JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 8,2025 | 10/8/2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 8,2025

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2:03

Larry from Topton, Pa. Eric the man!!! With Southern Cal on the horizon, NC State appears to me to be the ultimate trap game. Can you give us three reasons why we should worry about the Wolfpack, and three reasons why ND fans should be confident the team can avoid the trap? Thanks Eric. Can’t wait until the next podcast!!!

Eric Hansen

2:03

Hi Tony. Dave Doeren has bigger issues than framing a loss these days. He needs to avoid them if he plans on being back for a 14th season. The schedule doesn't let up after the Irish either, with a finishing stretch that included Miami, Ga Tech and Florida State, They do have a really good offensive team, but massive problems on defense.

2581

2:00

Tony from Bluegrass Country (central Kentucky) - Howdy, Eric ! The last time that NC State played at Notre Dame Stadium - on October 28, 2017 (I was there) - ND kicked undefeated and #14-ranked NC State's ass 35-14. ND had 318 yards rushing, including 202 by Josh Adams (one TD). Brandon Wimbush threw two TD passes (to Smythe & Stepherson). On defense, Te'von Coney had 9 tackles (he was awarded the game ball) and Julian Love had 3 pass breakups & a 69-yard INT. ND had 422 yards of total offense, while NC State had 263. Nonetheless, in his post-game press conference NC State's delusional coach, Dave Doeren, insisted that the Wolfpack had played the Irish evenly...

If we trounce NC State again in Saturday - which I suspect we will - do you think that Doeren will claim that NC State played just as well as ND? In other words, has Doeren become any wiser in the past 8 years?

Eric Hansen

1:59

Hey Matt, thank you! Yes, cleaning up the penalties, kicking game and fourth-down conversions would make it a template for a team on a trajectory to make the playoff. ND needs to keep coming with the defense. And cash in its offensive opportunities. NC State is going to be a tough team to coax four turnovers out of.

Matt from Austin

1:54

Hi Eric and thank you as always for your insight. I know the score differential wasn't as large last week, but I thought, without question, the Boise State game was our most complete and efficient game to date. Assuming we clean up some penalties and the kicking game, how did you view it and what do you see as areas of improvement needed against NC State? Cheers, Matt

Eric Hansen

1:50

So here are the five metrics and where ND stands:
Pass Efficiency 7
Rushing offense: 48
Rushing defense: 43
Total defense: 78
Turnover margin:16
The great news is ND is trending upwards in all five, including the two that are already in the playoff-worthy range — pass efficiency and turnover margin. The total defense number may not get up to the preferred 25 or better. But given the inordinate number of really good offenses ND faces, getting to about 35 may be enough. But every encouraging given what all five looked like three games ago. ... And yes, I think that was a really good sign to see Sneed surge last week. That needs to be a consistent trend.

1:43

Hi Tom, I'm telling you what. We NEVER complain about the heat up here, because we know what's coming, but just walking from The Linebacker to the stadium after our pregame show, I needed a new shirt. Ok probably too much detail. .. to your question. Fortunately, I just wrote a bunch about this on Sunday in by Behind The Ballot column, which has all kinds of statistical tidbits as well. In that story, I compared how Notre Dame stands in comparison to the three teams currently in the 1-2-3 spots in the poll and to the preseason top 5 teams that have fallen completely out of the poll -- Texas, Penn State and Clemson. (more)

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

1:36

Hey Eric, hope you did OK with the heat wave from last weekend. Hopefully, this week will be more fall-like. How is this year's team doing so far with the 5 Key Metrics that you always refer to when looking at Championship caliber teams? With the good game that Jaylen Sneed had last week do you think the DC is finally learning how to use his great talents?? Thanks, and as always Go Irish!!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:36

Well, you are not breaking any rules here. And I love accountability, so you are forgiven!

Bo Johnson, Michiana-North Continental Divide

1:35

My bad on throwing in Sneed, started with my afternoon drink!

Eric Hansen

1:35

Bo, thank you for the tutorial!

Bo Johnson, Michiana-North Continental Divide

1:34

Lived in the same area my entire life, the North South Continental Divide is based on the watersheds of water; water north of the divide go to ocean via Great Lakes and water south of divide sheds Gulf via the Mississippi Waterway.......South Bend!!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:33

Hi Marie. Busy, busy, busy week, but fun. OK, I'll cop to amazing, Thank you. The fourth-down conversion rate period is problematic, especially given the dodgy place kicking situation. The Irish were 8th in conversion rate last year. They are in the bottom 25% now. ... Not loving the Wildcat -- and there are some other questions in the queue about that, so I'll go into greater detail why in a bit. I do think once Cooper Flanagan starts playing (soon) that opens up some more options in the playbook in short yardage. He is a key. On a scale of 1 to 10 worry scale. With 10 being ledge status? I'd say a 5. I think Erik Schmidt is going to break the longest field goal record ... someday. But ND just needs accuracy and reliability this year. And Burnette's recurring injury is an enigma for now. Thanks for being part of the chats!!!

Marie from Atlanta

1:18

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having an amazing week. The offense has been such a pleasant surprise this year, however, one area of concern is fourth and short, what do you think they need to do to improve their fourth and short conversion rate? What are your thoughts on the wildcat? Do you think it is being overused?, Do you think they should use a different variant of it where there is an additional blocker not named Carr? I know you didn’t get to see much in practice, but you saw more than any of us did, on a scale of one to 10, how worried should we all be about the kicking game? As always, thanks for doing a great job hosting for chats and for all your wonderful insights.

Eric Hansen

1:18

Ok now to your real question. So you are throwing me a curve by asking about DBs and then throwing linebacker Jaylen Sneed in the conversation. Let me start by saying the only players in that back seven with expiring eligibility after 2025 are starting nickel DeVonta Smith, rotational safety Jalen Stroman and backup cornerback Chance Tucker. I don't like to speculate on individuals hitting the portal unless they've put that move in motion. There is so much that can affect those decisions, including now financial ones. And remember now, Notre Dame isn't limited at 85 scholarship anymore. They can go up to 105 and aim for 95. So there are business decisions to be made for players that don't have a clear path to playing time. One other thing to note, Leonard Moore won't be draft-eligible until after the 2026 season.

1:11

1:10

Hi Bo. I love the Continental Divide reference. For those unfamiliar. There is a sign that appears on the US 20 bypass in South Bend that announces a Continental Divide, for some reason. And it confuses visitors of mine, who see if when I pick them up at the airport and want to know the backstory.

Bo Johnson, Michiana-North Continental Divide

1:06

With the incoming talent we have coming in at DB, does any of our current DB's run out of eligibility, or transfer. I'm thinking of J. Sneed!!!! Especially with Golden and Zachery showing up on the depth chart as true freshman along with those that look to end up redshirting!!

Eric Hansen

1:05

Manny^**(Y&^^%!!! Good call on the Jimmy Clausen comparison. ND is sitting at No. 23 nationally in total offense, which is total yards per game. The last time they finished with a higher ranking than that was 2009 (8th), and the quarterback was indeed Jimmy Clausen. I think ND will be favored in every game the rest of the regular season, but losing the turnover margin can turn a game that seemingly could be lopsided into a competitive game or even an upset. Because of the deluge of better-than-average and great offenses on the schedule, the defense must continue to improve for this team to finish 10-2. And that's doable. Schedule sequencing is important, and I still think the Pitt game, coming after Navy, would be tricky.

cool

1

Manny from san pedro

12:53

Eric!!!!!!!!! This team might have the best offense since the Jimmy Clausen days. With Penn st losing, we keep climbing and I love it!! With exception of usc. Will any team left on our schedule give us a game if we play like we did last 3 games? Or is it USC and making sure we don’t have a N Ill game in us

Eric Hansen

12:52

More of the kind of impact they made in the pass rush. The LBs had 3 1/2 of the 4 sacks last week, and 4 different guys. The run defense will get better and coverage of tight ends and running backs will improve. And speaking of tight ends, NC State has a very good one in Justin Joly, So, keep an eye on that matchup.

12:50

Hi Tony. I wrote about this week, and I think it's the linebackers. That's not to say there isn't work to do at the other levels of the defense, but the linebackers SHOULD be elite, and seem to be moving in that direction. Jaylen Sneed played a modest 24 snaps, but had his best film grade of the season and second-best of his career against Boise State. Drayk Bowen surged as well. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has been impactful all season and freshman Madden Faraimo has made the most of his cameos. Playing with more consistency should be the next and expected step for Jaiden Ausberry. So what would that look like as far as improving the entire defense? (more)

Tony @ Katy, TX

12:44

Er!c, The defense seems to be making meaningful strides since simplifying the scheme as well as players getting healthier. Where do you see the next step of defensive development coming?

Eric Hansen

12:42

Kevn!!! The way that started out, I thought it was going to end in you asking to borrow money, so I am happy to answer your question not involving that transaction. Marcus Freeman's philosophy includes these principles. Pay good assistants to stay, knowing you ARE going to lose some, because they aspire to chase the opportunities they earn. So don't be bitter, be happy for them. And then try to upgrade when someone leaves. For instance, let's take a position coach. It was hard to imagine that ND could do better than Deland McCullough. But Ja'Juan Seider at RBs coach has REALLY impressed me.

Kevin-Sleepy Eye, MN

12:39

Hansen's wisdom we seek!! Our defense finally looks like we expect. We see what's happening at Clemson and Oklahoma. I feel it's safe to say Clemson is not the same since Venables left; Oklahoma is surging. Changing coordinators never seemed to affect Saban's teams but it has others like Dabo or even Brian Kelly. I really like how MF would not point the finger after A&M game. What can MF learn from past great coaches or perhaps he has learned this year to make sure his teams perform on same level no matter who his coordinators are?

Eric Hansen

Which she doesn't, but I wouldn't object to if she did. Thanks for the compliments!

12:38

Hi Jack. Thanks for reading it and the compliments. I really enjoy putting that together on Sundays. The challenges differ from season to season and from week to week during the season. This week was a bucket of teams that were very similar in the 20s, and which ones to include and which ones not. Early in the season, you just don't have a lot of data. When I top 10 team loses to an unranked team but has some good wins, that's a headache. Now with Texas and Penn State, for instance, and Iowa State, it wasn't as hard, because they didn't have quality wins. How has it changed? People were a lot madder when I didn't include their favorite teams back when polls alone determine national titles and also during the BCS Era when it was initially part of that formula. There was no social media then, but anonymous letters found their way to me on a regular basis. The funniest one was an assertion from one person that my poll acumen was lacking because my mother drove a beer truck.(more)

Jack, Strongsville, Oh

12:31

Hi Eric. One of my favorite pieces you do each week is behind the ballot article. As a voter for over 30 years what is the most challenging part of doing a weekly top 25 poll? How has it changed for you during that time. As always thanks for your great writing.

Eric Hansen

12:31

Noah Burnette was listed as questionable on Monday, and we'll get an update on Thursday. But the troubling part of this is the coaches and medical staff still can't pinpoint what's causing the intermittent hip injury. What I think Marcus Freeman will do is settle on Plan B and flex it Saturday, whether Burnette is ready or not, just to get that guy ready and comfortable kicking in the big moments. That'll be either Erik Schmidt or Marcello Diomede.

12:28

Scott!!!!!! Really great to hear the lightning-delay green beans were a hit with the fettucine alfredo if I remember that right. And thank your family for thinking of the subscription for your Bday. Happy Birthday. Those people born in October are special. ... To your questions ... NC State is one of 11 teams ND plays in the regular season that's ranked in the top half of the FBS in total offense (Stanford is the outlier), and one of seven ranked 31st or higher. So the good news is we will be able to tell if the improvement is real week after week AND it gets them ready for good offense they'd see in the playoff. And I do think the improvement is real, but it needs to keep coming. Plugging Leonard Moore back in is huge. (more)

Scott, Greenville SC

12:21

Eric!!!! Thanks for the culinary advice last week! Great food and great fun with the family. Culimated by watching NDs defense take another step forward. Do you see the defense continuing to move forward against NC State? Equally important, how do you see the kicking game performing on Saturday? My hope is the offense looks more like they did against Arkansas or Purdue and won't need the field goals. But they may need it against USC. Can you give the status of Burnette? Finally, celebrated my 65th over the weekend. My family got me the subscription to Blue and Gold and I read it everyday. Great insight from some exceptional writers. All the best from sunny South Carolina Eric!

Eric Hansen

12:21

Finally, Drayk Bowen. He looked like an All-American at times late last season, especially against Ohio State in the title game. He has struggled in this new scheme, but seemed to break through a bit against Boise State. If that upward trend continues, the Irish defensive surge will be for real and sustainable.

12:20

On of my favorite players on the roster in terms of watching him grow into his potential. Starting nickel DeVonta Smith (calf) is out this week and missed virtually the entire Boise State game. Even if/when he returns, Golden will have to play and play well in a rotation. And given the run of elite pass offenses and slot receivers coming at ND in the coming weeks, including and especially USC's, Golden will have to minimize the growing pains. He has the athletic ability, smarts and work ethic to pull that off. (more)

12:17

Next up is Aamil Wagner. The offensive line has made some significant strides since the first couple of games, but Wagner is lagging at more than 30 points below is film grades from last season. This is a guy who garnered some preseason All-America mention. He needs to take the step up to that level. He has it in him. Next is Bryce Young. You could do an either/or here with Jorden Botelho. Both have played well opposite Boubacar Traore against the run, but there's a lot more out there for them when it comes to pass rush. ND needs a burst from the right side. Next up is freshman nickel Dallas Golden. (more)

12:14

MikeD!!!!!!!! Coming in hot with the punctuation and a really fun question to start with. Here are my five players who need to show significant improvement over the next several games for Notre Dame to make the playoff AND make noise if/when the Irish get there!!! The first one is just shaking the rust and that's Cooper Flanagan. He is listed as No. 5 on our extended depth chart this week, but when he's healthy, he'll be No. 2. And he's Notre Dame's best blocking tight end. He was listed as questionable on Monday, which is an upgrade, and has recently resumed practicing. He gives the offense potentially a whole 'nother gear on short-yardage, goal line, even if you just want to power/bully in the run game and bleed clock. (more)

MikeD from Rochester NY

12:09

Hi, Eric!!!!!! I was sorry to hear Bob Morton had to step away from his analysis activities with you, Tyler, and the rest of the blue and gold gang. Hopefully he’ll be allowed to be a guest occasionally. My question, who are the five players who need to show significant improvement over the next several games for the Irish to make the playoffs?

Eric Hansen

12:07

Off we go ...

The no drinking applies only to me. The no fighting to everyone. Everything else is rolled back this week.

Here are our original rules:

12:06

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