JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 31, 2019

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 31, 2019

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Eric Hansen

2:27

Ken, you make some good points. There were a lot of things that needed to be fixed from that game. For the short term and the long term. I still put QB play at the top of that list.

Ken - South Bend

2:26

I find the discussion from media and fans since the Michigan loss to be frustrating. I'm not an Ian Book cheerleader, but Book didn't allow 45 points to be scored by Michigan. Of the concerning aspects of the performance against Michigan, top of the heap needs to be line of scrimmage play. Michigan dominated. They COMPLETELY controlled the line. From there, it didn't matter how the QB played. If we can't compete at the line, we can't compete. So... what needs to happen to improve line play? Offensive line was supposed to be a team strength coming into this season. From my vantage point, that has not happened.

Tim - Pleasant Prairie WI

2:26

Joe from Austin..you are welcome! It was my first time there as well and it was great. Glad you enjoyed it. At least there we were among friends (for the most part). And it was Conor O'Neills for anyone else who may want to go there in the future.

Eric Hansen

2:25

Jeff, it's something that has been very difficult to fathom, given Kelly's incredible record coming out of bye weeks both at ND and before coming here. The level of which the staff got outcoached is stunning. Still looking for answers.

Jeff from Canton

2:24

I agree with you Eric, that this is the worst loss of the Brian Kelly era. As a life long ND fan, there isn't a team on the schedule that I looked more forward to than Michigan. Now I'll be a much older man before i see them play again unless ND gets them in a bowl game or the playoffs before 2033. Considering how big a game this was, why didn't Brian Kelly prepare the team? He said as much during the aftermath, that he didn't prepare the team properly. What exactly was the team doing for 2 weeks? I guess eating cheeseburgers like the rest of us... Kelly didn't really answer the "why" they didn't prepare. Do you have any opinions on why the team was so flat and unprepared for the game?

Eric Hansen

2:23

Bill, until Brian Kelly has a season like 2012 in which he beats two top 10 teams on the road, that's going to be the narrative, just like there used to be something called "Clemsoning" when Clemson used to fall off the big stage. ... I do mean this sincerely, because I don't understand it, what is the allure of listening and/or quoting Finebaum?

Bill Illinois

2:21

Eric, love your live chats. Why can't ND win a big game on prime-time? Can Kelly not prepare his team? I hate when I hear Kelly say after he game that "we were not prepared". Whose fault is that? I don't like Finebaum but he also stated that ND should never be on prime-time telecasts as they will always find a reason to lose. Lack of preparation, lack of physicality, poor QB play, crowd noise, lack of talent...we have heard all these excuses over the years!

Eric Hansen

2:20

I think you're asking if it's a mental thing? Could be, though if it were, I would imagine he hasn't share it with the coaching staff. It certainly didn't show up in spring or training camp practices, though he wasn't taking hits then. It also didn't show up in the two games against Group of Five opponents, but maybe there's something there. It's worth asking someone who'd know.

Bob Rodes

2:12

Manchester, TN Hi Eric. Thanks as always for one of my favorite reads for Notre Dame football. I'm wondering whether Book's injury back in the Northwestern game has anything to do with his jumpiness in the pocket. I've noticed that the big drop in pass efficiency stats started after his game out with FSU. Do you think there might be a correlation? There certainly would with me, but like most of us, I'm not the special kind of crazy that is required to play quarterback.

Eric Hansen

2:12

Jeff, the standard is a lot higher now than when Kelly arrived, both in his mind and the fans's minds. I see a lot of pieces in place that should help Kelly have a chance to get to the next level. Some of those answers are in the 2020 and 2021 recruiting classes. I am in no way discounting what a stink bomb Saturday night is/was on Kelly's résumé. I would like to see how he and the team respond.

Jeff B from Oklahoma City

2:09

Eric I'm glad to see that alot of fans are bringing up Kelly's role in all this today. Listening to Sportsbeat this week it's been all about Book and Kelly has been given a pass. I will say that Kelly has the program in a lot better shape than he got it from Weis, no doubt about that. But to me he's reached a ceiling and unlike you I do not see it getting better under him and I mean National title better. He's been there a decade, plenty of time to see greatness unfold and it hasn't. In a majority of the ABC Saturday Night Football contests against Top 20 teams they get waxed , not even competitive and there's always an excuse for it. Somewhere there is a disconnect. Where is it? I know he's not going anywhere although he should but a good start for next year would be to dump Chip Long. His offensive plan is atrocious in these games and there seem to be few adjustments. You and I have had discussions about him before but he needs to go join his buddy Nick Saban in Tusacaloosa .

Bill from St Joe, MI

2:07

Regarding the comments that BK can’t win/never wins big games on the road, I would point them to ND’s win on the road at Norman! Now we all would like to win more of them.

Eric Hansen

2:07

Kevin, thanks. One thing that Book never saw last year until the Clemson game was a top 50 defense. He struggled against it and the top 50s he's seen this season -- Georgia, Michigan and to an extent Virginia. But he's also had flat spots against below-average defenses in USC and Louisville. I'm not saying stick with Book forever, no matter what. But I think you have to see if you can fix him first since there's been such an investment in him.

Kevin, Tampa Fl

2:04

Eric, good articles after the unexpected meltdown. I had the Irish at 10-3 before the season started. They might end up there or at 9-4 which should be the worst case scenario, but I have been wrong. A loss the VT might send our beloved Irish into another tailspin like 2017. I hope not, but who saw the 2017 disaster coming? Not me. Anyway, Book is not the same QB we saw last year, not by a long shot. He gets happy feet too quickly and misses open guys way too much. Is it the Clemson hangover?...Hmmm. At this point, why not play the other QB's and see what they have? If Ian is the best QB ND can put on the field at this point in the Kelly era, this is not good. As a die hard fan, I (and many others) are willing to see who else can step up and perform no matter what the results. We, the fans, are frustrated watching 'bama, OSU, Clemson reload consistently with national championship type QB's...why not ND? Is there an answer? Sorry for being so long & thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:03

Bill, thanks for the kind words. I've seen Book make those throws in practice. He needs to do it more in games. Maybe larger doses of Lenzy in the lineup will help foster that. ... In terms of winning the national title, I don't do this every week, but with some regularity, asking our podcast guests if ND can/will win a national title in the next five years. We have former ND players on, as well as national media such as Bruce Feldman, Andy Staples and Mike Tirico. Not one of them has said no.

Bill 1000 Oaks Ca

2:00

Is NotreDame masking an injury? Or is it a case that Book can't make or won't make the deep throws or is too uncomfortble to do so? If you asked the same five people the question about ND winning a Nat'l championship in five years wonder how many no answers you'd get now.My feeling is Kelly is prone to cronyism VG,Rees,Quinn, and that QB's and others wouldn't plateau as much under undetached fully accredited QB & line coaches although Quinn gets recruiting credit.last 8 games two blow outs 1 tough loss. More emphasis in weight room not the answer. Go Irish. Go Hansen the best objective analyst &writer that covers ND!!

Eric Hansen

2:00

Tom, I did not go back and watch the TV copy, you're right. Part of not winning a higher percentage of big games is that they haven't happened at home. It took til year 9 to have a top 10 team visit Notre Dame Stadium. But if you aspire to get to the CFP and win games there, you need to do that away from home. It's Kelly's next step. He'll get that chance Oct. 3, 2020 when the Irish play Wisconsin in Green bay.

Tom from Toronto

1:56

Hi Eric,
You probably did not get to see it, but when Brian Kelly was being interviewed on TV right before the start of last Saturday’s game, in my mind he looked more nervous than a thief in church. Deer in the headlights also came to mind. If he was feeling that way, it had to have affected the team. He has had a very difficult time getting his teams ready for really big games. Do you think that he can overcome this challenge? And if so, how does he go about doing that?
Anyway, thank you for your insightful comments and reporting.

Eric Hansen

1:56

Mike, in the instances you cited, ND flat-out got outcoached. Agreed.

Mike in Maine

1:55

Eric, I know that ND has a QB issue, and some other individual position question-marks, but overall the skill level has significantly improved. Looking at the second half of the USC game and the whole Michigan game, the problem appears to be coaching/scheme/preparation. Against USC, ND was playing 2 or 3 D-linemen in the second half, and USC took advantage of the unlimited time to pick apart the secondary. ND's coaches never seemed to catch on. Against Michigan, in monsoon conditions that called for an 8 man box, ND seemed like it was playing against the Greatest Show on Turf in perfect weather. Meanwhile, Michigan was overplaying the run and completely stuffing ND's running game. Is there any question that these are examples of coaching failures?

Eric Hansen

1:55

I believe he did take responsibility for the poor prep, but that won't make you feel any better, I bet.

Dan Lōse Fort Wayne

1:54

With 2 weeks to prepare for Michigan, how could Kelly and his coaching staff not have his team ready to play physical and at their best in a game that meant so much to ND? He never takes blame for not having them ready or being out coached! Yes, he has a very good won lost record, but he never wins the “big game!”

Eric Hansen

1:54

I like Phil's potential a lot more than some others on the beat. Having said that, I haven't seen a practice since August and have to rely on Kelly (and others behind the scenes) to tell me what the QB situation looks like. If Book's the best option, play him --- and fix him.

Jim from Albuquerque

1:52

Hey Eric thanks for the great coverage of Irish football. I have the feeling that BK believes that Book will, one of these weeks, return to last year’s performance and that’s why he continues play him instead of benching him. I have to question his judgement in this regard. I would’ve pulled him after the first quarter of Saturday’s game. Your thoughts?

Eric Hansen

1:52

Because the coaches see him in practice every day and still believe Book gives them the best chance to win.

Dave Cary NC

1:52

Eric if ND is going to go to the next level why wouldn’t we move on to Phil J to see if he is the answer for the long term?

Eric Hansen

1:52

What's been suggested to me is that the depth chart was the biggest issue. I'm still trying to reach out to Michael to get his side of things on the record. Sometimes there's personal stuff going on back home that makes a transfer more inviting. I'm not sure yet if that's the case. As far as recruiting, I think ND likes this 2020 WR class and has a great start on 2021. If ND adds, it's likely going to be DBs.

Chris From Memphis

1:49

Is Michael Young’s transfer prior to the UM game as simple as being passed on the depth cart or is this a microcosm of a bigger issue within the program that might help explain last weeks performance? Also, does ND now look to extend additional WR recruiting offers?

Eric Hansen

1:48

Mike, there's a lot there to unpack. Bilal has been one of the most improved players this season. I wouldn't discard him after one step backward. ... Bo and Bilal don't play the same position. Bo is a middle linebacker, Bilal a buck and has more coverage responsibilities and plays in space more. ... Navy's scheme may dictate different personnel on defense, though Drew White seems like the most natural fit among the linebackers for that game.

MIke from Buffalo

1:46

In poor conditions running the football well is a vital condition for success. Michigan adopted this paradigm. We had difficulty tackling after we slowed the runner at the line of scrimmage. Bilal looked liked he wanted no part of tackling. Why not play Bo Bauer. He is a run stopper and made the only big play of the game for ND? Should we begin to think about him playing against Navy?

Eric Hansen

1:45

Absolutely NOT.

Rick from Peoria:

1:45

Do you think losses like this hurt the ND narrative so much that it eventually leads to another look at joining conference and potentially getting an extra game at end of the season?

Eric Hansen

1:45

Joe, thanks. Recent play shouldn't be dismissed. And while the late drive from Book was encouraging. the USC game was his third-worst statistical performance since taking over the starting job from Wimbush. He was flat much of the Virginia game and skittish vs. Louisville. His best games were against the No. 126 and 129 pass-efficiency defenses in the 130-team FBS. He needs to show progress this weekend.

Joe from Austin

1:42

I first wanted to thank Tim, from Wisconsin, on the food recommendation, of Pat O’Neill’s, in Ann Arbor! Unfortunately, it all went down hill from there. Go Irish, and here’s hoping they can put last week behind em. I’m admittedly a glass half full guy on many things. I was wondering, Eric, if the criticism on Book, while I know it was a poor game on his and pretty much the whole team’s part, was knee jerk, in terms of replacing him as starter. I thought his leading the team against USC, on the fourth quarter drive the previous game, was a mature and quality performance, that couldn’t have gone much better and was similar to what he showed against LSU, in that bowl game, and the type of play we all thought warranted his starting. Should such recent play be dismissed based on the Michigan game alone?

Eric Hansen

1:41

Hank. I'm not sure why you would consider your question unworthy. I think a lot of ND fans wonder the same thing. However, I am a firm believe you play for the season you're in. They're 5-2 and ranked 16th. You owe it to guys like Shaun Crawford, Khalid Kareem and Jalen Elliott to play for this year. That doesn't mean you won't find answers along the way that will help you for 2020. I think you can develop Phil without replacing Book as the starter THIS season. Only if/when he is the better option would you make that switch. If Book stays and is the No. 1, what would Phil's reaction be? I think there would be a lot of other factors in play, including whether he felt like he was being given a fair opportunity to compete.

Hank from Las Vegas NV

1:36

Hello Eric I don't expect you to print this question, but here goes any way. After an abysmal performance against Michigan wouldn't now be a good time to find out exactly what the talent level of your non starters is? In particular back up QB Phil Jurkovec. With Book's performance this year I would expect him to return for his final season. If Book stays does Jurkovec enter the transfer portal knowing Kelly's attachment to Book? I think Jurkovec leaves. Go Irish

Eric Hansen

1:35

I would say if Notre Dame was falling flat in recruiting or regressing, perhaps. But I don't believe that's happening. And I do think it can and will get fixed.

Jim From Phoenix

1:34

Hi Eric, Thank you for your outstanding work. While the players and assistants have changed, the one constant in Brian Kelly's tenth year is his inability to be even competitive in big games on the road. Is it unfair to conclude that is not "fixable"?

Eric Hansen

1:29

Michigan was much more worse. Clemson 2018 would maul Michigan 2019.

Michael from Chicago

1:29

Worse offensive game plan: for Clemson or for UM? What would you have done differently? I recall versus Clemson you thought they should have thrown to the TE’s.

Connecting…

Message History

On Off

Your current subscriptions

None

E-mail Address	Chat Owner	Status	Remove

Enter your email address to be notified when Eric Hansen hosts a chat