JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Nov. 4, 2026

Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Nov. 4, 2026

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Eric Hansen

3:05

Sorry I was so scattered today. Perhaps I should have been having a beer instead of coffee. So much going on this week. The texts and calls are non-stop. And my 7-year-old secretary is in school during these hours. Anyway, thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all over against next Wednesday at noon ET.

3:03

For the future, the best way to find one of my stories that no longer appears on the home page is click on any of my stories that you can see on the home page. Then click on my byline. It will bring up a menu of every story I've written for Blue & Gold, starting with the most recent. Here is the link if you want to bookmark it or try it out: https://www.on3.com/user/erichansen/

3:00

The Beave. I think I can follow what you're asking. You want to know if Jerome Bettis Jr.'s appearance in the Navy game came after Micah Gilbert limped off with a minor injury (which won't affect him this Saturday, by the way). In the moment, Marcus Freeman was convinced the two things were unrelated. Later he amended that a bit, but in both versions, he said the plan was to get Bettis in the game, healthy Gilbert or not. (more).

The Beave. Grand Rapids

2:57

Hey Eric: I can’t find your article on Elijah Bettis in the feed for reference. This is a chicken/egg question. Were most/all of his snaps against Navy after

Eric Hansen

2:57

Hi Tom. Thanks for youf confidence in me to find some answers LOL. If I need to provide the solutions, though, Notre Dame is in trouble. What I can provide is the perspective, I think Notre Dame is good enough to win this game. And if the Irish do, I think they become the team you envisioned in the offseason as they head into the playoff. There's a turkey leg riding on it. Seriously. I have to eat one on our YouTibe roundtable show the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Which I probably would happily do in private anyway.

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

2:50

Hey Eric, happy make it or break it week!! IMO the team that faces Miami is nowhere near the team that we thought they would be at this point when camp opened. A rash of injuries, key players on D and WR not playing up to potential, schematic and player mistakes at the wrong time have put us in must-win position. I'm not looking to place blame I am hoping the Wizard of ND FB can give us some solutions before Saturday night. Also, I hope they can add a lot more candles at the Grotto because I feel we need all the help we can get!!!! Good Luck Irish!!!!! Our Lady, Queen of Victory pray for us!!!!!

Eric Hansen

2:49

Both, Don. This is a game, maybe THE game that will define CJ Carr's time at ND, at least the regular-season game. I think if the defense held Miami in the 20s, ND wins this game. My pick is very retro. Irish 31, Miami 30.

Don in Scottsdale, AZ

2:48

Eric, win or stay home. Saturday night is for all the marbles. What's going to be the key to victory? Will it be CJ or the defense?

Eric Hansen

2:47

Hi James. SMU's loss last week makes it difficult for that to be a path to redemption. The Irish would need a lot of help to make the field with a loss, based on Tuesday night's ranking. But Notre Dame does have the opportunity to determine its own destiny.

James Pittstown,NJ

2:46

We saw some very contradictory rankings tonight. The criteria for one team doesn’t apply to another it seems. ND seems to have its own criteria…let’s say ND beats Miami and loses to SMU, do they make the playoff? And if your answer is no, does that leave any doubt there is obvious bias against ND for not being in a conference and or parter of ESPN?

Eric Hansen

2:42

Charley, I love this question. I don't think so in a strict textbook sense, unless you had Brauntae Johnson for this game, which the Irish don't. But there are situations and packages where he can be more linebacker-like or play a hybrid role, which would be an interesting tactic.

Charley From the Sip

2:40

Hey Eric - Would Luke Talich be considered as an emergency addition to the linebacker rotation?

Eric Hansen

2:40

Hello Len!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I am undercaffeinated today. Let me see if I can untangle this logically. What would be the benefit of the Big Ten and the SEC "forcing" Notre Dame into conference membership? And I actually think the strength-of-schedule metric could benefit ND in terms of future scheduling. So I am going to dismiss that theory entirely. They can't join both of those conferences anyway, so the one that didn't get ND would be at a loss. Second premise, if I understand it correctly -- and I don't think I do -- doesn't make sense to me. I do think the SEC and Big Ten, especially, will act in their own best interests over the interests of college football in general. But I can't twist myself into it being anti-ND specifically. It's maybe anti-everybody but their own conference teams if that makes sense.

Len from the Jersey Shore

Second question, are the Big 2 trying to avoid ND who has shown the ability to compete with anyone? Better to have a 2025 Bama blowout then have to go up against ND? You thoughts are appreciated.

2:31

Hello Eric!!!!!!!1 Strength of Schedule (SOS): Reaffirmed for the 2025/2026 cycles, the committee utilizes a record strength measure that heavily rewards teams for defeating high-quality opponents while minimizing the penalty for losing to one. I will add to this that also minimizes getting blown out by good or even by lessor opponents (Bama last year) or scheduling weak opponents, the IU strategy. The AP poll should pick the first round not as much built in conference bias as the committee or the coaches poll. No CFP ranked team even approaches the ND difference between AP poll and CFP poll, which is 7 spots. This protocol helps the big 2 conferences immensely and gives then a margin for error that ND and other conf.do not enjoy. Under this protocol ND could play a great Miami game and lose to Miami by 2 pts and be out of the CFP two years in a row with loses of 1,2,3 & 4 pts. 2 questions are the big 2 trying to force ND to join one of their conf.? (more)

Eric Hansen

2:31

https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/2118062400561975757?a=SGz9yf5vgqTQ1Tqb...

2:30

New Flash:

2:28

What goes in ND's favor is its ability to be balanced, and if the passing game is clicking, it will open up opportunities in the run game. And yes, Notre Dame's run game is improving and has throughout the year. It's even better when Jonaz Walton gets touches. A combination of Nolan James Jr. and Walton is the best approach in this game. CJ is going to have to run some too, not a lot but enough to keep Miami honest and he's going to have to run smart. Mark I think your last question got cut off. I am going to guess you wonder why Zackery and Golden aren't showing the kind of improvement they did in 2025 this season? For Golden, it's been more about opportunity. For Zackery, he's been in and out of the lineup with injuries. For both of them, Jayden Sanders asserted himself and became a priority rotational player who could play both cornerback positions and nickel.

2:22

Mark!!! Thanks for having both a strong emoji and punctuation game. As far as "doubt" about ND's ability to run the ball, it's nothing personal. It's about statistics and tendencies. Miami is the No. 1 rushing defense in the nation. ND is 38th in rush offense. Therein lies the rub. The best run defense ND has faced to date is BYU's, which is 20th. So it's not that ND won't be able to run the ball, but it will be a challenge. (more)

Mark: Golden Valley, MN

2:10

Hi Eric!!!!!!!

Thanks for the chats. Big week for the Irish. Like Lou Holtz, CMF is a big game coach. In watching Blue and Gold since Sunday, it seems there is some doubt that the Irish can run the ball against Miami. In my wife and I's amauteur viewing of the Miami vs North Carolina game, it seemed that the Tar Heels had a decent amount of success running the ball against the Hurricanes Saturday night. Isn't it fair to say that the ND offensive line is deeper and more talented than North Carolina's? I know with Coach Holtz, running the ball was always the priority. And same with coach Freeman. Why is there doubt with the staff and you that the Irish might not be successful running the ball? I may over-read the comments from Tyler, Jack, Mike, and you. My other question pertains to Mark Zachary and Dallas Golden. Both seemed to improve immensely in the 2025-26 season

Eric Hansen

2:10

Boy there's a lot to unpack here. I'm bringing you to the press conference. ... They might bracket him some, but I'm not going to get overly granular here. He's a special talent, andit's possibly they move him around their formation to make Ash play chess. So it's again about having a strong game plan out of the gate and making the right in-game moves on the fly, than scripting out the entire game and not being able to adjust from that. I think ND can learn a lot more from watching North Carolina's offense vs. Miami than its defense. See you this weekend.

2:06

No. 4 would be linebacker rotation with no Drayk Bowen. How much do you play Madden Faraimo, or do you just go with the first three options, led by Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa? 5. Special niche packages. There's some amazing athletes on this team. There should be a way to use someone like Joey O'Brien in special situations. I'm not sure where to put my confience meter in Ash, but I do have high confidence in Marcus Freeman in this situation (more).

1:59

Hi Marie. Excited and pulled in 85 different directions and counting LOL, but loving every minute of that. I feel more like a wishbone than a turkey leg. I wish I was paid like Chris Ash if I have to come up with five things to help him.

... The first is have a game plan that's strong out of the gate and adaptable on the fly. Miami is going to have plenty of countermoves. No. 2, have a great game plan for Malachi Toney, but don't put so much into that, you lose the game somewhere else. Putting Leonard Moore on him makes sense, but you've got to have multiple looks and pressures. 3. Speaking of pressue, pass rush is going to be SO important in this game. ND has to have one beyond Boubacar Traore. (more)

1:55

sorry for the delay ... here comes the answers.

Marie from Atlanta

1:41

Hey Eric, I can’t believe Miami week is finally here! I’m sure you have a lot going on. If you are Chris Ash, what are the five most important things that you have got to get this defense to do this weekend to win the game.? How confident are you that Chris Ash can develop a winning game plan, and how confident are you that he can start making adjustments early enough so that the game does not get out of hand? it seems like mixing up the defense will be important, I know Moore will cover Toney a lot but do you think they will also bracket Toney some? What do you think can be learned from watching the North Carolina defense play Miami this past Saturday night? obviously it will be important to get off to a fast start on Saturday, and it will be very important for CJ Car to get off to a good start,what do you think Denbrock can do with the game plan to ensure that that happens? See you at the game this weekend! Thanks for hosting the chat.

Eric Hansen

1:41

Here is the link to the Mega Show. Ian Book, Landon Tengwall, Quincy Faison (Jordan's and Dylan's dad), Tim Hyde, Mike Singer, Jack Soble, Tyler James, Kyle Kelly and I all made appearances: LINK

1:39

Adon Shuler, this is your moment. I agree is a huge key in this game. Storming the field? I thnk we might strom the media food area in the pressbox, does that count. And there actually was ice in those cokes. The missing ingredient rhymes with gum.

1:37

Scott, you lively minx, leaving our your hometown. Fortunately, I know who you are and will fit it in for you in the transcript! I do think ND can win even with a slower start, but Miami is very, very good in the fourth quarter and the lead. I wrote about that earlier this week. It will be an ongoing chess match on both sides of the ball, punches and counterpunches and maybe even real ones (oh wait that was 1988). As far as the Gino/CJ part of your questions, we had Ian Book on the Tuesday night MegaShow on the Blue & Gold YouTube channel last night in the first hour. Great insight on CJ and exactly what you are asking about. Check it out. He joins Mike Singer and me about 40 minutes in. I'll post the link at the end of my answer. (more)

Scott

1:31

Eric!!!! The first CFP rankings came out and I just yawned! After last year, the rankings mean nothing until December. Just win baby and see where it all plays out! Now, regarding the Miami game, see how it transitioned that, can ND win if the defense repeats their 1st half performance from the previous two games? I'm worried Miami will score 20 plus in the 1st half and it will be catch up the entire 2nd half. Also, can Gino convince CJ that 5-10 yard completions to the TE and RBs are acceptable? And do you see Shuler regain his AA skills for this game? While Moore will be critical providing coverage, I think Adon will be the game changer making key tackles and pass breakups. I hope you and Tyler get to rush the field after a win Saturday night. I'll celebrate with a coke and whatever you had for the Ohio State - Mich game when you were in college. I'm sure the missing ingredient was ice!

Eric Hansen

1:30

Navy is good at reinventing that offense from week to week, but still. I don't think being surprised is going to be an adjustment for ND against Miami. It's going to be the whiplash going from Navy's triple-option concepts back to a traditional offense and THE traditional offense is going to be the challenge. I think ND can put pressure on Miami out of the gate by its offense starting fast. We'll see if they can get that done.

1:27

Paul CIAO, PAISAN! I am not fluent either, and my skills have eroded some since my grandparents died. I still no how to say more lasagna without cheating. I think the best way to say "LOL", which I did with your closing is: Sto morendo ... "You're killing me." OK, to English and the game of American football this Saturday night. I think that ND had an eventual response — and an emphatic one — to the Navy offense is great. The fact that it took until halftime to get it implemented was puzzling. (more)

Paul from Knoxville

1:17

Ciao Eric: Credit to the coaches and players for making halftime adjustments and executing them in the 2nd half against Navy, but in the 1st half it appeared the D was under-prepared, or at least confused at times. If so, why do you think that happened, since it also occurred in the first half against BYU? I find it more concerning following a bye week. More importantly, what's a possible solution to prevent a repeat during the Miami game? With Bowen out, who will call signals and checks on field for the D, and how adept is that player at doing it? Lastly, please tell the nice lady from Phoenix that the reason I appear to be using Google Translate is because I am not fluent in Italian (like you are!), and I sometimes make AI-type mistakes, though my errors are exclusively BI (biological intelligence, or lack thereof).

Eric Hansen

1:16

Hi Mark, and thanks for the hype and the exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have some good Lou stories, but not ones that fit succintly into this chat format. But I feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with him, and really glad he joined us on our Third & Gold podcast last October. ... Why the trench battles can be different is that Notre Dame is better on both lines than last season and I'm not sure Miami is nearly as good on either. Those were elite lines. These are pretty good on Miami's side. And Notre Dame needs to take advantage of that. As I mentioned earlier, Miami's pass defense has been exposed, but I still think ND needs to be balanced to maximize its scoring opportunities as well as controlling the clock, tempo, and playing complementary football.

Mark Czar Grand Rapids Mi

1:04

Happy to see Coach Holtz getting special recognition this week. Do you have an interaction / story that jumps out? What made him such a dynamic recruiter? Did he coin “4/40”? Last year Miami won the battle in the trenches on both sides / why can that be different this year? FSU and N Carolina scored a bunch of points on Miami - how and can the Irish offense exploit the same weaknesses? Eric you are the BEST!!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:03

Hi Skip, that's pretty broad, but I'll try to zero on a quick thumbnail for you. He's played in all eight games, with a total of 147 snaps. So that's about 18 a game. He's been valuable as a depth, rotational piece. He has not been a game-changer. Perhaps being a good player and not a great one is a good place to be in transitioning for a 3-4 defensive end to one that plays in a 4-3 scheme. He has 9 tackles, 2 pass breakups and a QB hurry this season.

Skip - Houston

12:52

Please share your thoughts about Keon Keeley - thank you.

Eric Hansen

12:52

Beth, I will be happy to share my newest recipe and I actually tried it out on Halloween weekend. The new element is a Irish Whiskey maple BBQ glaze. It is addictive. I can email it to you. ... Jack does a great job with the X's and O's. My take is Notre Dame needs to have some balance. That's what Florida State had in its 43-35 2 OT loss to the Hurricanes. Miami is No. 1 in rush defense and No. 81 in pass-efficiency defense. If you are going be beat Miami, you are going to have to get this game into the high 20s or 30s at least. I think there's a path there, but the passing game is the path of least resistance.

Beth from Westfield

12:47

Hey Eric! It is finally Miami week. I am so desperate that I’ll eat a turkey leg if we win and I’m not a big fan of turkey. Maybe I need your recipe! Anyway, I read Jack’s match up article today and he gave the slight edge to Miami when we are rushing the ball. What do you think? No matter how weak their pass defense is, I think our ability to control clock and pound the ball may be the key to victory. Hoping our O-line takes it to them. Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:46

Mike/Mo !!!!!!!!!^^^!!!!!!! I noticed the chipiness too, and Marcus Freeman was asked about the injury element to all of that, and his take was nothing sinister on the part of coach Brian Newberry. But it was a high volume of penalties -- 8 for 86 yards. For the season Notre Dame continues to lead the nation in fewest penalties per game (3.0) and fewest penalty yards per game (28.9). Navy is 34th and 24th, respectively in those categories and are usually much better than that. As to their bad mood? Maybe they got some foul "chowda" up in Massachusetts.

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