JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 9, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Oct. 9, 2024

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Eric Hansen

1:41

Well thanks for taking all that in, Richie. I appreciate that. I think your eye test is pretty accurate. And I'm not going to use NIL money as part of my calculus, if that's OK with you. But none of them have played up to All-America consideration yet, which was the standard for at least the two interior guys and the hope for Oben on the edge, or something approaching that. ... BUT, let's look at each individually. Oben's progress has been flat all season and now freshman Bryce Young is surging. Oben's film grade from Pro Football Focus against Louisville was his worst of the season. (more)

Richie D. Melbourne Fl

1:32

Eric, Love all that you bring us especially the "spoken" words on FNS and with Darrin on WSBT...I need an EH deep dive on Oben, Mills, and Cross...I feel like the eye test says we're not getting our NIL worth from these guys. How is Pff, TFL, Sacks, hurries,etc.?? Nationally..or versus last year....Maybe too deep for a chat but they seem to be coming up short.Thanks as always

Eric Hansen

1:32

I think when the other running backs are handling things with him out, you can make those choices. He was given the opportunity to redeem himself since then and has. I think that's fair.

Lorne

1:31

Lorne from Reno. Thanks as always for the chats. I understand the thinking behind benching Price after his fumble against Louisville, but thought keeping him out for the rest of the game was excessive. Your thoughts?

Eric Hansen

OK, moving right along ...

1:30

By the way, Bob Morton is our podcast guest this week, and that'll drop Thursday, so you can get your fix then. .... Tyler, I think, is 6-4. ... and if you have kids of your own, your beard will soon be white.

Chris (son-of-Dad) from Bloomingdale, IL

1:30

Oops, pressed the wrong button. Forgot some of these!!!!! And some

Eric Hansen

1:28

Yes, the YouTube Show Into The eNDzone with former Irish offensive lineman Bob Morton is only after games played away from Notre Dame Stadium. So the next two are after Georgia Tech (Oct. 19) and Navy (Oct. 26), and we have two in November. And they were well-received. There are several factors in just doing away games, and two of them were home games and the timing of the press conferences just didn't allow for it, and Bob sometimes has commitments right after home games, so we're all about the road games. (more)

LOL, I will try to answer these.

1:25

OK, maybe suspending the "no drinking" rule for two weeks in a row wasn't such a great idea after all.

Chris (son-of-Dad) from Bloomingdale, IL

1:24

Hi Pops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just wanted to check in with you and let you know I am fine. I am sure you and Mom were terribly worried about me since we haven't chatted for awhile. What's the deal with "Dad and Uncle Bob's High-flying, Death-Defying, Spook-tacular, Musical Jamboree, showtime at the apollo, late night, variety, happy fun-time hour extravaganza with Bob and Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" aka into The eNDzone?
It seems to be on only after away games. What's up with that?????? Also in light of my newfound discovery that Tyler Mom is also a Chicago Bears fan (I assume I inherited that from him), are there any other mental illnesses, or history of diabetes, heart disease etc...that I should know about on either side of the family? Also, Also, how tall is Mom Tyler? He seems a lot taller than he looks when he is sitting down. Hopefully I also inherited some height from him and can expect my post mid-life growth spurt anytime now. I think I mostly inherited my beard from you (not the white part though).

Eric Hansen

1:24

Hi Shane. even with the upsets it's hard to see a scenario in which a 10-2 Irish team makes the playoff, given the lack of octane now that wins over Florida State and to some extent USC might have given them in November.

Shane from White Deer, Texas

1:22

Hey Eric. Quick question. Do you think after this past weekend there could be a scenario where Notre Dame could make the playoffs at 10-2, or will the NIU game haunt them for the rest of the season and 11-1 has to be the floor? 11-1 is doable, but I sure would love a cushion. Thanks for the chats. Go Irish!!

Eric Hansen

1:21

As far as Stanford, the Cardinal is much better when Ashton Daniels is at QB over Justin Lamson, even though Daniel threw a bunch of interceptions against Syracuse and Clemson. His dual threat is real. Stanford has been stout against the run -- 12th nationally -- and has had some big plays in the pass game, though sporadic, will Elic Ayomanor a deep threat.

1:17

Notre Dame does have a lousing third down rate (102nd), and Mike Denbrock and Marcus Freeman were both asked about it, and a big part of the solution is being better on first and second downs, so you're not facing so many 3rd-and-9s. And more Love on third down isn't a silly idea. He is not as good in pass pro, but he is really good at a lot of other things on third down. I do think Aneyas Williams is proving to be a step up from some other options, though. (more)

1:14

Hi Marie. I am having a great but busy week. Women's basketball duties are double-teaming me this week, but they're fun to cover too. ... Marie, I am probably not caffeinated enough to understand your first question. Doesn't every team want to rush the opposing team's QB? The question is how successful are they when they do? Here are the national rankings for ND's future opponents out of 133 FBS teams in terms of how successful they are in getting sacks. Stanford is 98th, Ga Tech 116th, Navy 49th, Fla St 18th (but bad everywhere else on D), Va 59th, Army 106th, USC 108th. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

1:09

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. Only one more week until the Georgia Tech game and I know we all hope you will be in Atlanta. In the meantime, the following teams left on the schedule are clearly going to know to rush the quarterback against Notre Dame. What over the last two weeks do you think Mike Denrock has done/implemented to counter this? Also, I saw that Notre Dame has one of the lowest third down conversion rates in the country. What do you think they need to do to fix that problem? Do you think Jeremiah Love needs to be in more on third down? Finally, what are one or two areas where Stanford could give the Irish some trouble this week? As always, thanks for all your great insights. Look forward to seeing you down south next week.

Eric Hansen

1:08

Hey Mike/Mo. Lots of candidates on both sides and for different circumstances. But off the top of my head, I'll go with Pat Coogan at center on offense and Drayk Bowen at linebacker on defense.

Mike (aka Mo) from Maumee OH

1:06

Hey Eric! Who would you consider the most improved player from the first game to the last game on each side of the ball? I'll give you my extra-credit suggestion for special teams- James Rendell, who after switching to American-style punting after the first few games, has boomed the ones he's supposed to, and has dropped the ones inside the 20 that he's supposed to.

Eric Hansen

1:05

Joe, all three of those guys are coaches I think highly of, so I'm not going to disparage any of them to make an argument on Marcus' behalf. I'm curious why you would say that. Notre Dame is the highest ranked of those teams. Marcus is 23-9 and beat Elko head to head twice. Elko is 21-10. Clark is 12-29. Mike is 47 and Clark is 42, so they've been coaching longer. I think it's fair to wonder, but I'm not sure what prompted your wondering.

Guest

1:00

Joe H from Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric thanks again for keeping us engaged during the bye week. I think we can all agree that the bye week was great for the Irish with all the upsets but seeing what Vanderbilt and Texas A&M did I have to wonder did Notre Dame hire the right former assistant coach.Love so many things that Coach Freeman brings to the school but really am starting to wonder if we wouldn’t have been better off hiring Clark Lea or Mike Elco

Eric Hansen

12:59

Denny, not without some digging that I can't do without pausing the chat for hours. And even then, you need context. And I'm sure Notre Dame is doing this themselves. When I say context, not everyone is equally injury-prone. Some are contact injuries and some are non-contact injuries. Notre Dame invests a lot in recovery, a lot in sports science, a lot in injury prevention. It is in their best interest to get to the bottom of these things. But we've seen injuries across college football and to some headline players and to former ND players at other schools. Tobias Merriweather hasn't played a down for Cal yet. Logan Diggs has offseason knee surgery and hasn't played a down for Ole Miss yet. I know you want answers, but I don't think numbers will tell you the whole story.

Denny from Beaverton

12:54

Hi Eric; Your recent article on injuries was food for thought. I remember asking a question about the new Strength and Conditioning coach in August and you mentioned he was receiving high marks from most everyone and Coach Freeman seemed to back that feeling up by noting the reduction in concussions and other injuries as a result of how they practice. Now the recent injuries particularly to Traore and Botelho, who were dynamic players at the same position, really seems to focus the question of training on injuries. I wonder if a direct connection can even be made. Perhaps these injuries to these two players were just unfortunate and unusual at the same position. I don't know where the responsibility lies , if anywhere. Coach Freemen believes they have taken steps to effectively limit this problem but will continue to evaluate. I wonder how this year's injury rates compare to ND teams over the past ten years. Are there statistics out there that compare the rate of significant injuries for all teams?

Eric Hansen

12:54

LOL Scott. I think we better stick to Eric, and thanks for the compliments on Football Never Sleeps. The guy who wrote and sings the theme music is coming to the ND game this weekend, by the way. ... I think run defense and the offensive line are huge factors in GETTING INTO the playoff. But Riley Leonard will have to be playing at the level that Mike Denbrock envisions for him the Irish to make some noise in the playoff. ... Shoes off today is all good.

Scott, Greenville, SC

12:50

Eric, or should we call "DJ LLCool E at the ND"? Great FNS with Tyler on Monday. Love that opportunity to hear you share thoughts and information. Speaking of that, could you share your thoughts on both offensive and defensive lines going forward? While I am concerned with RL, I really think 11-1 happens if both lines can gel better; stop the run, help RL have a little time to throw, and open lanes for the RBs to run for more than a couple yards on 1st and 2nd down. 3rd down is killing us. Sorry, but shoes are off and it's 5 O'clock Somewhere.

Eric Hansen

12:49

Dave, I was watching YouTube videos of the hurricane this morning and feeling for those in the storm's path. I hope you are safe. .... I'd agree to some extent on those RBs needing more touches, but some of that is based on reads of the defense and weather to give or pull. The fact that ND A) need to evolve its passing game, B) is averaging 6.18 yards per rush and the QB is exceeding that makes me see this as more of a First World problem. If A comes to fruition and B stays the course, then ND will be in the playoff and this won't be an issue.

Dave, Ponte Vedra, FL

12:45

Good afternoon, Eric. If we don’t lose power here, I’ll look forward to your answer. Am I the only one who thinks we have have severely underutilized Love and Price? I know Leonard runs well, but we have two horses who aren’t seeing the ball often enough.

Eric Hansen

12:44

I absolutely agree with you about the tight end blocking, both pass protection and run blocking. It's been subpar so far this year. Look for Mitchell Evans to make a jump in that area post-bye week and the others to follow. It's not like those guys haven't been good blockers in the past.

12:41

Len!!!!!!!! You are giving Manny a run for his money with the exclamation points ... and good questions too. The answer to your first question is no for the early part of the season and theoretically less so toward the end of the season. What changes? Presumably the offensive line gets better as the season goes along and the passing game evolves as the season goes along. As those two things improve, there's not as much need for RL to run to unload the box on defense. But why would you not want him to run at least some? He's averaging 6.3 yards a carry, and that's with sack yardage added in? Remember, Leonard didn't get hurt last year running the ball. He got hurt on a sack. Same thing with the NIU game this year. (he got rid of the ball before he got sacked against the Huskies). (more)

Len from the Jersey Shore

12:37

Hello Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My biggest disappointment this season was ND not being ready to play NIU, and the second qtr. on lack of running plays for the QB. Can ND win without running the QB a lot? Can Riley Leonard"s body hold up to the pounding? My second biggest disappointment has been Tight End blocking. Although good at times it has been sporadic. Do you agree TE blocking needs to improve drastically?

Eric Hansen

12:36

Manny!!!!!!!!! Yes I am ready too! I'd say the stress points with injuries at this point are vyper end, cornerback and offensive tackle.

Manny from San Pedro

Eric!!!!! With so many injuries. Where can we least afford another injury. DL? OL?

12:35

Eric!!!!!! Ready to get into Stanford week!

Eric Hansen

12:35

But I do need to point out that Jeremiyah Love is averaging 6.5 yards a carry this season and Jadarian Price is averaging 7.3, and ND, as a team, is sixth nationally in yards per carry at 6.18.

12:33

Hi Jim. I will give you an oversimplified version of the answer, so I don't put everyone to sleep with all the ifs, and or buts. Defenses like to bring a safety into the box, meaning the defense now has more defenders than you can block as an offense. There are some different way to unload the box, and one is the things you can do with a QB who is a better-than-average runner. You're basically doing RPOs or basing those runs on reads, and if evens back the numbers in the box, because now you have to account for the QB as a runner. So even in those circumstances, defenses will stack their defenses to stop the traditional running game and take their chances with the QB at times. (more)

Jim from Va.

12:27

Eric thank you for everything you do for the Irish community. I need you to explain something. For the life of me I can’t understand if a team can run and block for the qb, how can that same line, and not be able to open a hole for price and or love on a more consistent basis? I know sometime the back blocks for RL but darn help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen

12:26

Hi Patrick, interesting way to phrase that ... because if you had just said which three are the three best, that's different than the three toughest to beat, because of matchups, sequence, timing, home/road etc. I'm still going to put USC in LA with everything that could be at stake at No. 1, with Navy No. 2 and Georgia Tech No. 3.

Patrick from Los Angeles

12:24

Looking down the road, it appears as though both Army and Navy will be challenging outs. It was somewhat surprising to see that USC's lines are average, at best. At this juncture, which three future opponents do you believe will be the toughest to beat. Thank you.

Eric Hansen

12:24

Now Denbrock wasn't here when Coan was playing, but the vibe is kind of similar, when I think back to 2021, that there seemed to be optimism about a step up in play, and it indeed happened. We'll soon see if that follows with Leonard. ... As far as the NFL stuff, he was on their radar going into last season. Joe Theismann had some interesting thoughts about Riley Leonard's present AND future on our most recent podcast. Give it a listen, if you haven't already. He came up with a current NFL comp, and it wasn't Tebow. ... And he does not have a year of college eligibility left after this one, so he cannot come back.

12:19

And this ...

Q: Why do you think Riley Leonard has a chance to take a significant step in improvement?

“Because of what I've seen him do out there on the practice field. I mean, it's got to start there. It's got to start somewhere. And that's been as good as I've seen. Last week and the week before, the way he practiced and threw the ball with confidence and the way people kind of like went, ‘Wow, that's a dude.’ You know what I mean? That whole aura that's surrounding him right now is really positive, and I think everybody's kind of feeding off that.” (more)

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