JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 2, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 2, 2024

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Doug from Sunny Florida

2:22

Eric, the hurricane has passed so we should be good....for a week. I've been intrigued by the PFF ratings for awhile and always look at the players ratings after a game. Sometimes they match the eye test and sometimes they don't match what I'm seeing. How much, if any, do the coaches rely on the ratings and adjust playing time for players based on the ratings? Is there a more in depth detail of each players rating that would point a coach/player on how to improve the rating (ex. an OL pass blocking is good but run blocking is low)?

Eric Hansen

2:21

Kevin><><><><! I think you have a point here. Per Pro Football Focus film evals, Notre Dame has thrown play action on only 11.2 of its passes, and yet the Irish are completing non-play action at a better rate. 65.8 to 56.3%. My sense is though, you will see more over the last seven games of the season and ND will get better at it. And you're right to suggest they do more. Just as a comparison, I'll throw Alabama's stats in. The Tide throws play action 19% of the time and is completing those passes at a 94.1 rate compared to 66.7% for passes that do not have play action. ... No style points needed to get into the playoff at 11-1, but the perception of ND as an ascending/improving team would affect their seed ... and their viability to actually win a playoff game.

Kevin-Sleepy Eye,MN

2:12

Eric:):):):):) First question: What are offensive stats as far as success with play-action pass plays? With our rushing attack I feel we don't do enough of it. Second question: will 11-1 get us a home playoff game? Do we need style points in addition to being 11-1??

Eric Hansen

2:10

Hey Mike/Mo. He did not run in the NIU game after suffering the left shoulder injury, yet ran and ran a lot with contact the next week against Purdue. Leonard said the injury in the Louisville game was getting the wind knocked out of him, not a shoulder injury.

Mike aka "Mo" from Maumee OH

2:07

It appeared that Leonard sustained some sort of injury in both the NIU and Louisville games (non-throwing shoulder?), and to me, it also looked like the offensive game plan shifted into "neutral" afterward. For example, I don't believe that Riley ran a single time in the second half of the NIU game. Your take on this? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

2:07

4) Yeah, I do actually. Maybe USC is about the same. I had them ranked pretty high in my preseason poll. 5) Yes in the regular season. ... And thank YOU.

2:05

Hi Tom. I owe you an email and promise to get to it tonight. The bye week has kicked my butt a little more than I thought, but you are on my to-do list. ... Let's get to your questions ... 1) We should get the official word at about 11:30 a.m. on Monday or thereabouts. We'll have it on our website immediately. 2) Injured players expected to come back soon ... Gary, Flanagan, Schrauth, Rubio (all barring setbacks), Pendleton maybe even Tae Johnson. I've weighed in on Traore. Not sure yet about Kiser, Faison. Hope I'm not leaving out anybody. Will double check after the chat. 3) I'm doing this based on today's snapshot, not their ceiling and not guys out for the season: 1. Schrauth, 2. Wagner, 3. Coogan, 4. Pendleton, 5. Rocco, 6. Knapp, 7. Absher. In November, Lambert moves onto that list, maybe sooner. I think Rocco and Pendleton will compete for a spot at LG when Schrauth comes back. Maybe a change at LT, but I don't think so. Knapp got better vs. Louisville (more)

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

1:56

Hi Eric. What a much needed performance and win!! Some rapid fire questions: 1) When will we know kickoff time for GT game? 2) Who are some of the injured players that we expect to return soon? Rubio? Flanagan? Spindler? Who else?? Frustrating for all of us, but media people especially, not to get injury info this week. 3) Please rate the top 7 available OL in order?? Any chance there are changes on the left side of the OL during Bye week? 4) Other than FSU do you think that all the remaining teams on our schedule are better than what we thought at the beginning of the season? 5) Was Louisville the best defensive team we will face? Thanks for all your hard work and I especially enjoy your Press Conference questions. Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:56

JB, thanks for your question. If I remember right, you had a really good one last week I wasn't able to get to. ... Yeah Ashton Gillotte is a handful. I think the best way to term the O-line's performance is they survived. Between game plan, Riley Leonard's skill set and doing just enough, they survived and advanced. In my opinion, the two best defenses they'll face this season are in the rearview mirror. Now is the time to make some headway with better cohesion, chemistry and consistency. Because if ND makes the playoff, they are going to be challenged again big time.

J Buckley, San Diego

1:49

Thanks for these chats/rants great therapy. Now, that Gillett guy for Louisville cut through our O-line pretty good. How did you think the O-line faired in what was one heck of an entertaining game. Big plays, errors, penalties, fumbles had it all, and what about LM speed, he showed up out of no where to force that fumble. Speed!!!! more of that please.

Eric Hansen

1:49

Thanks, Tony.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

1:48

Hey Eric. Love your response to the Tyson Ford and Jaden Mickey question you opened the chat with. Along with what you said, in the ever opened business landscape of college football, I, personally, can still hold on hope that Notre Dame will still do what is right for its students that came to ND on good faith that it was the best place for their future. And walking the walk that ND is first an academic institution before an athletic institution.

Eric Hansen

1:47

MikeD!!!@#$%^&*(!!!! I like the way your mind works. Maybe without the injury history for Bauman and more time for either you could borrow from the tight end room. So the reason for my pause ... other than suggesting Josh Burnham as a swing piece ... I wanted to give the depth chart a good scan to see if there was someone else I might be missing. And I came up with two possibilities ... freshman defensive tackle Cole Mullins (6-4, 265) who played some DE in the spring, and possibly linebacker Preston Zinter, a 6-2, 235-pound sophomore who might be able to give you some burst.

MikeD from Rochester NY

1:37

Eric!!!@@!! to provide some needed depth at Vyper, could they move Kevin Bauman or Davis Sherwood over there? Seems like the right size/body type but maybe too big a transition ?

Eric Hansen

1:35

HI Ed, doing great, thanks. And thanks for being here. You're right linebacker Jaylen Sneed played a season-low 12 snaps -- and that's with Jack Kiser out with an injury for the second half. His previous season low was 26 the game before. And yet his PFF grades were really good with the reduced usage. So that's definitely on my radar to ask Marcus Freeman and Al Golden about ... so great observation for nudging me in that direction. My sense of what's going on here is that playing less is helping Sneed refocus ... and that this is temporary. However, in the interim Jaiden Ausberry and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa are surging and are doing what Sneed does better. Sneed is an elite athlete trying to become a very good linebacker. I think he has it in him. Very curious to see him after the bye.

Ed Sayville

1:25

Hey Eric, how are you? Only a dozen or so snaps for Sneed on Saturday. Do you have any insight into why that might be? I certainly wouldn’t challenge Coach Golden, just curious about his development. Thanks and enjoy the bye weekend!

Eric Hansen

1:25

HI Larry. And thank you. I do think the crowd was by far th best its been this season and rose to the occasion. But given some of the crowds in years past and other places I've taken in games, the atmosphere certainly has room to improve. Again, for me there is too much talking and not enough energy and music during the stoppages of play. The crowd has to get quiet to hear the talking. Maybe do more of that at halftime and keep the flow going during the games. But again, I thought the fans did a really good job of making noise, and I trust you helped!

Guest

1:22

Larry from Topton, PA. Hi Eric!! I think last game was !! worthy!! (as is your coverage!!!!). I wonder what you thought of the in-game fan support for the Louisville game? This was my first in-person game since 2018, and I thought the ND crowd was pretty good; especially in making noise to support the defense in the 2nd half. I had heard and read that the home crowds had been pretty blah for the earlier home games this season, so I would like to know your opinion – was Saturday’s crowd support similar to those for the first two home games, or was there an improvement for this past game? Did it only seem good to me, because I had my expectations lowered?

Eric Hansen

1:20

Hi Len, thanks for the compliments. I'll throw one back at you. I like your question and the specificity of it. There are position groups that would get a lower grade in this snapshot that I feel better about if you asked me this question in the next bye week after game 8 for the Irish. So Quarterback would be a C, but I think that will be a B by next bye week. Same with the C I give WRs and O-line. RBs B with a good shot to end up an A. Tight ends C with good upside. CBs A+. Safeties A. Linebackers B with a chance to be an A. D-line C, with upside of getting Gabe Rubio back soon and the downside of likely having to play without Boubacar Traore. STs B-. Really good potential here, but too many gaffes.

Len from the Jersey Shore

1:15

Hello Eric!! Great coverage by you an Tyler going into this bye week. You delved into the ND team right down to the detail if Marty Biagi helping with Safeties is causing a problem with special team's performance. I wondered that also. I hope this is a good first bye week question. For each position group give an Eric grade, A,B,C,D,E, for that group to be playing at the CFP level. An A would be a group definitely at the CFP level, B would be trending to that level and capable of being on a CFP team where other groups perform at the A level, C would be needs work to be at a CFP level and would hold the team back this season from reaching the CFP losing at least 1 more game, D would be hard to see how this group obtains that level this season and will cause team to miss CFP this season for sure and to lose at least 2 more games, and E would be a position group that needs transfer help after the season because it will never obtain that level.

Eric Hansen

1:15

Hi Tony. I think CB commits Mark Zackery, Dallas Golden and Cree Thomas, and safety commits JaDon Blair, Ethan Long and Brandon Logan would all agree with that assessment. The thing about Mickens is he not only is a very good teacher, he's a great evaluator. He did the same at Cincinnati. Ben Morrison and Leonard Moore weren't five-star prospects, but Morrison plays like it and Moore is moving in that direction. Sauce Gardner impacted UC when Mickens was there from very early in his career. I do think he'd like to stick with ND and eventually succeed Golden and ND is doing everything it can to make that waiting period worth it. And yet he'll be in demand this offseason.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

1:06

Hey Eric. I was chatting with some friends during the game and we kept coming back to just how technically competent that the secondary looks for pass breakups. The number of deflections on crossing route where the CB or S reaches as the ball comes in without grabbing the back and getting a DPI is amazing. Then how ready the Leonard Moore was. And Jordan Clark has been a phenomenal addition. How does a CB recruit not see Coach Mickens' ability to teach the position and not immediately want to come? What's the sense on his desire to stick around and take over for Al Golden when that time comes vs moving on? I have heard that he is being paid in line with many d coordinators already and working for his great friend that he is fine waiting it out.

Eric Hansen

1:05

It'll be who gets left out of Charlies Jagusah, Guerby Lambert, Aamil Wagner, Ashton Craig, Billy Schrauth, Anthonie Knapp, Tosh Baker, Rocco Spindler, Sam Pendleton, Sullivan Absher and more? ALL of them have 2025 college eligibility. Some may hit the portal.

1:04

Not only home of the AL Central Division Champs but the city that was kind enough to host my entrance into this world. There is NOT a lack of talent. But there is/was a lack of experienced talent. Think about how rare it is to start a season with six collective starts among five offensive line starters. Northern Illinois, by comparison, has 119. So how did that happen? Look at the tackles. The NFL first opened its doors to underclassmen in 1989. Through the 2023 draft, ND had some O-linemen give up a fifth-year option from time to time, but in all those years the number of TRUE junior O-lineman to come out for the draft was ZERO. Then in one cycle you have two, and both players who could have changed the trajectory of this team early in the season. On top of that, there weren't any mutual fits from the transfer portal at that position. The good news, Jack, is we won't be having this conversation next year. (more)

Jack, Strongsville,Ohio

12:54

Hi Eric. From the home of the American League central division champions Cleveland Indians/Guardians. Is there a lack of talent on this year's offensive line or has the injuries and early opt outs to the NFL been too much to overcome? Thanks for your great work on all the platforms.

Eric Hansen

12:54

Hi Kevin. Thanks for being here in the bye week. You all showed up big time today. VERY full question queue. And really good ones. Trying to type and think as fast as I can to get to most of these. As far as I know Tyler Buchner is still working with the receivers, though he was not fully healthy in August ahead of the start of the season. I would be shocked if he got meaningful playing time at that position. And yet he can help the team, and the Navy scout team QB could be one of those ways. I'll ask about him and dig into that as we get a little closer to Navy, I promise.

Kevin from Calgary

12:51

Hey, Eric, great of you to not take your own bye week away from the chat! I was wondering about the status of Tyler Buchner. Is he continuing to practice at wide receiver? Is he in line to be scout team QB before the Navy game? I'd sure like to see him succeed after he came to his senses and returned to ND.

Eric Hansen

12:51

Joe, thank you +++. I don't think the Northern Illinois game has affected the players the way it has affected SOME fans. You know what they say about "fool me twice" and so I understand why some fans are guarded. Justifiably. But this team has a roster that SHOULD get them to the playoff. And that's still out there for this team. And the players know it. I'll add that I think the Northern Illinois game is darker for ND fans than it is for people who watch college football that don't have an emotional investment in the Irish.

Joe Cap from Massapequa NY

12:48

Hi Eric . Great win Saturday. The depth of this team rose to the occasion in a big way. 4-1 now entering the bye week. So much young talent on the field and more will continue to play. So many positives MF has brought to this program. this one loss to Northern Illinois however appears to have deflated the season. Do you think the players have lost confidence in themselves? Are there any rumblings of the players losing confidence in the coaching staffs decisions with play calling and personnel? I feel like that loss is lingering . Something seems off. Am i wrong? As always you are an A+++

Eric Hansen

12:47

Barring a setback, Schrauth should be back sometime in October. We'll have an update on Monday on him and others. ... Marcus is 3-0 coming off a bye and those have all three been very strong performances. So my concern level would be a 3, and only that high because of the NIU game (which wasn't after a bye). I watched Stanford against Syracuse. They are better than last year. I still think USC is the toughest game left, but Navy is going to be a handful.

12:44

How much can you use the linebackers to help you situationally at vyper? Does freshman Bryce Young need to be prioritized at field end over transfer RJ Oben at this point? Does Brenan Vernon need to move back to end? Those are all fair questions to look at this week. ... I'm not anticipating personnel changes not dictated by injury other than what I just discussed. But there are some dictated by injury on the table and I do think there needs to be some conversation about what's best for the O-line moving forward. Maybe not make changes, but certainly drilling down and seeing if they're needed. (more)

12:41

Hi Marie. Having a great time on the bye week. Lots of work to do, but getting to see the grandkids a lot this week, because one of them is turning 9! He and I went out to dinner last night and he surprised me and wanted to go to a chicken wings place. What a great kid!!! As far as what Notre Dame needs to work on during the bye, I actually did an analysis piece on that earlier this week: Analysis: What Freeman's Notre Dame bye week to-do list should include

I came up with a list of five ... I'll share my top two ... continuing to evolve the QB position/passing game ... and that includes keeping Steve Angeli sharp and engaged. No. 2 is straightening the edges. Whether vyper Boubacar Traore returns at some point this season -- and I'm not optimistic that will happen -- both the vyper and field end spots need some deep self-scouting. I think Josh Burnham, who played four snaps Saturday, makes sense as a swing player as he returns to full health from a chronic ankle injury. That helps both positions. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:34

Hi Eric, I hope you’re enjoying the bye week and at least getting a little extra spare time for yourself. Obviously, there’s a long list of things that Notre Dame needs to work on during the bye week. There is only so much time and you can’t do everything. Which things do you think it would be most beneficial to put the most time into that would result in the biggest overall improvement for the team for the remainder of the season? Are you anticipating any significant personnel changes following the bye? Is there any indication that Schrauth will be back? On a scale of one to 10, how worried are you that this team won’t be ready for Stanford. There’s a fear of a letdown, the bye we can be a problem, and for some reason, no matter how bad Stanford is Notre Dame always seems to struggle at least for the first half, if not longer. Of The remaining games on the schedule which do you think will be the toughest? I am definitely not sleeping on Navy. Thanks for hosting the chat and for all the great informatio

Eric Hansen

12:33

I'm a bit confused by the Rendell question. Yes, he struggled in games 1-3, but has had a really strong last two games. Averaged 41.5 against Louisville, 3 inside the 20, no touchbacks and only five yards in returns. I'll take that all day long. ... Rylie Mills rotates with Jason Onye. Their snaps were 46 and 24. Onye has had the better year so far and maybe deserves more. Mills needs to step up and per PFF had his best game of the season against Louisville ... but I think he'd be the first to admit there's a higher level he needs to reach.

12:27

What you would lose is you're trying to evolve Riley Leonard's game ... making an investment, as a coach, you believe will not only get you into the playoff but pay off with the better version of him in playoff game(s). That is a gamble and one Marcus Freeman and Mike Denbrock thing is a worthy one. So why play Angeli, who probably would have a higher passer rating, but puts you in the situation where teams can load the box against your run and sack your QB easier. What does that do for the team and Angeli? I get why people love Angeli. I'd want him on my team, but I don't think he gives THIS Notre Dame team the best chance to win. (more)

12:24

Hi Tom, and thanks for your questions. I'm not sure what Notre Dame would have gained specifically against a Louisville team that can stuff the traditional run game and sack the quarterback so deftly by playing Angeli a couple of series early. ... When the Irish scored 21 first-quarter points? And Leonard had by far his best pass-efficiency rating in an ND uniform? And was not only able to elude the pass rush, but be ND's leading rusher in the game? So, I'm guessing this question is more generic ... and for future opponents. I think you have to look at what you would gain and what you would lose by that. (more)

Tom from Grand Rapids

12:18

Happy bye week Eric!! It’s a day for comments, question, and possibly a rant. Would it be fair to say R.Leonard’s talent ceiling is higher than S.Angeli’s ? Yet at the same time Leonard’s floor is lower than Angelli’s …..with that being said, how low does the offense have to get before a potential qb change could happen? I’m talking about giving Angelli a couple series to possibly ignite a spark in the offense. Lord knows there have been too many times this offense has been stuck in neutral at the stop light!! The project that is James Rendell isn’t panning out like they had hoped, are there other options? Finally can you explain the Al Golden / Al Washington defensive line rotation? I watched Rylie Mills on the sideline for a good part of the 4th qtr and I am just trying to become educated as to what the hell is going on.

Eric Hansen

12:17

Manny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you. I think Notre Dame needs to win its last seven regular-season games, making it 11-1, to make the playoff THIS year. There are seasons when the schedule sets up differently where 10-2 is a plausible scenario. It's difficult to envision any scenario this year in which 10-2 would be enough to make the 12-team field.

Manny from San Pedro

12:15

Eric!!!!! Leaves are changing color, the temp is getting crisp but your fireside chats keep me warm!!!! Does ND have to go 11-1 to make the playoffs or can they afford a loss if Navy and Army and up ranked?

Eric Hansen

12:15

So, Tyson was done at Notre Dame. ... Jaden Mickey has been through hell. His mom died of colon cancer right before the Sun Bowl last December and he played his heart out and came back and completed in the spring and fall camp and got beaten out for a starting spot. While Marcus Freeman disagrees that hitting the portal is best for Mickey, once he said his piece to Mickey, he supports him. As he should.

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