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

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 31, 2019

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Eric Hansen

1:28

It's hard to get a read on genuine player reaction, because they trotted out just two players (Alohi Gilman and Robert Hainsey) after the game and those two again with Cole Kmet and Julian Okwara on Tuesday night. Not a large sample size and lots of spin control. I think it was a disservice to Book not to make him available after the game. Knowing him and what kind of leader he is, he should have been given that opportunity. I don't see him as a guy who shrinks when adversity strikes, but that's what he was kind of made to look like.

ND Harvey, S. Philly

1:26

E, like all ND fans we all suffer from a tough loss to Michigan or someone else, as a diehard fan I just don’t understand the negativity toward Coach Kelly and the players. My question is how have the players reacted to social media and the negativity. Thank you. ND Forever. Go Irish

Eric Hansen

1:26

Dwight, I agree with some of what you have to say, disagree with other statements.

Dwight from central Arkansas

1:25

I suppose these are more observations than questions: (1) After watching UM's 2nd half domination at PSU, I was not surprised how easy UM won last Saturday. (2) ND will lose at Stanford and possibly one more, to finish either 8-4 or 9-3. (3) Many are unhappy with Kelly. However, who do you hire? Only a handful of coaches IMO can lead their team to a national title and ND could never hire them. (Lincoln Riley proved he is a good but not elite coach.) Kelly can lead ND to 8, 9 or 10 win seasons, and finish in the top 20 most years. I can't think of anyone that ND might hire that will be any better. (4) Michigan vs. OSU should be a great game if Harbaugh coaches/prepares like he did vs. the Irish. (5) Sadly, with the present state of college football I can't foresee ND ever winning another national title.

Eric Hansen

1:23

Michael, who I don't know where you're from, if that's your biggest beef coming out of the Michigan game, you are having a wonderful life.

Michael

1:23

Regarding ND’s football coaching hires at all levels...it seems ND is always reactive rather than proactive. If you want to be elite, you hire elite and that takes elite $$$$. You don’t nickel and dime your way to a NC. ND is flat out cheap when it comes to being proactive...the Michigan game is an example...they gave out towels to anyone willing to reach in a box and grab as many as they wanted. ND has a “green out” and the fans get NOTHING!!! ND CB

Eric Hansen

1:22

George, when we had Evan Sharpley on the Pod of Gold podcast this week, he brought up similar questions and concerns. The example in which he went into depth was Wimbush, and trying too hard to make him a pocket passer instead of playing to his strengths. I'm not sure that's the case with Book, but I think it's worth exploring if we don't see some significant and swift improvement. ... as for Tommy Tremble, there were a lot of players and coaches who had similar Saturday nights.

George from El Segundo

1:19

Eric: while stepping back from the ledge after the "embarrassing no-show," it occurred to me that the biggest problem is trying to make Ian Book into something he isn't, and never will be. He is not a "drop back" or "pocket passer." However, he has an uncanny ability to run and throw on the run. The two best drives of the year (opening drive v. Louisville and last drive against Southern Cal) are the best examples of these strengths. I suspect Kelly and Long are so intent on making him be something that isn't in his DNA that the team is ignoring his demonstrated strenghts. Your input, please! Also, did Tommy Tremble miss the bus to Ann Arbor? Thank you.

Eric Hansen

1:19

Alex, if I ever need to take a sick day. I know now where to turn. That was extremely well put. Those two things absolutely need to be the next step in his coaching evolution and the program's evolution. The 2020 season is real opportunity to get back to the Playoffs. That team should be better than this one. If it's not, it's going to be largely because of QB play. You're absolutely right about the development of the No. 2 QB. I'm not advocating Jurkovec replace Book, but if his development is lacking, either something is wrong with the developmental model or he was a swing and a miss in the evaluation process.

Alex from Jackson, MO

1:15

Appreciate you taking the time for your readers. First of all, I am not a Kelly hater. I believe overall he does well with what he has. The two glaring weaknesses in my opinion is his inability to get championship level QB play and the inability to win big games on the road. I believe the later is a direct result of the former. He is the only common denominator in this pattern of behavior for the past decade. At which point does the powers at be address this, or are they content with this being how it is? And secondly, isn’t the fact Jurkovec isn’t ready to help this team win another example of how poorly the QB situation continues to be at ND? You can replace Jurkovec’s name with Crist, Wimbush, Golson, Book...etc. sorry for the dissertation! Thanks again.

Eric Hansen

1:15

The inept offense didn't help the defense when it finally started to find its rhythm in the third quarter. Michigan's offensive line dominated and the Irish defenders made it worse by getting away from their assignments and playing undisciplined at times. Remember, this is the first time a team scored more than 30 points against a Clark Lea defense. It was the longest active such streak in the FBS. Let's see how they respond against a balance Virginia Tech attack with a very young offensive line.

RC from Albany

I need to get better at this ... now, for my question ... given some of the issues we witnessed earlier in the year, the poor performance on offense was less of a surprise (unfortunately). However, the defense’s poor performance was really surprising. I really felt like Coach Lea had moved the team beyond this type of performance on defense. What insights can you provide re: what caused Saturday night’s meltdown? What gives you confidence that it was a one-time event. Thanks

Inadvertent send earlier ... so many questions for you after that loss, but i’ll pick just one ... in hindsight given the inconsistent performance of the Q! offense

1:12

Well Eric this was the disappointing / frustrating loss in a while - not sure which one hurts more this game or the inexplicable Miami loss

Eric Hansen

1:11

Jeff, sorry, but ugh. I'm not sure I've ever looked at Paul Finebaum as a voice of reason. He lost a lot of credibility, including with his ESPN colleagues, when in 2016 he said Brian Kelly was a miserable human being and then admitted to never having met him. ... I'm glad you brought Urban Meyer up. Outstanding coach, and likely will coach again. But there's a reason he's on the open market, doing TV. Do you really think the Zach Smith chapter at OSU and the Florida arrests are going to fly with the Notre Dame administration? It likely will be OK with other administrations, but not Notre Dame's. I don't see if happening.

Jeff from Wellington

1:07

The trick befell us last Saturday, hoping for treats today. Do you agree with Paul Finebaum that the best move for ND is to buy out Kelly's contract and go get Urban Meyer to coach? If not, why not?

Eric Hansen

1:06

My question was rhetorical in the sense, I wanted to find out from Brian Kelly what HE was going to use to motivate his team. I also wanted to show the gravity of the loss as it pertained to the big picture, so I wasn't suggesting in any way that the season be canceled or compromised. ... There' no question the run defense was alarming. And I pointed that out. No. 81 nationally is worse than any of the VanGorder years, but we've seen that unit get better quickly earlier this season. Sometimes progress isn't a straight line. I think it's an easy fix than what's going on with the QB.

Bill H from Orlando

1:03

You wrote in a column after the disaster at Ann Arbor: What is there left to play for? Baylor? Yawn! How about pride, teammates, university? As an alum whose first two years at ND coincided with our last two non-bowl years ('67-'68), we experienced two losses before the end of October. I don't recall Ara (God bless his soul!) asking Moose Krause to cancel the rest of the schedule; instead, he issued the same types of platitudes we are hearing this week (which get Kelly pilloried) and moved on, figuring out ways to get improved play. Now my question: I am more concerned about the recent regression of our Defense than about Ian Book's flaws (2nd half against USC; 4 quarters against UM). Do you have a good fix on what is going on there, and how it can be fixed in the short term?

Eric Hansen

1:02

I think Michigan stands alone in that conversation. In Alabama 2012, you had a Crimson Tide team that was clearly better. With Miami, you had an Irish team that had expended so much energy coming back from a 4-8 season, I think they got worn down. Miami was NOT better. The Georgia crowd nose issue was bad, but if it's the QB who is contributing greatly to not dealing with that correctly, do you throw him under the bus if you're Kelly. I think not. Now to Michigan, in my opinion, given the context (having extra time to prepare among that), it's the worst loss of the Kelly Era. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened. If you want to bang on Kelly for that game, it's warranted.

ED from Palm Beach Fl

12:56

Eric...thanks for the chats....The complete body of evidence during Kelly's tenure cannot be discarded . After coaching over 30 years I am shocked to hear his comments after Bama, not ready for Miami, crowd noise at Georgia.then stating his team was not prepared for Skunkbears....please tell me where I have strayed

Eric Hansen

12:56

Tim, I'll untangle the semantics for you. Let's look at 2012, a pre playoff season. Until some upsets in week 12 that season, Alabama wasn't going to play for the national title. Most observers felt they were easily the best team, but they had a loss. Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame did not. Let's say only Oregon lost in week 12. K-State and ND would have played for the national title. No one objective would have though K-State as better than Bama, but they were most deserving, because they took care of their business. Now you can apply that to the four-team playoff race. Oklahoma is probably a better team right now than some teams ranked ahead of it, but they lost to a then-unranked K-State team.

Tim - Pleasant Prairie WI

12:50

Good Morning / Afternoon Eric -- Even though Notre Dame is neither, can you please clarify for me what exactly the analysts mean when they talk about the playoff rankings in terms of teams being "The Best" vs. "The Most Deserving"? I have been watching this process now for almost six years and I understand "Best". That's a pretty simple concept and criteria (and should be the only criteria if you ask me). But what exactly is "most deserving"? It seems to me the four best are logically - and therefore - the most deserving. What else could "deserving" be based on if you are not one of the four best? You are either one of the four best or you aren't. Nothing else should matter. This argument makes me crazy!!!!! Help!!!

Eric Hansen

12:49

I think it's extremely short-sighted to base Brian Kelly's future on one game. Look, it was a bad loss. So was Ohio State's 49-20 thumping at Purdue last season and its 55-24 dismantling from Iowa the year before, each of which kept OSU out of the playoff. If this is the beginning of a downward spiral, then you have to look at it differently. For someone who has a 27-6 record since the start of 2017, Kelly deserves better than a knee-jerk reaction.

Steve from Hillsborough, NJ

12:43

Eric do you think there is a chance that Notre Dame buys out Brian Kelly’s remaining years on his contract? He has been a good coach, at best, nothing great. After all, after the 2016 season, when he had the exit interviews it sure sounded like he didn’t have his hands on the steering wheel of the program for a few years prior. And now he says the preparation may not of been what it should have been the last couple weeks?? The last complete embarrassment like against Michigan was either 2012 Alabama or against Miami with Jimmy Johnson in 1985. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

12:43

Lots of folks leaving off their hometown. Please include that if you want to get your question answered.

12:41

I think he got caught up in the emotion of the moment, and it was unfortunate.

Bill from St Joe, MI

12:41

Eric, is it possible that a Senior does not know the rules regarding a blocked/partially blocked punt and believed he had to recover the punt?

Eric Hansen

12:41

I have been studying Book's planned runs (vs. scrambles and RPOs) but haven't written about it yet. I do think there's some merit on that when the traditional running game bogs down. Last year's Michigan game, with Wimbush, and the 2015 game, with Kizer, against Temple are a couple of examples where having that capacity and using it worked well. I haven't formed my conclusions yet, but I think it's a good question that that coaching staff should be asking itself.

Frank from Canton, Ga

12:38

Do you think Book should run the ball more to set up RPO’s?

Eric Hansen

12:38

As far as recruiting rankings: (All per Rivals) 2019: 14; 2018: 11; 2017: 13; 2016: 13; 2015: 11; 2014: 11; 2013: 3; 2012: 20; 2011: 10; 2010: 14. The current class (2020) is ranked 13th. The 2021 class is ranked 1st.

12:33

OK first part of your question. Notre Dame has played one team at home that was ranked in the top 10 at the time of that meeting in a decade of Brian Kelly-coached Irish football. That was last year, vs. Stanford, and ND won that game. By my count he's 2-7 against the Top 10 on away games and neutral-site bowl games.

12:27

Give me a second to do the math.

John from Marlborough MA

12:27

Hi Eric, love the chats. Interested in knowing what Kelly’s record is against teams ranked in the top 10, home and away? Also, wondering what ND’s class recruitment ranking is during his 10 year reign? Thank you

Eric Hansen

12:26

Andrew, I think we have a full enough body of work to answer that question, and my answer is I think you touched on every layer of the answer: Teams scheming to avoid the rush; the absence of a dynamic inside presence like Tillery; ND's decision to play so much 3-man front against USC; and not playing up to expectations -- yours or theirs. In the Michigan game, they should have been the best position group on the field that night. They weren't close.

Andrew from South Bend

12:23

Re: the DEs' pass rush, I know UL & NM were getting rid of the ball really quickly & a 3 man front vs USC limited opportunities but our pass rush still feels underwhelming vs expectations. Do the DEs' pressure rates disagree w/ the eye test/foggy memories of last yr, are they just getting double teamed that much more w/o Tillery in the middle or is something else going on?

Eric Hansen

12:21

Clancy, Brian Kelly said earlier this week that Young's departure means more opportunities for McKinley, Lawrence Keys III and Braden Lenzy. I like what McKinley brings, and I would use him situationally, but Lenzy is the player of those three who has the best chance to help transform the offense now and in 2020. So I would invest in him and see what I have in him if I were Long/Kelly. ... As to Long, the way Book and the offensive line were playing, I'm not sure what he could have drawn up that would have given a jolt to the offense. ... Bigger picture, I'm not sure Long is necessarily part of Book's regression, but I think he can be a big part of the solution.

Clancy from Sheboygan

12:17

Hi Eric, I'd like your thoughts again on Javon McKinley. Seems he would have played more against Michigan given his physicality, the wet conditions, the trust Book has with him, plus the departure of M. Young. Second question: We were in the game down only 10 (7-17) deep into 3Q - did Chip Long not make the halftime adjustments he's famous for? What are your thoughts on Chip Long's role in the offensive stagnation?

Eric Hansen

12:16

I don't think it's time to have that discussion, and I think it would be unfair to solely base that on age when it is time. Nick Saban is 68. Can you imagine what Alabama would have missed out on if he was pushed out in his late 50s, because someone didn't think he could handle the demands of the job?

12:14

Before I answer the questions, here is Brian Kelly's age and the ages of the other Notre Dame coaches when their respective regimes came to an end:

Lou Holtz 59
Brian Kelly 58
Dan Devine 56
Charlie Weis 53
Hugh Devore 53*
Ara Parseghian 51
Ty Willingham 50
Gerry Faust 50
Bob Davie 47
Joe Kuharich 45
Frank Leahy 45
Knute Rockne 43
Elmer Layden 37
Hunk Anderson 35
Ed McKeever 34
Jesse Harper 34
Terry Brennan 30
* Age at the end of Hugh Devore’s second tour of duty. He was ND’s interim head coach twice.

John C

12:12

John C from Indy... Lou Holtz was 59 when it was 'time' (or perhaps forced out)... have not looked at all past ND coaches but seems like upper 50s is a limit for demands of ND job. Brian Kelly just turned 58 - is it fair to have a 'it's just time' discussion?

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