JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 4, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 4, 2023

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Eric Hansen

3:11

I have unfortunately run out of time, and that is NOT reviewable. Thanks for all the great questions, both those answered and those still sitting in the queue. We'll be back next Wednesday at noon ET to do it all over again.

3:10

Mike, not that I can remember, and thanks for the recommendations.

Mike, Phoenix

3:10

Eric, Have you ever seen a penalty flag picked up 3 straight weeks against any team other than ND in your life? Targeting to the hip? Spotting the ball wrong? A few places for food/drink in Louisville.. Wild Eggs or Con Huevos for breakfast, The Eagle for some fried chicken and cornbread, Agave & Rye for tacos, and O’Shea’s for a pint. Hope you get to enjoy your time in the ‘Ville. IRISH by 100! Cheers!

Eric Hansen

3:09

Hi Tanker. He's really talented. We saw that in some of the August practices and has a chance IN TIME to catch up to Flores and Greathouse. I could see him getting some opportunities perhaps against Wake and Stanford late in the season. Next spring, he should be fun to watch.

Tanker, NM

3:07

Hi Eric, thanks for the chat as always. As we are a bit thin at WR, do you anticipate Braylon James breaking into the rotation in the second half of the season and gaining a bit of experience?

Eric Hansen

3:07

Hi Jordan. Special teams coach Marty Biagi and Marcus Freeman both knew that was not reviewable. And they protested and got dismissed by the officiating crew. It was turned into the ACC office, which acknowledged and owned the mistake. So the attempt was made to change it in real time and ignored.

Jordan - South Bend

3:05

Hey Eric, I saw an article from one of your former colleagues discussing the non-reviewable touchback call. I don't like to blame officiating but that one could have helped determine the outcome of the game. I know Coach Freeman said they submit questions to league officials to get feedback/clarification. Could they just employ an official like the media does, to instruct them during the course of the game?

Eric Hansen

3:04

He can. Sometimes they want hang time from him, and they're trying to bait the opposition to returning it and getting trapped inside the 15 or 20.

Rick from the OC

3:04

Hello again, just a quickie, if Shraeder has such a strong leg, why can't he kick it through the end zone on kick offs?

Eric Hansen

3:03

more of those things. So I think it's a little bit of both, you know what I mean?

3:02

and Gerad Parker's answer:

Their interior D-line was pretty good against your interior offensive line. And they were getting the best of you a lot of the times. You stayed with Estime to the point where he finally finally broke one at the end when you really needed it. But what what prompts you to stay with that when you know that maybe your offensive lines not at its best?
Here's honest, I think the schemes we had to use for how they were attacking us was pivotal in that, good and bad. Meaning we had to be downhill to stay efficient, try to get the ball back through the line of scrimmage because of how they were attacking us edge wise and through us. So it limited a little bit of what we do. We can't let that happen, right? Anymore or as much. But it limited us but it's also kept us pretty efficient, minus our long yardage situations because of drop balls and penalties. So in that realm that kind of applies to Audric maybe more than some other plans where you get the ball out on the perimeter ... (more)

3:01

Hi Rick, thanks for subscribing. Much appreciated!!!! Under normal circumstances, Notre Dame has the quarterback, coordinator and talent around the QB to make teams pay for that eighth man in the box. And unless both Jayden/Jadens miss another game, they won't have that issue the rest of the season. ND tried early to prove that playing the safety in the run game would cost Duke, but when they couldn't make plays on the deep shots, Duke got more comfortable with the concept. All your observations are on point, but let me give you some perspective that might help you understand why it was done. Here's a similar question from last night (more)

Rick from the OC

2:57

New subscriber but long time fan of your chats, thanks! My question is how many first down passes has ND thrown this year? I know they want to establish the run, but the other team knows that too! A play action pass to Tyree down the middle on a post would let him run until he got tired. Continuing to try an run into a loaded 8-man box is the definition of stupidity. Also, with a nose guard kicking the snot out of our center, don't they have a good old fashion trap play or a screen to slow him down. It's easy critiquing while in my recliner with a cold one, but some things just seem obvious.

Eric Hansen

2:56

Hi Matt. I could have lived with the 45- to 47-yard field goal try. I vehemently disagree with the notion of Audric going down on his own at the 1 and trying an 18-yarder there. I don't know what the percentages are. Maybe Myliah can help? But I don't care what they are, I would vote against that if I had a vote. Or if I were on the team, I'd throw up as a distraction to try to keep that from happening. As far as the Coach Day rant, I think that's in a file of the furthest things from his mind. Don't think he'd give it a second's thought.

Matt from Aldie, VA

2:53

Hey Eric, thanks for doing these as always. There was much talk this week about Coach Freeman’s preference to essentially run out the clock at the end of the Duke game and kick a long field goal instead of continuing to run the normal offense to score a TD (or get closer for a chip shot). It’s one thing to kneel at the 1 yard line (I still wouldn’t love that), but it sounds like Coach Freeman was content to line up for a 45ish-yard field goal with the game and season on the line. That scares me a bit. Do you think it’s a justifiable position? Do you know what the analytics percentages are? Spencer Shrader hasn’t built confidence in his ability to nail a win-or-lose kick. Bonus question: Has Coach Freeman reacted to Coach Day’s rant after the OSU game? I’m curious what his thoughts might be. I’ll hang up and listen. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

2:52

That's what makes this game so pivotal for Louisville. They got the most benevolent bounce in their ACC schedule (no Florida State, no Clemson, no Syracuse, no North Carolina). All of those are potential losses. I think a healthy Duke team beats Louisville at any location. I think the Irish are better as well, but I don't think this is an easy game.

2:50

Len, good observations and we're getting to the point in the season where those numbers matter more, because there's more reliable context behind them. I think the most dangerous part of Louisville's potential against ND are their explosives. NC State did a masterful job of limiting those (and more defensively) with a very different scheme that's hard to borrow from. But sometimes a team with a lot of new pieces gains confidence playing weaker competition and is then able to apply it to better competition later in the season. (more)

Len from the Jersey Shore

2:40

Hello Eric, Great coverage all week long. I loved the post contrasting different offensive coordinators. Some of those coordinators are having trying situations at QB. Last week reinforced what I knew already, it is hard for a team to run the ball, even with an experienced & talented QB, if your receivers cannot keep a defense honest. I am looking for that to change this week. If you don't have a good QB, it is even harder. My question is how good is Louisville? They are ranked 37 in total defense having played offenses ranked 64,97,107 & 18. # 18 O Georgia Tech scored 34 on them. Their O is ranked 13 in total offense having played defenses ranked 65,85,113 & 34. #34 D being NC State who they scored 13 points on. ND cannot take any team lightly. I am sure the coaches will have the team ready to play. But how good is Louisville?

Eric Hansen

2:39

Hi Steve. The analysts looked at him as late-rounder possibly undrafted free agent, and I think it's safe to say he's at least pushed himself into the draft. How much he moves up will be determined by the next six regular-season games and the postseason. He can help himself a lot still.

Steve from St Louis

2:37

Eric. Hope all is well. Before the season where did you think Sam Hartman would go in the draft? After six games where do you see him now? If he continues on this trajectory how high could he end up? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:37

Hi Bill, thanks so much for joining us. The trick in evaluating is context. Duke, Ohio State and NC State are formidable, difficult defenses. The other three the Irish faced in the first half of the season? Not so much. Only Clemson among the remaining six should be in the class of the first three I mentioned. Louisville's defensive balance, it's history with Sam Hartman and it's ability to create turnovers makes it one that shouldn't be overlooked however. OK before this turns into a work salad, I think the offensive line has improved since opening night in Dublin, not to where they'll need to be against Clemson, but I still think that potential is there after how they held up against Ohio State. And Joe Alt is every bit as good as advertised.

Bill Kaufman

I am from Windsor, CO.

2:31

Eric, I just signed up with Rivals. I did so because I discovered that Tyler and you were with Rivals. My question: How do you rate the performance of ND’s offensive line for the season through the Duke game? As always thanks for all you do to keep us informed about the Fighting Irish.

Eric Hansen

2:31

Notre Dame actually had bottom-line success running the ball against Duke -- 159 yards, 5.0 per carry, but that is a bit misleading when you consider 80 of those yards came on a fake punt, Hartman's fourth-down scramble and Audric Estimé's kind of unintentional TD burst with 31 seconds left, but yes a better passing attack will open up the run Saturday night, I believe, against a better-than-average Louisville run defense.

Frank from Royse City, Texas

2:27

Do you think ND will have success running the ball against Louisville?

Eric Hansen

2:26

Hi Newt. Great to see you in the chat. I do think having healthy versions of Greathouse and Thomas back opens up the ND playbook and also makes it very risky to bring that safety down and cheat in the run defense. I saw parts of GameDay this week and Ken Jeong is funny. If you like the YouTube show Hot Ones, his episode is pretty entertaining. Thanks again for the kind words.

Newt in Midlothian, Va

2:23

Dont worry Irish fans. Reinforcements is on the way. In the Duke game, WRs caught 4 passes. With Thomas and Greathouse returning for Louisville game, I think our passing game will return to form. What say you? Also, did you get a chance to take in College Gameday? It was a fun time. Ken Jeong is hilarious. I think Pat McAffee will always pick the home team to get the crowd hype. Anywho, thanks for the chats and as always, Go Irish! See you in Louisville!

Eric Hansen

2:22

Hi Mike. Welcome back and Yiamas! Progress isn't always linear, and that's even more true with the O-Line. I'd say given the two defenses they just faced, the Ohio State game was their best of the season and Duke somewhere in the middle. Louisville won't be as big of a test, but still not an easy assignment. Clemson will be the next front that will test the Irish to the level Duke and THE Ohio State University did.

Mike from Rochester NY

2:18

Hi, Eric, just returned last night from 12 day vacation to Greece and watched the recordings of the OSU and Duke games. The defense was impressive in both games and would been even more so if not for some sloppy tackling and penalties. The O-line was not so impressive although they did have some great moments in both games. Mitchell Evans is a stud, almost looks like Michael Mayer out there. My question is whether the O-line has measurably improved since the start of the season. We knew there would be growing pains with the new starters but it sometimes feels like they’re regressing rather than progressing.

Eric Hansen

2:17

After seeing both Zak Yoakam and Spencer Shrader kick in practice multiple times in August and knowing Shrader made 19 of 20 FGs in practice last week and was tested while doing so, I'd sticking with Shrader (and crossing my fingers). ... and I think you'll see Freeman go for it on fourth-and-1 liberally no matter who the kicker is. The Irish are 6-of-8 on fourth-down conversions this season, 15th best in the country. ... Is 8 tries a lot? South Florida and Temple have tried the most at 19 this season. Alabama has done it the least, with one attempt.

2:13

Could there be an alternative game plan completely different from the one your team studied and practiced all week? You are MUCH better staying with the original and adapting it. Let's say you hated this answer and wanted to drive up and put a "For Sale" sign in my yard. So you jumped on I-75 and ran into detours and bad weather. You'd be better off dealing with those and staying near I-75 than you would going way out of your way to come up I-55, which had no detours and you're completely unfamiliar with. As far as the kicking situation, it's not akin to changing relievers in a baseball game, so there's an investment that Freeman is willing to make in a guy who holds the school record for longest field goal that his accuracy, with a new kicking motion that was changed after four years, will come around and pay dividends yet this season. We shall see. (more)

2:08

Hi Marie. Thank you for your questions and for not giving me a bad grade ... yet. So let's give Marcus a grade for adjustments. I'm giving him a B. Why? I think there were some areas that simply couldn't be fixed against a very good Duke defense without Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse miraculously healing. Where I get my red pen out is not having a backup plan for non-verbal communication when crowd noise affected the clap/first sound strategies that didn't work. ... Where I give him credit is the 95-yard drive. That's the longest drive since at least 1970 that Notre Dame has put together to produce game-winning points. With all the big-picture pressure in the world on that drive. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

1:57

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. I want to preface my question by saying that I am a huge Marcus Freeman fan and I do think he is the guy to get the job done at Notre Dame. That being said, what grade would you give him for preparing the team last week as well as for the game plan and adjustments during the game? My grade would not be very high. I would also like to add shouldn’t you have a back up plan if your original game plan is not working? When your offensive line is getting pummeled as badly as ours was, shouldn’t there be a completely different set of plays“plan B “to utilize? Completely unrelated, what would you do about the kicking situation? They must have absolutely no confidence in Yoaksm or he would at least be kicking the shorter ones. Because of the kicking situation. Do you think we will be seeing ND go for it more than usual on fourth down now? As always, thanks for hosting the chats and the great insights.

Eric Hansen

1:57

Marcus' job is to win game, not set offensive records doing so. I think whether to put the game in the lap of a kicker with great range but a 50 percent success rate is debatable. But you could argue that continuing to try to push the ball downfield with an offense running with a couple of flat tires may not have been the right option given those circumstances. ... and risk a sack or turnover that would have eliminated the field goal option. Again up for debate, but Duke is light years better on defense than USC. The challenges the Trojans bring are very different.

1:53

Well Adam, glad you're back and glad it wasn't my answers, my cologne or the reinstatement of the "no bare feet" rule that chase you away. First, I think to completely dismiss the coaching principles of a guy who won eight national coach of the year awards, five FCS/Div. I-AA national titles and and FBS national championship with an Ohio State team that ranked 70th in total offense doesn't have a lot of merit. Granted, if Tressel were still coaching, he would have had to evolve, but some of his concepts still work quite well. Defensive excellence, an emphasis on special teams to name a couple. And I think that's what Marcus does, adapts the parts of Tressel's philosophy that work in 2023 and leave the rest on the table. (more)

Adam (Dayton, OH)

1:45

Eric, been hard for me to make a chat this season, but we fans appreciate everything about you! Was listening to an ND podcast, and one of the hosts mentioned Marcus Freeman's comments about the end of the game...both about wanting Audric to go down at the one...and also Freeman (with audio proof in the video ND media released--which was awesome) seeming to just want to center the ball for a long field goal attempt to win the game. And the host mentioned hearing that and thinking "man, I hope we didn't bring Tressel-Ball to South Bend". This is something I have feared and mentioned to you as well, and I believe you have pushed back on. But, I would love to hear your current thoughts on Freeman's plan to finish the Duke game, because it does sound A LOT like Tressel. Also, does the game against Ohio St. give you more or less confidence the Irish can beat USC and what did you see to make you think that?

Eric Hansen

1:45

Maybe your offensive line has had a rough series in pass protection and you need some time to adjust between series to some new defensive wrinkle, so maybe you don't risk a pass there. Maybe a sack would take your out of field goal range. Lots of variables. Wind direction. Rain. All those things can come into play. So there are analytics and instincts that need to be leaned into as well.

1:43

First of all, Myliah, I get distracted by how cool of a name you have. Give your parents a pat on the back from me. ... So this is a pretty straightforward question but with a lot of tentacles. What does into running on third-and-10? Let's start with game circumstance. Time and whether you have the lead (and by how much) I'd put at the top of the list. OK, now let's take that all-important first priority out of the equation. Let's say it's a tie game very early in the third quarter. Then what would come into play for me as an offensive play-caller is the look I'm getting on defense and whether I can get the matchups I want in the passing game against that. If I can't, and I think I can fool the defense, I'd consider a run there, especially if my defense is playing well. Complementary football always should come into play. For instance, I'd be much more reluctant to give the ball to USC's Caleb Williams than say Brennan Armstrong at NC State (who's officially broken). (more)

Myliah, El Cerrito, CA

1:36

Eric, I have a math background (I work in fintech now) and am always interested in that side of the game (as well as lingering camera shots of Hartman's kingly beard). My interest was further piqued when I read that Freeman leans on analytics, as I suspect more coaches do these days. I've been wondering about calls for running plays on 3rd and very long (10+). Rees frustratingly did it more than a few times last year, if I remember correctly, and then Parker did it again during ND's last possession against OSU. Depending on the QBs completion rates for the game or even the season, the likelihood of gaining 1st down by running is often statistically lower than when passing in those situations. And the way Hartman was playing, another pass attempt after that failed screen pass seemed in order. Incomplete? You punt it anyway. I get it, ball security, etc. but 3rd and very long running plays seem weak, even with ND's running back talent. What other variables play into these decisions? Opponent defensive looks?

Eric Hansen

1:34

Let me continue ... what Louisville does best defensively is defend in the red zone and create turnovers. ... The team remaining on the schedule in which its so much weaker defensively against the pass than the run is Pitt. So maybe that's the game you'll see the most pass attempts. And yes exclamation points for the fake punt, please!!!!

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