sure he's as effective against triple-option principles. He played at lot against Navy, but wasn't as effective as say Jaylen Sneed and Kiser. But no, not injured, not passed up, not in the dog house.

chris from memphis

2:17

Eric where is Drayk Bowen? Have not seen much from him the last two weeks. Prior to that he was really improving and playing downhill. Injured, replaced, lost favor with Golden?

Eric Hansen

2:16

That, in turn, stresses the defense, which has handled it well to this point. But it will be facing more dynamic offenses in the playoff. So that would be my biggest concern/area of emphasis for improvement. I think the core six receiver group will stay the core six receiver group. And perhaps Jayden Thomas gets more opportunities, but it goes against my thinking that Beaux Collins will get back in a rhythm this game. I think JT is a true team player and I'd want him on my team. What needs to happen for ND to win by two scores? Win the turnover battle, play with the lead, keep the Army offense from long, sustained drives on offense. Thanks for challenging me each week with some thoughtful questions.

2:12

Hi Marie. I think Marcus needs for you to get in front of the team and let them know how disappointed you are. That would motivate me to do better! Seriously. To your multiple choice question, three of them are kind of interrelated -- the penalties, the O-line play and the third-down conversions. I'll take the kicking game out of contention, because I think Jeter is trending toward full health at some point, maybe soon. Third-down conversions were a problem in this game because of the penalties that got ND in too many two- and third-and-longs. But third-down conversions needed to be better anyway on good days with penalties. When you look at the playoff contenders, this is an area where ND lags way behind most of the others and by quite a bit. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

2:03

Hi Eric, I hope you are enjoying your week. Although the Irish won easily on Saturday, the performance was pretty disappointing. Of the following, that occurred on Saturday, what are you most concerned about derailing the team with regards to making the playoffs or winning some games in the playoffs? Poor third down conversion rate, wide receiver drops, poor O line play, sloppy penalties, or the kicking game. With regards to the wide receiver drops, do you think we will see some personnel changes? It seems as though Jayden Thomas has sort of faded away, do you see a place for him getting back into the picture? Looking ahead to the Army game, what needs to happen for the Irish to win by at least two scores? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and for all the great insights.

Eric Hansen

2:03

Hi Tom. Here are your random answer ... 1) If ND beats Army on Saturday night, I would expect an official announcement not too long down the road after that. 2. ND had not heard back from the ACC as of Tuesday night per STs coach Marty Biagi, but he did say this: “Got a lot of texts, lot of different calls. Of course, they were all in agreeance that they thought it was a good, clean play. The big thing is, we just got to do a better job of eliminating the gray, would be the biggest thing moving forward I guess.” 3) USC on the road, but I have a lot of respect for what Army can do. 4) At who's expense? I like the rotation as it is.

Tom

1:58

Tom from Golden Beach, Florida: Hey Eric! A few random questions: (1) If we get a home playoff game, do you know how we can get tickets? (2) Regarding the fake punt against Virginia, I read an article saying that the ACC officials got it wrong since they were relying on a rule that only applied to a hand-to-hand snap situation even though Notre Dame used a shotgun snap on the play. Thankfully it didn’t impact the outcome, but do you think that was a valid call? (3) Which game do you think will be tougher: Army or USC? (4) Do you think Jadarian Price should get more opportunities?

Eric Hansen

1:56

Hi Jim, love that part of the country. And thank you. Collins has been quiet the past couple of weeks. They need him to step up Saturday night, and I think he will. I asked Goins about the field goal kicking. He got a chance to audition. They like him better on kickoffs and feel like they have better options on field goals. But good question. We were thinking the same thing.

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