JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 3, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 3, 2021

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Mike from Rochester NY

2:29

Hello, Eric, your article on last week’s game was published at 3:48 AM! That’s burning some midnight oil, thanks for your dedication and for the fine article. Any insights on how an undefeated Cincinnati is ranked lower than one-loss Michigan and one-loss Oregon in the CFP rankings? How does Oregon even crack the top 10?

Eric Hansen

2:29

Hey Gerry, the order of those teams you mentioned on my ballot last week were: Oklahoma, ND, Michigan and Wake for the record. I would say just because we disagree, doesn't mean the committee or I have bias. Sometimes voters/committees see things differently. I do think most of those will work itself out as the schedule plays out. Remember, those arguing for ND to be higher in the rankings have to defense close calls with Florida State and Toledo. And thanks, I did have a great (and very late) weekend.

Gerry Labelle, Waltham, Quebec

2:25

Eric: Hope you had a great weekend! College Football Playoff poll seems irrational. Wake Forest, Oklahoma and Michigan ahead of ND. #1 Who has Wake Forest beaten? #2 Michigan hasn't played a tough schedule other than Michigan State, #3 Oklahoma hasn't looked good for several weeks! And Alabama at #2 - really!! Alabama could have 3 losses and still be ranked in the top 10. I see a lot of Bias here. Your thoughts!!

Eric Hansen

2:24

Wow, that's a great question. I'd say No. 4 instead of Oregon for this week only. Maybe 3. Their upcoming schedule wouldn't help them stay in the top 4 without some dominant performances. The committee would take into account Kyle Hamilton missing.

Steve from Chicago

2:22

Where do you think the Irish would be in the playoff rankings had they beaten Cincy in a close game? I am guessing 4th

Eric Hansen

2:21

Grandkids had a great one, though the 12-year-old's enthusiasm may be waning. He has braces, so his candy options are limited. And he went as himself, so creativity is not what it used to be. ... 1. C'Bo Flemister missed the first four games with an apparent suspension. He was left home another game (Va Tech) as a "coach's decision." Logan Diggs has taken advantage. He has the trust of the coaches and of the offensive line. 2. If ND goes with four linebackers, they could drop a safety down to the linebacker level for the fourth, or more likely, go with Jordan Botelho. 3. Mayer may be working his way back to his old self after taking time for his groin injury to heal. He's a hard guy to take off the field.

Tom Kennesaw, GA

2:16

Hi Eric, hope you and the grandkids had a fun Halloween! Observations and questions: 1) Were you surprised that Diggs went in for the goal line plays early in the game instead of C'bo? C'bo has always been a hard runner and dependable. Surprising to me. 2) The LB's look like they are wearing down due to lack of depth. LB's are very important in the game plan against Navy should we be concerned? Also, Freeman has played 4 LB's against Navy in the past. If he goes to 4 LB's on Saturday who will the fourth one be? 3) Mayer looked gassed against UNC. In the fourth quarter he was caught on a holding call, which usually happens when a player is tired. He also got run over by a UNC LB he was trying to block. How can they get him some rest in the game? Use a spread formation with multiple WR's?? Thanks for all of your great work to let us fans know what is really going on with ND football. Go Irish!!! Oh, also way to go Braves!! World Champions!! Who saw that coming a couple of months ago.

Eric Hansen

2:16

ND spends time on tackling drills in practice, plenty of time. Granted, the tackling in the game made it look like they don't. But facing a difficult QB in a difficult-to-defend scheme with no Kyle Hamilton didn't help.

2:14

Howell plays in the nation's No. 12 offense at 482.8 yards a game, and one that is tremendously balanced -- 29th in rush offense, 24th in pass offense, 13th in pass efficiency. So what do you try to take away as a defensive coordinator? You're almost always in a constant pass/rush dilemma. ... Howell AVERAGES, 74.2 yards a game rushing. That's third among FBS QBs and less than two yards from being No. 1. He averages just 14 fewer rushing yards a game than Kyren Williams.

2:12

Here's more.

2:07

OK, here's the scoop on Howell: • From UNC, he joined a group of only four FBS
quarterbacks to ever have back-to-back games
with 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards.
2007 - Chase Clement, Rice
2017 - Quinton Flowers, USF
2017 - Lamar Jackson, Louisville
2021 - Sam Howell, UNC

Jim E from Canton, Ohio

2:00

Lifelong ND fan and 1969 ND grad. How do you explain the running yardage put up by Sam Howell? He’s not super fast or super shifty, but he apparently is strong as a bull. Does ND need to spend more time on fundamental tackling drills?

Eric Hansen

1:58

Sean, it sounds like you didn't get enough Halloween candy. I do think Marcus is a great recruiter, but come on, did you see the bowl game against Georgia last year or any of his last three Cincinnati teams play? If we're having this conversation in 2022 or 2023, I owe you an apology. The red zone possession to which you referred was appalling. But I think the red zone play-calling has improved.

Sean, Greensboro

1:55

Hope you did not fill up too much on Halloween candy. Two questions; is Marcus Freeman a great recruiter and a poor coach? I find the lack of adjustments and poor tackling inexcusable. Second, why do we have so much trouble in the red zone? Rees play calling after the Bo Bauer interception was appalling. Stay safe and thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:51

Hi Jeff. Other than OG Billy Schrauth, I didn't expect the other 2022s who visited to be close to committing. And his decision timeline is perplexing. OT Aamil Wagner is set to announced next Thursday and the lean seems to be Kentucky. S Xavier Nwankpa will announce on Dec. 8 and ND is very much in the running. I believe Bowen will pick ND tonight, which is a great pickup. The Irish are well-positioned in the 2023 class, but some kids want to take their time.

Jeff from Phoenix

1:46

Hey Eric, ND just had the second huge recruiting weekend in a row, and there are a lot of positive comments from those already committed and prospects. But, no new commitments. So, starting with the decision of D Bowen (2023) tonight, do you think ND could get some momentum to close out the 2022 class this month and add a few more 2023's? Oh, how confident are you that Bowen will pick ND? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

1:46

Hi Mike. You're right. I would pick Kyle Hamilton. But let's focus on three standouts who realistically might on the fence at the moment rather than players we're very or pretty sure would be in the draft. So for that, I'd offer C Jarrett Patterson, DE Isaiah Foskey and DT Jayson Ademilola. All really good players, so you have to also look at what's behind them on the depth chart. With Rylie Mills ascending and the other interior line depth, that eliminates Ademilola. So now it's Foskey and Patterson. I'd give Foskey the edge there, but Brian Kelly would love to have both back.

Mike, Lemont, IL

1:41

Eric, In your opinion, if you could pick one player on this year's team to come back another year who would you choose? I think Hamilton would be the pick based on the lack of depth in the ND secondary but for selfish reasons I'd want Kyren Williams. The guy is simply electric. In all of my years of watching ND football I'd say he ranks up there with Tim Brown, Autry Denson, Ismail, Golden Tate and Julius Jones as guys you want to have the football in his hands. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting another year especially opening in Columbus next year. He is the MVP of this year's team and the heartbeat. Hopefully the boys finish 11-1 and win a NY 6 bowl game. Thanks for the chats. Cheers!

Eric Hansen

1:40

Hi Chafin, and thanks for jumping into the question queue. Being that you are 26, you are right about the recruiting. If you were a tad older, you wouldn't have been able to say that about ND's recruiting, given the vintage Lou Holtz talent in the late '80s and early '90s. I think the window for Notre Dame to make its best run at a title under Kelly is about to open in 2022 and stay open thru 2024. There are some huge challenges in the 2022 and '23 schedules -- Ohio State and Clemson both seasons, also BYU, USC and North Carolina in 2022. The 2024 opener is at Texas A&M. The recruiting must continue. Even then a title is not a probability, but an increasing possibility.

Chafin, Newland, NC

1:34

Hey Eric, first off thank you for hosting these chats. You're the man! This is my first time writing in but I am an avid reader. I am 26 and have been a ND fan my whole life but I don't think I have ever been as excited for the future of this team as I am right now. It seems that recruiting is at the highest level it has been in my lifetime and this team is already full of young talent as well as having a veteran presence. My question is, do you see ND being a legitimate title contender in '22 and/or '23 or do you believe we are still a little ways off from reclaiming the college football crown? Thank you again and Go Irish! Beat Navy!

Eric Hansen

1:33

It depends on who the personnel is and how the scheme works beyond the base alignment. Notre Dame was a 3-4 team in 2012 and was No. 11 in rushing defense nationally. The Irish were 16th last season in a 4-3. The top five rush defenses nationally in 2021 -- Wisconsin, Georgia, UTSA, Alabama and Mississippi State -- are all base 3-4.

Doug from Sunny Florida

1:25

Eric, doesn't a 4-3 defense work better against the run? Is there a reason the ND base defense wouldn't be a 4-3 against the triple option or is 3-4 better to allow the 2nd level to read and react to the play?

Eric Hansen

1:25

Being a voter myself in the AP poll, I am careful not to criticize without offering my alternative and subjecting that to scrutiny. ... There were elements that I like about what the committee did -- Mississippi State being ranked, for example, docking Oklahoma for its inconsistencies. I am stunned that NC State and Minnesota are ranked instead of some strong Group of Five schools such as Louisiana. I think ND at No. 10 is fair, though I have them at No. 8 in my AP poll. I can see the arguments for putting them at 10. The stunner is Cincinnati being too low. I also think Oregon is too high, given their struggles post-Ohio State with a loss to Stanford (No. 64 in Sagarin) and a close call with Cal (No. 63). It's still early, so keep that in mind.

Larry from Millersville, PA

1:11

Eric - What did you think of the rankings by the playoff committee last night? I thought it was awful. However, with a lot of football games remaining on the schedule I think the final rankings will be much better. Hopefully we will win the rest of our games and play on January 1st.

Eric Hansen

1:11

Thanks Chuck from the city in which I was born. I know a lot of fans can't stand the three-man fronts. I get why. I think in 2022, you'll see those be more productive when employed. I think the problem is more what happens behind the three-man fronts. Notre Dame's misses in defensive backfield recruiting are showing up with Kyle Hamilton out. We've already discussed some of the shortcoming in the linebacker corps. The good news is all of those areas are trending positively in recruiting in the 2022 and 2023 cycles. Best cover corner is Cam Hart.

CHUCK from CLEVELAND

1:05

Hi Eric, your Wednesday Chats fill the void for me as it is the only day without meaningful football or news. What a great bridge to upcoming Sports weeks! I have abstained from the Chats for awhile as I am happy, not sad or angry about a mediocre Irish team going 7-1 at this point. My only question to you .... Is Marcus Freeman playing the woeful 3 man fronts despite the gashing of yards because .... he has very little trust in his Secondary? I must admit that I have grown frustrated with Lewis and Bracy and on occasion, Griffith getting beat so often by quality Receivers. Is his philosophy one of... better to delay the drive and hope for something good vs getting beat quickly via the pass? Who is our BEST cover Corner? Thank you, good to be back contributing to your epic episodes!

Eric Hansen

1:04

Hi Wick. I hit the defensive analysis a little earlier in the chat, but there are still some good elements here I'd like to get to. I'm not sure I'd classify Kelly as critical as much as he was being honest. And how much credibility would he have with the media if he praised that performance? He did include himself in that analysis, about how the defense could play better. I think his relationship with Marcus Freeman is outstanding, but Kelly is demanding. Of his players. Of his coaches. Of himself. ... For more insight on the current state of the Irish defense, I'd suggest you listen to this week's Pod of Gold podcast with guest Rick Minter, a former ND defensive coordinator who's currently working for Clark Lea and who knows Marcus very well.

Wick - Estero, FL

12:58

Eric, love these chats. You do a great job covering Irish football. I noted with some surprise that Coach Kelly was outwardly critical of his defensive coaches during his post UNC game presser. Clearly he was upset at so many players being out of position on big chunk plays. In fact NBC showed a sideline shot of him chewing out one of the defensive coaches after the Chandler t.d. run. What is his dynamic with Marcus Freeman? Is it a good relationship or does Kelly really miss Clark Lea? Eric, how do you analyze the current state of the Irish defense?

Eric Hansen

12:58

Norris. I don't call the plays, just report on them. Tommy Rees is your man for suggestions on play-calling.

Norris from Singer Isl. Fl

12:57

When within the opponent’s 10 yard line, and with Buchner, Williams, Takacs, Mayer’s (split), Austin/Colzie (split) on the field, why not put a fast slot in motion from boundary side to field side, stretching the field horizontally, to create more play options and confusions for the defense ?

Eric Hansen

12:56

Bob, can you add your hometown next time? Thanks. Jordan Botelho got 13 snaps against North Carolina and recorded a sack. With more snaps, I see more production from him. Kahanu Kia has some burst, but is undersized as a converted freshman linebacker. Alexander Ehrensberger, who's been battling injuries, has length and burst. ND has two DEs coming in this next recruiting class in Aiden Gobaira and Tyson Ford, and two 2023s who could both be five-stars in Brenan Vernon and Keon Keeley.

ND Bob

12:50

Eric, Love your work! I’m concerned about our outside pass rush ability beyond Myron and Foskey. Anyone younger flash potential? thx

Eric Hansen

12:50

Chad, thank you. I definitely don't have a memory hotline, because I have no idea what I predicted that has you so fired up. But thanks anyway. Yes, Notre Dame has a group of walk-ons who focus on working on triple-options skills year 'round specifically to give the Irish defense a realistic look to practice against for this game. Chase Ketterer is the QB in that group, and Tom Noie will have a column about him and that group later this week.

Chad from Denver

12:42

Eric, another week, another great prediction! Do you have a psychic hotline gig on the side? In the past ND has had a Navy scout team of sorts to help the D prepare for Navy's offense. Did this go away because of Covid or has ND been able to use this group to prepare for Navy? Do you see any more long runs in Jack's future? Thanks for these chats, it's always great to see your thoughts and the thoughts of others.

Eric Hansen

12:41

Brian, some of Notre Dame's current committed recruits could evolve into five-stars, because neither Rivals nor 247Sports has fully designated all of them yet. There will also be shifts in rankings. If the cycle ended today, Jaylen Sneed would be one and C.J. Williams would be within striking distance. As far as who ND is pursuing, S Xavier Nwankpa, DL Anthony Lucas, QB Walker Howard and DE Cyrus Moss are or likely will be 5-stars by Rivals, 247 or both. I'd say ND has its best shot at Nwankpa and Howard, though no guarantee they'll get either. Now, ND is set up very well for multiple five-stars in the 2023 class as things are unfolding. ... And just my two cents, I think LB commit Joshua Burnham is way underrated, perhaps because he is playing quarterback (and very well) out of necessity this season.

Brian Oceanside NY

12:30

How many 5 stars do you expect us to get in this cycle and what QB do you think we will get

Eric Hansen

12:29

Harold, I appreciate every SINGLE word of that, including the second-to-last line. There's some wonderful people in Shreveport, but the strengths of the city are in other areas besides putting on a bowl game. Thanks again.

Harold ,Shreveport

12:27

Eric,I've been a Notre Dame fan for 70 years and I just wanted to thank you for all the great articles and the weekly chats. Hope you never have to cover another Independence Bowl. All the best.

Eric Hansen

12:27

Injured rover Paul Moala did possess the more-varied skill set when healthy. He was lost the first game of the season. Are there those types coming in 2022? I think Nolan Ziegler definitely fits. Prince Kollie may eventually too. I think Jaylen Sneed could play any of the linebacker positions ... and early. There are answers in 2022 that don't exist this season.

12:24

I also think teams are exposing what ND doesn't do as well in the linebacking corps. I believe a Marist Liufau/Bertrand tag team would have been phenomenal. I think Bertrand is a more natural middle linebacker, and teams have exposed him in space a little more with some difficult matchups that Liufau could have handled. Not a knock on JD, just reality. He's also playing too many snaps because of lack of depth (losing Simon as well as that position). ND also doesn't have a true rover. Not one with the skill set of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah or even Drue Tranquill. (more)

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