JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 8, 2023 | 11/8/2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Nov. 8, 2023

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Eric Hansen

1:52

Hi Mike. Thanks, I love the chats, but the ones where people are in a good mood and/or wear shoes are more fun. ... What I would do? I'm facing the worst defense I've faced all year at Stanford in the regular-season finale and the worst Power 5 defense on the schedule other than Stanford and the one that just fired their DC (USC). So I'd do a very deep self scout and make changes in the game plan/approach/adjusting that will theoretically carry over to a tougher defense in a bowl game and certainly start to build toward success next year. I'd keep the rest of the process in place until the last two games have been played. At the end of the year, I do what BK did at the end of 2016, have some valuable exit interviews and do a thorough evaluation of everything from coaching personnel to gameday operations. Everything's on the table (more)

Mike from Rockville, MD

1:44

Love the chats, Eric...thank you!!! Put yourself in MF's shoes. How do you approach Gerard Parker (job status, game planning, meetings, personnel decisions, etc.) and the offense right now? What do you do at the end of the year? 2nd part: put yourself in GP's shoes. What would you do with the offense (game planning, personnel, etc.) for the remaining 3 games?

Eric Hansen

1:43

OK, Scubatvt, yes there will be coaching changes in the offseason and some will be assistants taking jobs elsewhere. But for the others, I'd let the regular season play out. ... The only two injury recoveries off the top of my head that could make an impact, are WRs Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas. Having a week off should help Thomas. Colzie is on the brink of being able to redshirt of not. So they need to answer that question first ... is it worth saving that year? It is possible he could play in a bowl game and still redshirt, but the NCAA will have to issue another blanket waiver, as it did last year, for that to happen.

Scubatvt56

Eric , can you give us an injury update? Since this is a bye week who can we expect to be back for Wake Forrest or Standford?

1:39

Jamestown TN

1:38

Eric , Do you think MF will make coaching changes in the off season? If he gets a new OC will the administration have his back and pony up the salary needed to hire a good OC?

Eric Hansen

1:38

They believe he can be a consistent big-play linebacker, which has happened intermittently, not consistently.

Jim fla

1:37

Why does coach Free and Golden persist on giving liafau so much playing time

Eric Hansen

1:37

Hi Matt. Tyson Ford's opportunities will come next year. What the Notre Dame coaching staff must figure out this offseason is whether his future is inside at defensive tackle or at the field end spot outside. I would not use Jeremiyah Love at the expense of Audric Estimé, but I do think there have been some missed opportunities in terms of having them on the field together at the same time.

Matt in Augusta NJ

1:34

Havent heard much on Tyson Ford recently. Did he get passed up on the depth chart? I had high hopes for him. Also still not enough LOVE on offense.

Eric Hansen

1:34

Don. This is a reasonable rant, and I understand the conflict with grandparent duty. Believe me. You are right about it ultimately being Marcus Freeman's responsibility to surround himself with the best players AND coaches. And that's why this offseason will be so critical in the direction of the program.

Don from Cincinnati

1:31

Eric: let me first say I missed the 1st quarter until ND had 1st and 10 at Clemson 19 and score 10-3 due to grandparent duty. IN order upsets you need to control line of scrimmage and we didn't in either Louisville or Clemson. We have had 2 screen passes(OSU & Clemson) knocked down(one to clinch game -OSU- and potential TD -Clemson-). Poor tackling and lbs slow getting to off tackle plays(OSU,Louisville & Clemson) resulting in TDS or long gains. Two inexcusable pick-6's and a grade school offense then that can't flip the field against Clemson in 2nd half. And then given a chance at the end of the game on a Clemson disaster they look lost. What's your take? Very Very frustrated!!!! Feel OC looks in over his head. O-line coach not looking much better. I don't feel Coach Freeman is the problem but it is his responsibility to get good people around > Sorry for the rant!

Eric Hansen

1:30

Ho Joe. I'll try to pick out what you want me to answer and what you want to share. ... So Blake Fisher should definitely stay in college another year. I don't see an upside to coming out early ... If ND does make a change at OC, yes I think they should spare no expense in getting the best available. And yes, keeping recruiting going and improving is always a big factor in a program ascending. No arguments there.

Joe,San Diego

1:27

Sam Hartman is catching entirely too much blame for the Clemson loss.Time after time he took 3 steps back and the Clemson defense was on top of him.The much praised offensive line was simply not doing their job.Blake Fisher,rumored to declare for the NFL draft was CONSISTENTLY beaten.With this performance,may I have your thoughts on Fisher going to the NFL rather gaining more experience.Pls let me add the conservative play calling reminded me of the Louisville game, The much praised wide receivers were covered consistatly which did not give Sam much of a chance.Yes Eric,ND needs to open their pocketbook for Offensive co=ordinator and MF needs to get back on the recruiting trail.Your thoughts please.

Eric Hansen

1:26

Hi Jerry. I like the two QBs on ND's roster that will theoretically be back in 204 and love the potential of the two they have committed (CJ Carr for 2024 and Deuce Knight for 2025). I would not project any QB to be the next Joe Montana or Joe Theismann -- not fair. But I do like the potential they have.

Jerry M.

1:24

Jerry M. from Dallas, Tx. Eric, obviously Sam Hartman has not been the savoir we hoped for. Is there a Montana or Theismann coming in Notre Dame's future? (With, of course, some really good receivers!).

Eric Hansen

1:23

Hi Roger. Thanks for the compliments. And I've been called dude a zillion times. How old do you think I am? LOL. As far as portal departures, there are only seven players with expiring eligibility and only a select few who will explore the NFL with eligibility on the table, so that means there will be players heading for the portal. I don't anticipate it being star players but players who are blocked on the depth chart who see a chance to play more elsewhere or players who are homesick, like Logan Diggs was last year, and just wanted to be close to home.

1:19

Sean, where/when/how did I say Clemson was not a big game? What I was not willing to say was win or lose it wasn't going to define Marcus Freeman's entire regime for years to come. Come on, man. I know you're frustrated .... and so I'll play your game and name a road game ... Oklahoma 2012. HUGE. But yes there have been more examples to the contrary. Duke with a healthy Riley Leonard is a better team than the one the Irish lost to Saturday, in fact three touchdowns better. They played each other! And the Cheez-It Bowl doesn't exist and nowhere did I suggest that was a possible destination. Marcus Freeman has a very important offseason ahead of him, but the sky-is-falling-and- always will level of whining combined with the misrepresentation of my views is WAY over the top.

1:08

Sorry got click happy ... Sean first, then Roger ...

Roger from Peoria

1:07

Eric: Thanks for chatting! You are the best and, dude, your white-framed sunglasses are awesome! I am concerned about the future of college football as we now know it. The specter of NIL and the Transfer Portal has already impacted the sport (or should I say this BIG BUSINESS) and the potential for (i) collective bargaining and (ii) current anti-trust litigation being certified as a class action leading to financial bankruptcy for the NCAA (some might suggest the NCAA is already bankrupt from a policy perspective) is chilling. So, let's enjoy it while we can. I consider it inappropriate to ask about who may enter the Transfer Portal, but we can be fairly certain some players will exhaust their eligibility or opt to move on to play on Sundays. Among that group, who do you see as the most difficult to replace on the offense and on the defense? And, who do you see as the potential replacements? Final question, ever been called a "dude" before?

Sean, Schaumburg IL

1:07

Eric, I was surprised by your reluctance to agree that Clemson this past week was a huge game. Multiple ND reporters viewed it as such. Full disclosure-I was in The Swamp watching Gators-Hogs. All-white UNI by ND? Awful. Ohio State was crushing. Louis stomped us. Defeating an average Clemson team on the road was a must to dispell--2005-USC, 2011-Ann Arbor, 2012-Bama, 2014-Tallahassee, 2015-Clemson/Stanford, 2017-UGA, 2018-CFP Clemson, 2019-UGA/Ann Arbor, 2020-CFP Bama, 2022-OSU. Name one road victory(outside defeating an average USC team in 2012) that carried importance in terms of impression/regard that Notre Dame can compete in the top tier games. I don't believe any of us can. Another crushing game where a W is crucial for long-term trajectory of the program. Top tier QB/WR was missing. Again. Dejected. Despondent. Defeat a legit road team in a meaningful game. Duke doesn't count. I don't care about LSU in a bowl game this year. Sure, it's a great angle from a journalist standpoint. Cheez-it Bowl. Yawn.

Eric Hansen

1:06

With your No. 2 question, I consistently got two versions of "the truth." Ultimately, Notre Dame would have paid Andy Ludwig's buyout. Everyone agrees on that point. What's not agreed upon is whether the initial misunderstanding/balking at the buyout was interpreted by Ludwig as a red flag an influenced him to stay at Utah. But the important lesson/direction now is to make the right decision this offseason about the direction of the offense in 2024 and beyond, whatever that entails. ... I think the 2025 class, not the 2024 class, is the one affected by the current state of the offense but also willing to let things play out.

1:01

in losses to Miami and NC State in the run game. ND needed to lean into its run defense more and commit more resources in the Clemson game. Wake and Stanford are below-average run teams, so the same strategy doesn't apply week to week. (more)

1:00

Aaron, thank you and Happy Birthday! Let's start with run defense. The Irish have not faced a lot of elite running teams and yet the run defense has been the weaker part of their defense all season. Navy is 19th, Louisville 28th, Duke 37th. Among rush yards per carry, USC is 9th, Duke 13th and Louisville 28th. Ohio State is 88th in rush offense. Clemson's O-line, and banged up and makeshift, had a better day the ND's defensive front, and that was a shocker. Clemson was 64th in rush offense, was missing their starter and had been shut down largely (more)

Aaron, Washington DC

12:41

Hi Eric, thanks for today’s chat. In the spirit of Notre Dame’s trifecta of painful losses, I would like to throw a trifecta of questions at you (hope they’re not painful also). On defense, it seems that each loss has been against a strong running game backed by the opponent winning in the trenches (maybe a little less so with the Ohio State game). Is that an accurate observation and what are the coaches doing to fix it? On OC hiring, can you offer ground truth on Ludwig? Was it money or did he truly just want to stay at Utah? It seems that the prevailing narrative is at odds with what Coach Freeman has said. Finally on recruiting, there are a lot of talented offensive recruits in the incoming class. How well can Coach Freeman keep the offensive talent in tact given the current shortcomings? I hope we don't need to have a trifecta of cocktails on hand to endure the rest of this season. Today's my birthday so I would appreciate some good ND football news - anything?

Eric Hansen

12:40

As far as the offensive line play, it's not been consistent and has been particularly problematic in the interior. Do the issues of young wide receivers, getting stuck in games without clever adjustments, play-calling all bleed together ... yeah. So better offensive line play would help those other things and improvement in those other areas would help offensive line play. I have some folks who I trust in terms of how O-line is being coached (now and in the past), and I'll lean into that in December before I weigh in on what a second year of Joe Rudolph would look like.

12:37

Hi Marie. Thanks for keeping me on my toes with your thoughtful questions. Marcus Freeman was asked about the road struggles and he suggested the problem varied from game to game, opponent to opponent. The remedy is to study that in the offseason and get the info that will change it. Sounds simple, but that's where you start. ... What I think Freeman will focus on during this week and the two weeks that follow is No. 1 how to head into bowl season 9-3. Some big-picture issues, like portal priorities (portal season starts Dec. 4) and recruiting also are important areas of emphasis. Then you get to December, and the agenda gets bigger and more urgent. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:30

Hi Eric, I hope you are having a great week. What a disappointing game on Saturday, being there live you could really see how flat the team was. Why do you think this team is struggling so much on the road, and what do you think Freeman should do about it to remedy the situation? What do you think Freeman will focus on the most in the next few weeks to try and salvage this season? One final question, why do you think we are unable to get consistent offensive line play, is it scheme, playcalling, or lack of talent? I know HH had a certain type of player he liked to recruit, regardless of the star ranking, do you think now that he’s gone the ability to develop that type of player is limited? What grade would you give Joe Rudolph for the season? Does he get a little bit of a break because he did not recruit any of these players? As always thanks for hosting the chat, and all your great insights

Eric Hansen

12:24

Bob, that's the question portal QBs will be asking Marcus Freeman when he recruits them. And he'll have to have an answer. ... Do you honestly think Notre Dame's record would be better this year with Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne? I do think ND is on a path that will eventually lead them to an internal QB solution in 2025, but not 2024. ... and as far as too many voices, I don't agree with that. You take all the good ideas you can get and them implement the best ones on gameday. There are layers to Notre Dame's offensive regression, but an elite, experienced coordinator would have been able to minimize them while maximizing ND's strengths, in my opinion.

Bob - Loganville, GA

12:20

Eric, We got the best QB in the portal last year. Why will things be different next year if we get the best QB in the portal this time. IMO it's time to develop from within. Thoughts?
On offense – when GP was hired, he talked about all the offensive coaches having input in game planning etc. His comment indicated it is different at other schools. Is there too much collaboration or too many voices in the room?

Eric Hansen

12:19

It's too costly in so many ways, including postseason revenue. I think you can make a case that with an elite, experience OC this year, Notre Dame at the most has one loss.

12:18

Hi Patrick. There are a lot of questions/rants in the queue that touch on these topics. This was a really good job of combining them, so we'll start here. ... The fact that Marcus Freeman was able to land a portal QB the caliber of Sam Hartman, and has to borderline 4/5-star QBs committed in the next two classes in CJ Carr and Deuce Knight speaks to his long-term vision for the offense and their belief that QBs coach Gino Guidugli can develop them. At some point the product on the field has to begin to merge with the vision. That's one of the key elements that makes this offseason so important. I'm not sure if Marcus Freeman will ultimately make the tough decision you suggest at this point and move on from Gerad Parker, but I do believe he'll make an honest and thorough evaluation before he makes that decision. I do think if a change is made, the administration will see the value in being willing to pay the price for the best OC available. (more)

Patrick, Fort Wayne, IN

12:09

Good afternoon Eric. Several times this season I have wondered about the perception of Notre Dame football from highly ranked high school quarterbacks I can't imagine they see an offense that will push their abilities or have the resources to enhance NFL dreams. You wrote about your own frustrations with the offense and implied that a cross-road's reckoning for Marcus Freeman is coming due at the end of the season. Do you anticipate Freeman making the tough decision and moving on from Gerald Parker? Will the administration be willing to pay a high-profile OC to come to ND at the request of Freeman? I admit I am tired of reading about improvement through accountability and doing a better job of executing the playbook. Talent is still the dominant reason teams win or lose.

Eric Hansen

OK, and we're off ...

And no SIGN STEALING!

12:07

12:06

Please to remember to include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s).

As far as this week's chat ...

12:05

► Finally, thanks to all who have been listening to WSBT radio this season, as I have rejoined Darin Pritchett as a co-host on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com) on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the 2023 Notre Dame Football season, including the bye week this week. I'm also co-hosting the pregame shows with Darin and Tyler Horka (which is not a clever stage name for Tyler James). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. This week’s pregame show starts at 9 a.m. ET. You can download episodes as podcasts.

12:04

► This week’s Inside ND Sports Podcast will drop late Thursday afternoon this week, Typically, we record on Tuesdays. The podcast can be listened to via SoundCloud or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Pocket Casts.

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