JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 1, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 1, 2021

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Len from the Jersey Shore

1:13

Hello Eric and thank you for hosting! It's game week. I am so excited. The first game of any season always has intrigue. Is Cain Madden ready for the step up in competition? Will Kevin Autin specifically and the entire receiver core perform above expectations? Will the CB's improve? My ?'s are; Red Zone - I still see three tight ends inside the 15. All three tight ends create match up issues. I believe Coan will use these mismatches with accuarte short passes. ND will also run from this 3 tight end formation. From the 15 to the 40 ND will attack the end zone with wide receivers and tight end seam routes, should the outside receivers be doubled. They will add a mix of screens to the talented backs. What do you see? Second question, how will marcus Freeman make adjsutments from the sideline. Last guy I remember on the sideline was Van Gorder. The sideline is a great place to read the players and interact with them. It is a horrible place to see the action unfold. Who is DC eyes in the sky?

Eric Hansen

1:12

Josh Lugg is set to start at right tackle. I will repeat my score prediction: ND 27-13.

Ryan mars pa

1:12

Eric is lugg back i got the Irish winning 35-31 can you give me a score prediction for you

Eric Hansen

1:12

Those are my only two choices, Ken? This year or three/four years? I think the 2022 team is going to be loaded, but so is the schedule (Ohio State AND Clemson) . And the way recruiting is going, the 2023 and '24 teams may be special. I don't think you can look at this 2021 ND team and think "national contender" without emptying the liquor cabinet. But I do think it's a team that has the potential to grow into more than how it's starting the season.

Ken- Pensacola

1:08

Eric - Is this the year that we play for a National Championship or do we have to wait another 3 or 4 more years? Thanks mucho - & Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:07

Hi Ray, the scheme is different, and Marcus Freeman's uses a lot more pre-snap movement, more stunts, more blitzes. And so you're likely to see pressures spread out over the entire front seven. In terms of pure pass-rushers, don't count out Jordan Botelho or a slimmed-down Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa at his new position. I doubt we see him much Sunday, but I like freshman Kahanu Kia as a niche edge player. ND's also going to get some push up the middle from Jayson Ademilola, Hinish, Lacey, Cross, etc. ... And you're right about ND facing a lot of very good QBs this year.

Ray from Chicago

1:04

Besides Foskey and maybe Mills who else do you as potential pass rushers? I think the defensive line will be strong against the run but I am concerned we will not have all the same rush ends as we have seen the past few years and ND will be facing some very good quarterbacks this year.

Eric Hansen

1:03

Ced, that's not even a rhetorical question. It reads like a directive to me. Since you included your name and hometown and it's not a manifesto, I'll take it.

cederickwalker

1:02

ced walker saginaw michigan run the ball make plays in passing game dominate both lines stop the run create turnovers nd 27 fsu 17 go irish

Eric Hansen

1:01

With Marist Liufau out for the season with a broken/dislocated right ankle, Shayne Simon has another chance to expand his role. Previously his was inside linebacker No. 5 in a five-man rotation. The talent is there, but it's been there. Maybe a little success will light a fire? We'll see.

Ed Sayville NY

12:58

Hi Eric, and glad the season is about to start. It sure is special to have the local kid calling the signals! My question is do you think Shane Simon could come through as Asmar Bilal did a couple of seasons back? It sure would be welcome news.

Eric Hansen

12:58

Hi Marie. Florida State's wild card is adding those 13 transfers to a team that already has a lot coming back. I'm not sure there's a positional mismatch anywhere on the field, but I also have a hard to identifying an area where Florida State has an advantage. On your 1 to 10 scale, I'll go with a 7 confidence. I do think ND has the personnel to stretch the field and open up the offense. I'm not sure we'll see all of that in a road opener. I think Notre Dame's defensive line will be the best position group for either team on the field.

Marie from Atlanta

12:51

Hi Eric, It's game Week!!!!! In which areas do you most expect ND to dominate FSU, and what are your concerns about ND in this game? On a scale of 1 to 10 what is your confidence level in the O line with regards to both pass blocking and run blocking. Do you think opening up the offense which we are hoping to see, will help the run blocking/running game as teams won't be able to just load the box like they did a lot last year? Thanks for the great insights. If you are headed to Tallahassee have a great time.

Eric Hansen

12:50

KJ thanks for the kind words and for the geography lesson. On our podcast Tuesday, I made my score prediction of ND 27, FSU 13. I think the game will be close through the first half. I'm not sure I know that Coan is what we thought he was, but Brian Kelly — who's seen more of him — sure does. So does Kyle Hamilton, who last night compared Jack to Mac Jones. I remember seeing Coan a couple of times playing for Wisconsin and thinking he played better than I had expected in those games. I think I have a sense of how he'll play Sunday night. Just not sure what his ceiling looks like.

KJ from near the Channel Isles

12:47

Hi Eric. Checking back with you as suggested a few weeks ago. After what you've seen so far, still believe the Irish shouldn't have much of a problem with FSU? Coan is what we thought he was? Also, I'm not in the Pacific, but close. Very close actually to Devin Aupiu country. Sorry he left the Irish, but not too surprised. His return to UCLA sounds like some home sickness involved. Love your work. And thanks!

Eric Hansen

12:46

I watched him quite a bit during the practice windows the media was allowed in. I was impressed, really impressed. So it's too early to predict how his career will end up, but he's as good a true freshman offensive tackle as I can remember seeing in my career.

12:44

Jeff, I think those are all interesting scenarios, and maybe in certain situations and in certain games they might make sense, but you also don't want to limit your offense by compensating so much ... especially if it isn't necessary.
Let me preface this by saying Blake Fisher will have "welcome to college moments." I also think he will learn from them and not make the same mistakes over and over.
Having said that, he beat out a lot of really talented players, all of whom had more experience, to EARN his starting status. He's not a default option. (more)

Jeff from Phoenix

12:35

Hey Eric, I'm very excited to see the talent of freshman left tackle Blake Fisher on Sunday, but I do have some anxiety about his lack of experience. With any new assignment in life or football, early success usually builds confidence. To insure success for Fisher vs FSU and early games, do you think Rees might add protection on the left side with the tight end or by having K Williams line up to the left of Coan to pick up rushers that try to overload Fisher on pass plays? Or will Coan throw more quick/short passes? Or? Thanks and Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

12:34

Hi Lorne, I'll address this in a little more depth Thursday in a notebook story I'm doing. Because the team has such a high vaccination rate and the campus does as well (over 93%), the players/coaches are not masking or social distancing in practice for example or when dealing with the media. The media were required to be vaccinated to do in-person interviews. So when we interview Kelly or the players, it's got a 2019 vibe to it. Vaccinated players can still get the virus, but it's far less likely and isolation/quarantine rules are different for them. Now, when ND goes on road trips, most players will still have single rooms, the team will arrive late and go home promptly, etc. So away from campus there are more precautions and protocols.

Lorne

12:21

Lorne from Reno, Nevada, downwind from the Caldor Fire (pray for Lake Tahoe). I'd like to believe that we'll have a somewhat normal season, but with the Delta variant spreading among vaccinated people, it seems likely that either the Irish or an opponent will lose a number of players for a game. Are the Irish still masking and/or social distancing to try to avoid contracting COVID? Are they doing anything to stop an outbreak from infecting a large number of players?

Eric Hansen

12:21

Hi Travis. I find it refreshing, actually. It builds trust between the media and the coach when you get an accurate picture. If I understand your question correctly, there's a difference in how you'd write about a pro player who might be struggling and a college kid in the same situation. The rules for me are be fair an accurate. That's how I would want to be treated. As college players, there's no expectation on my part that these are finished products from a football or maturity standpoint. Some of the best storylines can be teaching points or examples for young players in high school or the youth ranks -- how you overcome adversity, etc. I think most players understand those dynamics.

Travis from Newport

12:16

Hey Eric, more of a journalism question I guess. I've noticed how honest and blunt Brian Kelly can be talking about players sometimes. He often discusses progressions and sometimes regressions. Does his bluntness ever present difficulties for you as a journalist when writing about certain players. I would imagine it can be difficult at times making sure you use the right wording as he has a relationship with the players to say the things he does that others don't.

Eric Hansen

12:15

Hi Cliff and thanks for the compliment. Jack Coan is a difficult comparison when considering other Kelly Era quarterbacks ... or even the Weis/Willingham/Davie guys. If we're taking planned QB runs out of that equation, Ian Book is probably the best match. Coan's taller than Book, seems more willing to stretch the field. Doesn't have the arm strength of say a Kizer or even Everett Golson. There's some Tommy Rees qualities, but still not a good comparison. Probably the guy he's most similar to is the 2022 ND recruit Steve Angeli.

Cliff from Battle Creek

12:06

Hi Eric, it is great to be back into football season! In terms of quality and efficiency of play where do you Coan coming in at compared to NDs last few starters. I know that they're all different in the way they get there but what's your sense of him in this offense? Thanks and love your work!

Eric Hansen

Off we go.

Please limit the amount of math I'd be required to do.

12:06

Here are the rules.