JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 30, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 30, 2022

Eric Hansen

3:24

That's going to have to do it for today. Thanks for all the great questions. Len from the Jersey Shore, that was the longest question in the history of the chat. Sorry I couldn't get to it. But, we'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon EST, at which time we can dig into the bowl opponent and the portal possibilities.

3:21

Hi Paul. Statistically, Drew Pyne got better as the season went on and finished 20th nationally in passing efficiency. so I don't think development was an issue. Evaluation? Probably. Drew was very advanced at an early age, but didn't appreciably grow physically and it caught up to him. In Rees' defense, Alabama, LSU. Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M all were among the school that also offered him a scholarship.

Paul from Toronto, Ontario

3:17

Hi Eric. I’m no expert in quarterback evaluations and I don’t mean to pile on the young man but in the recruiting process what did the Irish see in Drew Pyne. It seems to be established that he is a short average at best athlete with a weak arm that is not particularly accurate. His decision making in the pocket seems slow as is his foot speed. He stares down his receivers and doesn’t go through his progressions to find the open man. It usual can be said a QB has some strengths be it a strong arm, good athlete, or accuracy but he has none of these. Is this an issue about lack of development by Coach Reese or poor evaluation of Pyne’s abilities during the recruiting process.

Eric Hansen

3:16

There would be some assistant who have opportunities elsewhere, so we'll see. I think the biggest change I'd like to see if beefing up the analyst staff with quality, experienced coaches willing to take on those roles.

Rich Key West

3:15

I would assume that the coaching staff will remain in tact at the end of the season. It would be a little quick for Coach Freeman to be making many changes in those roles. What changes would you think would be appropriate if improvement is not shown in their respective position groups next season?

Eric Hansen

3:14

I think I have a better chance of ending up in Notre Dame's recruiting class than Keon Keeley. As far as Indiana freshman edge player Dasan McCullough, he's not in the portal yet. He's the son of Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough. If/when he's in the portal, I'd be happy to assess that.

John - Palmyra, PA

3:11

Because (I) believe Keon is still very much considering ND, who do you feel has a better percentage chance of ending up at ND - Keeley or Dasan McCullough? And what percentage chance do you give him?

Eric Hansen

3:10

Recruiting is weird. Weird things happen. For him to come back to the ND class at this point would push the weirdness scale to new heights. I don't see it.

Denny

3:10

Hello Eric, Any chance that Keon Keeley comes back into the 2023 ND recruiting class? Is it a long shot?? Might the reason he won't come back is the NIL $$$ from Bama or OSU?

Eric Hansen

3:09

Thanks Sean. I'm going to focus on the last part of your question ... the part about the Big Ten. The buzz about Notre Dame having to or should join a conference has quieted down considerably with the knowledge that ND really wants to stay independent in football and the speculation that its next media rights deal may allow for that. Should the latter not prove true, then the buzz will be back. For it to be the Big Ten and not the ACC would require Notre Dame to legally escape from its grant of rights commitment to the ACC, which runs through 2035-36. That could be difficult and expensive. I think in the next year, the math will become clear and reveal ND's direction.

Sean-Schaumburg, Il

3:01

I'll take 8-4. Lots of positives from Freeman. One of my friends was convinced that holding occurred on the majority of scrambles by Williams in the first half. I didn’t see anything egregious. Did you or any of the writers notice any holding calls that were missed/egregious? As a college official in another sport it's always a weak/annoying argument to blane the refs. Pyne did get smacked in the head in the first half that went uncalled. I don't like our agreement with the ACC. That game vs NC State played in the remnants of a hurricane should never have been played in those conditions. The ACC tries sticking it to us any chance they get. Any chance we pivot to the Big Ten before 2030? With USC/UCLA joining we can join and keep our Cali connections. I appreciate your professionalism and insight. I hope to be in Dublin for Navy. Be well. Go Irish!!

Eric Hansen

3:00

Keep in mind, grad transfers are easy to get into school. Underclassmen, not easy. Some are impossible because ot transferring credits. Also, ND needs to be clear what it's looking for -- a one-year bridge or someone with multiple seasons of eligibility. Another consideration, does ND want a dual-threat guy? Of the last six to lead their team to a national title, only Mac Jones of Alabama in 2020 did not average 3.0 yards per carry in rushing. And keep in mind, fit is important. Of all the QBs in last year's portal, Drew Pyne outperformed all but four of them in pass efficiency.

2:57

Here's how Rivals rates the QBs already in the portal or having declared they're headed that way on Monday. There's a magnifying feature to read the chart or you can check it out at https://n.rivals.com/transfer_tracker/2023.

2:55

Jordan, honestly I don't recall, and tried a quick archive search and came up empty. I do remember Notre Dame had to scramble and came up with Brendon Clark, who was a Wake Forest commit originally. As far as reuniting with the impending transfer from Michigan, I think ND can do better. As far as picking a favorite, I'll wait until the portal officially opens to underclassmen on Monday and we get a better feel for the entire pool of available talent. (more)

Jordan - South Bend

2:46

Hey Eric, I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving holiday. With the recent news that Cade McNamara will hit the portal, I was wondering if you can recall why he backed off his verbal pledge to the Irish. Seems like he is the game manager that can take ND to the next level as he's already proven to do so last year. Plenty of interest in Devin Leary and Tanner McKee if the latter forgoes the draft. Have you had time to pick a favorite to lead the Irish next season? Also, by my count at least 9 of the 22 pledges in the 2019 class have transferred. Does this seem abnormally high or is this just the era now with college free agency?

Eric Hansen

2:44

A lot of you are asking about transfer portal questions. Just trying to find one that will allow me to give a complete and consolidated answer.

2:43

Deek, thanks. Marcus was not asked about Audric in the postgame. Given he averaged more than 7 yards a carry on his six carries, I have a sneaking suspicion there was an injury involved. Will try to get that answer the next time we have Marcus in front of us, which should be Sunday.

Derek Q, Oakville, ON, Canada

2:38

Hi Eric, Thanks again for the update on the recruiting calendar. Has anyone asked why Estime only received 3 carries in the first half? I am not a College OC but I would have given him the first 3 carries and as many as he could handle. Yes we have other backs..yes they need to be used but the game plan in my humble opinion was not one to be proud of.

Eric Hansen

2:37

Hi Jeff, and yes Phoenix always seems to represent well. This is a huge winter/spring for Rocco Spindler, who will be a junior with sophomore eligibility. With Josh Lugg and Jarrett Patterson moving on, there are two openings for starters. Now remember, it's not necessarily the best guys who have been working at guard, but the best five total. So, Alt, Fisher, Correll and ... I believe there will be five players competing for two spots -- Spindler, Kristofic, Schrauth, Carmody and Baker, provided they all stay out of the portal. I like Rocco's chances, but that's a formidable group. With the portal rules the way they are, everyone is a transfer risk who has played very limited downs for two years.

Jeff from Phoenix

2:30

Good morning Eric. In looking forward to the 2023 OL composition, maybe you can revisit the potential for Rocco Spindler. At guard, it appears there are opportunities now to crack the starting line-up. Do you think he can make the push this winter/spring to get there? Is he a transfer risk or is his progress more on track for being a contributor in year 4 or 5? A shout out to all the enthusiastic chatters in the Phoenix area and thanks as always-

Eric Hansen

2:29

Hi Marie, I hit on some of the facets of your questions earlier in the chat, but I'd give Golden overall a B. I think his head coaching experience was invaluable for Marcus Freeman, and to finish in the top 25 in total defense is an accomplishment. The Irish faced four of the nation's top 12 QBs in pass efficiency and three of the top 11 teams in total offense. Yes, lots of room for improvement in the area of in-game adjustment and linebacker play, especially against elite teams. With all the young talent and incoming talent coming this spring in the linebacker room, I expect the competition will solve a lot of the problems as well being in the same scheme for two years in a row.

Marie from Atlanta

2:23

Hi Eric, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and got to spend some quality time with family. Now that we have a complete season to look back upon, how would you grade Al Golden’s overall performance this year? Also, how would you grade his ability to make adjustments? Thinking back on this season I could not think of a game in which I was overly impressed by adjustments that were made, but I can think of some times when I thought adjustments should’ve been made and were not. What do you think are the biggest issues that need to be tackled in order to improve linebacker play for 2023? I thought linebacker play was very poor at the beginning of the year, then took some steps forward, but seem to regress this past weekend. As always, thanks so much for hosting the chat and look forward to hearing your insights.

Eric Hansen

2:23

Blake Grupe converted 72 percent of his field goal attempts, more than half of which came from between 40 and 49 yards. He has exhausted his eligibility. The competitors to replace him will be kickoff man Zac Yoakam, Josh Bryan and soon-to-be walk-on Marco Diomede.

Michael, Charleston. , WV

2:19

Are we going to have a good kicker for next year? Blake Grupe struggled on field goals second half of the season

Eric Hansen

2:16

Oh wow. How cool is it to hear from you. For everyone else, Newt was a regular way back when I started these chats 100 years or so ago. My 40 time is measure with a sun dial now. Notre Dame's bowl game will be officially announced on Sunday (noon to 4 ET). We'll probably know sooner. It's either going to be Gator, Cheez-it or Holiday, with ND-South Carolina in the Gator trending with some momentum.

Newt in Midlothian, Va

2:13

It's been a long time. Work and family catches up with you. Glad to see you are still at it with the live chat. Remember when you use to ask for your 40 time? Lol. Anywho, when do you think the bowl game destination will be announced?

Eric Hansen

2:13

All good points. I made the point about Hart and Bracy in my postgame column, not to make an excuse, but to explain why schematically, the Irish weren't able to dedicate more resources to stopping the run and how the defense was essentially in a run/pass conflict the entire game. I wasn't watching for the holding calls, because I don't cover a game that way. I'll notice them once in a while, but I heard from MANY of you about that throughout the game, so I don't doubt it.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

2:10

I am reading a lot of shade throwing on the defense in the game. Pinpointing specific plays, etc. I certainly felt that the defense was doing ok, but the continual chasing of Caleb Williams and the demoralization if those somehow becoming completions was just constantly draining and tiring. I think not having bracy and hart was probably a major factor. Not to mention the plethora of no calls for holding, although I can understand how in a scramble situation it is disproportionately harder to watch every lineman in a 15sq yd box. Curious if you any comments on any of this. I think Williams was just fantastic and not having to experienced secondary members was the key

Eric Hansen

2:10

Hi Mike, yes the two-point conversion attempt was a head scratcher. And perhaps one of the reasons that (and many other) question didn't get asked postgame was because the USC security wouldn't let the media up the tunnel to attend the press conference. Thus only two reporters, one USC and one ND, were there. And the presser only lasted five minutes. But yes, the two-point conversion made no sense. ... The QB/TE sneak has been very successful. But the way USC was aligned, a timeout was probably the best call in that moment. ... I'm not sure down two scores calling those timeouts would have been something I would have considered.

MikeMcFadden, Williamsport, PA

2:05

I believe I forgot to put my name and city on last night's 3 part question. Sorry, sorry. Later.

Guest

2:05

Hi Eric, Can you please explain, if there is a valid explanation, why Coach Freeman decided to go for 2 point conversion late in the game? IE losing by 11 pts vs losing by 9 pts? Why di ND use QB/TE sneak early in the game with 11 USC vs 9 ND players? I know it worked good 3 times before this year but that was with the whole ND lined up in a spread offense not a stacked offense. Last question, promise, why didn't Coach Freeman use ND's last 2 TO's with over a minute to play? That is called a forfeit to me. We could got the ball back with 10-20 seconds left. I am totally confused over these actions. Thanks Eric.

Eric Hansen

2:04

Don, big broad questions that I'll go in more detail about once I have a chance to sit down with Marcus Freeman and pick his brain after the season. But let me play along and give you the shorter chat version. I'd give him a solid B with no detention. I think the biggest significant improvement was his understanding of the offense and how to impact the players on that side of the ball, without having nuanced expertise. I also thought he got better at messaging to the team as he went along and had smoother game day operations. What needs work? He needs to be willing and able to be a fixer, even if it means stepping on toes. I think he could have impacted the defense more. One thing I loved was how willing he was to unapologetically examine EVERYTHING after a game, win or lose, in an attempt to find a better way. What needs to change? I think D-line coach Al Washington has some proving to do with regard to both player development and recruiting.

Don in Phoenix

1:57

I know there is a bowl game coming but how would you grade CMF's first season starting with the last season's bowl game? Where were the significant improvements? What needs work? What needs to change?

Eric Hansen

1:56

hi Tom and thanks. I think it's more realistic that some of the young, developmental players will get opportunities in the bowl practices rather than the game itself. I'll try to get a better feel on that when we talk to Marcus Freeman presumably on Sunday. My opinion is that's incredibly important to work into the bowl prep schedule. 2. I do like the talent of the young receivers on the roster -- agreed -- and the likely four coming in. But especially if Chris Tyree does not move to the slot, I'd still go out and get an experienced elite grad transfer WR this December to play slot receiver.

Tom Kennesaw, GA+

1:50

Hi Eric, other than the game I hope you had a good trip out west. My question/cpmment is regarding the bowl game practices and who you expect to get a good look in practice and in the game. There are players who are going to be needed next season who have not played much, like Spindler and Schrauth. I hope they play most of the second half. Also Ty Ford and Giobiara. Who are your players to look for. Q#2: The improved play of Colzie and Styles late in the season plus Merriweather and the 2023 WR's maybe our WR room isn't as dire as we thought. What do you think?? Now we keep our fingers crossed for 3 weeks that all the commitments sign on the 21st/22nd. Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:49

Hi Mike. We'll give you credit for being nice. The recruiting calendar shifted this year. The contact period starts Friday. I think why there was a bit of confusion in that area is because Ohio State coach Ryan Day made an in-home visit during the dead period, using a loophole/gray area to do it and betting, I suppose, the NCAA would see it his way.

Mike from Toronto

1:46

Eric, I'm not sure of the rules and timelines regarding recruiting and contact/non-contact periods. Are the coaches on the road as we speak? Naughty or nice? I thought I was nice, but after I got to 4 home games this year, my wife would disagree. Driving through Michigan for the BC game was a hoot. I should have driven a snowmobile.

Eric Hansen

1:42

Thanks, Bob. 1. Chris Smith (6-1, 310) wasn't prioritized over Lacey (6-1, 280). They pursued him when Aidan Keanaaina (6-3, 323) was injured. The Irish wanted to have a nose guard with size for those occasions that was needed. Now why Lacey wasn't used more is on new D-line coach Al Washington. Lacey had a lot of equity built up with former D-line coach Mike Elston that did not carry over, right or wrong. 2. I guess I don't break down the game necessarily to play the blame game, though I suppose it might look that way. But however you slice it, ND HAD to win the turnover battle against the nation's No. 1 team in turnover margin to win this game. 3. I wish I could answer that one, but haven't had time to give it enough thought to give you an intelligent answer.

Bob from Naperville

1:29

A quick three parter, 1) who made the mistake to prioritize the DL from Harvard over Jacob Lacey ? 2) Pyne seems to be taking alot of heat for 23-26. Granted he had two turnovers, but Watts should have intercepted two himself. Mickey was a much bigger issue than Pyne in that game. Do you agree ? 3). What are the two moves you hope our cardinals make this offseason ? Thanks for the chat.

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