JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 10, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 10, 2025

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Eric Hansen

1:56

Hi Mark. You mean, old one-and-done Mike Elko? LOL I hope he doesn't call me one-and-done or Rockne's favorite beat writer to work with. ... Yeah it really is a must game. Probably both from a reality and a perceptual standpoint. There is a narrow pathway for a 10-2 team on a 10-game win streak to get into the CFP field, but you are depending on so many outside variables you have no control over. Win Saturday night, and you remain in control of your destiny. Manny is the exclamation point OG, no doubt. But there are a lot of chat-heads that have punctuation "game."

Mark Golden Valley, MN

1:52

Hi Eric: Since I go way back to the South Bend Tribune following you, I am wondering for old times sake, if you could refer to Mike Elko one more time as "One and done former ND Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko." Not saying this will help us win, but still, it might help. On a serious note, one has the feeling that this week is a must win game for the Irish to remain viable in the National Championship conversation. Very curious to your thoughts if there is a legitimate path for the Irish do if they do not prevail Saturday night? Go Irish!!!!!! Finally, since following you this long I feel we should nominate Manny as the King of the Exclamation point! He has the most experience and has put the time in for ND readers.

Eric Hansen

1:51

Hi Tom. Thanks for the good thoughts. And it's OK to take a bye week yourself. Glad you're back. I think the dynamic you laid out could happen. I know this is a talented team and you've got a coach that knows it and I think will maximize it. Football -- and life -- is about adjustments. Marcus Freeman is a good role model for both of those. And think about it this way, last year Ohio State lost to a middling Michigan team in late November. I had friends who were so pissed off, they gave away their basketball tickets for some reason and refused to attend a single playoff game. And yet what happened in the playoff? Now if ND came out uninspired this week, they you could fire uo the torches and pitchforks. Just hopefully not on my porch. I appreciate you Tom and understand where you're coming from.

Tom from Toronto

1:45

Hi Eric, I hope that you and your family are doing well. I thought it good to not take part in last week’s chat. Better to let things settle for a week and not start bitching and moaning right away. Having said that, watching the Miami game made me feel that we had been sold a bill of goods. The team did not play well on either side of the ball and did not live up to the expectations. Nor did the coaches. With more time to consider things, that game may have been a blessing in disguise – think Northern Illinois. Once ND lost that game, every game after that became a “must win” game and the team rose to the occasion each time and made the playoffs. Do you think that this team can do the same thing, and why or why not? Thank you for your excellent work and great insights.

Eric Hansen

1:44

Marie, that may be the shortest multipart question from you ever LOL. But thank you, Busy week, which is good. To question one, they almost did last game, but losing the LOS and losing the turnover battle is too much to overcome this week I would think. I would call the offensive changes growth. And I think this week you'll see more expansive running and passing concepts, so more variety, more dynamic in its impact on the game. Defense, I could see ND simplifying things to get players playing fast. I'm really curious about whether ND will go with a spy concept on third down. Very curious about blitzing. But playing with a strong understanding of what's being asked of the players is where it starts.

Marie from Atlanta

1:40

Hey Eric, I hope you’re having a fantastic week. What are the key matchups both offensively and defensively for the game this weekend? Is there any way you see Notre Dame winning this game if they don’t win the battle at the line of scrimmage? Can you predict one or more changes that we will see on offense and defense from the Miami game? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and all the great insights.

Eric Hansen

1:40

Tom, keep in mind when you're putting together a game plan, you're looking to create mismatches and take advantage of weakness AND putting the defensive coordinator and the defense in a run/pass dilemmas as much as possible. So, what each team is trying to exploit isn't always symmetrical and quite often isn't at all, if that makes sense. That doesn't mean those aren't really good concepts to consider. And I do think as Carr gets a better command of the offense, we'll see more variety in the passing game, starting with this week (incrementally).

Tom in Evanston

1:37

Hi Eric. First question in a while. ND struggles defending short passes in which the receiver gets the ball in stride, e.g., slants. But ND seldom seems to throw these types of passes. I get that they can be riskier, especially slants, but it would be nice to see an ND receiver moving when he catches the ball, rather than standing still. Do you think these types of passes will get worked in as Carr matures?

Eric Hansen

1:35

Hey Ryan. I picked Notre Dame 30-20, but had to make that pick before they played Miami, but I will stick with it. Running the ball and stopping the run will be key components for the Irish to come away with a win on Saturday night.

Ryan Frankfort Illinois

1:34

Good afternoon Eric What is the key to beating Texas A&M i think the key Is Running the ball with Love and Price My score prediction is Going to be 35-17 Irish Or something like that GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈

Eric Hansen

1:34

Mark, thank you. No one jumps to mind. No one on last year's schedule. Maybe Haynes King, but he's so much bigger physically than Reed, Someone from past ND teams, maybe Malik Zaire (except right-handed). He has a lot of planned runs but it very dangerous in his ad-libs. He is not only the Aggies' leading rusher, he leads them in attempts. On paper, I think both offensive lines have the advantage this week. On paper. Biggest jump from week 1 to 2 ... O-line Aamil Wagner. D-line Bryce Young.

Guest

1:25

Mark Czar Grand Rapids Michigan. Is there QB Marcel Reed reminds you of? Do the Aggies rely on called QB runs or does Reed’s dual threat mainly come from scramble yardage on called pass plays? On paper does ND have the advantage in the trenches on offense and defense? What offensive and defensive lineman makes biggest step up from game 1 to 2? Thanks for taking my questions. You are the best Eric.

Eric Hansen

1:24

2) Texas A&M's offensive line is very good and very experienced. I'd expect more pass rush from Bryce Young, but I think ND will have to get some of its linebackers involved as well. 3) I do think this team has fire, and it will show itself on Saturday night. Thanks again for the compliments!

1:22

Hi Tom. Looking forward to your scouting report on future Notre Dame quarterback Teddy Jarrard. To your questions ... Primetime big games this year? No. Last year? Almost weekly. As to the size of the A&M fan contingent, I'm not sure this is a bucket list item the way it was for Georgia, Nebraska, etc. And it's more difficult for visiting fan bases to get their hands on ND's allotment in the digital ticket era. I wouldn't think it would be more than 20 percent. I was talking to an A&M reporter about that just last night. (more)

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

1:13

Hi Eric, hope you are well and ready for a BIG game Saturday night. I will try not to approach the question limit: Has the A&M QB played in a big prime time game before Saturday?? A&M fans travel very well. What do expect the stadium fan breakdown to be?? 15%? 20? for A&M? I think we were all surprised at the lack of edge pressure other than Traore. What should we expect against A&M from the other edge rushers?? Finally, who will we see from ND Saturday: the aggressive team from last year or the team from last week?? As always thanks for all your great intel. We don't need to know who your "sources" are just that you must have the trust of some very good people to keep us fans ahead of the game. Go Irish!!!!!!

Eric Hansen

1:12

Len from the Jersey Shore brought that up earlier, and I don't dislike the notion in certain packages and situations, but I'd also like to see the actual tight ends play more. And I do anticipate that this week.

Shamrock Sushi

1:10

(Tokyo) considering how thin TE depth is, wouldn’t it be better to use a 6th offensive lineman (e.g., Will Black, Sullivan Absher) in a 12-personnel package?

Eric Hansen

1:10

Thanks Chuck. It is a big week for the team, no doubt, To your questions ... 1) Billy Schrauth, to me, is the butt-kicker on the O-line. D-Line, I'd go with a fully healthy Jorden Botelho, but will take Boubacar Traore in that role. Talked to him last night. He seems up to the task. They need someone in the interior besides Jared Dawson to take on that persona, and I think it could be Jason Onye. 2) I think you have to blitz some, but you also have to disguise that well and drop into coverage. For a guy who started roughly half the season in 2024, Reed is still relatively inexperienced and you have to try to rattle and confuse him, because lack of talent is not his problem. Thanks for the hype. Love it.

Chuck from THE LAND

1:05

Eric, thanks for being the voice of reason and calming much of the overreaction and frustration. Irish played badly complimentarily and still had a chance to win in a raucous place. Season defining week and I have 2 questions: 1) Since both lines were bullied and looked soft and confused, which Player on the O-Line and D-Line will set the tone for nastiness? ( Cross, Mills, Coogan, Spindler are gone) 2) Running QB this week so is it prudent to dial up blitzes or play reactive, which IMHO, ND did all game at Miami due to lack of interior push? Again, I LOVE reading yours and Tyler's articles in BGI, keep up the fine work.

Eric Hansen

1:04

Steve Angeli, last year's No. 2, didn't get his first snap of the season until game 3 vs. Purdue. And that may very well be the case with Minchey. Minchey and Carr only played against Purdue as Nos. 3 and 4, and only four snaps each. For the season Angeli had 103 snaps over 16 games, so an average of 6.5 a game. Roughly a quarter of his snaps for the season came in tha t 66-7 win over Purdue. He only had one other game with more than 10 -- 21 vs. Stanford and played only 11 in the four playoff games. But the nine against Penn State were critical to ND's success and an example of what a good backup does.

1:00

Hi Denis. Actually, the situation was more similar to last year than maybe we realize off the top of our heads. Riley Leonard was in a new system. He had missed almost all of spring practice, so he had a short runway. He also was learning to play QB in a much different way, so he really needed the reps. As a coach, you need to have both things in mind .. long-term development but winning for now. And winning this season takes precedence. Keeping No. 2 happy can't be a priority. It can be a byproduct, especially if he's competitive and ready, which I think Kenny Minchey is. (more)

Denis from Niagara Falls, Canada

12:51

Hi Eric. I was wondering about the qb1 vs. qb2 dynamics. With Leonard last year, in a runaway game, he would come out sooner rather than later, to give qb2 much needed reps. This year qb1 needs all the reps he can get but qb2 needs something. I suppose there is no blueprint for this since each year would present a different scenario. How do you think the staff will handle that this year? How mindful do they have to be of keeping qb2 somewhat satisfied? But still develop Carr. What is the plan according to Eric and Freeman? Thanks kindly.

Eric Hansen

12:51

Yes Notre Dame could use someone like Will Black as a TE in a jumbo package, so maybe ... I think ND is committed to playing well in zone or man, so I think the degree that you'll see zone over man this weekend hinges on how A&M quarterback Marcel Reed handles is. Does it confuse him? Will he be able to ID it at the line of scrimmage. Sixth-year Miami QB Carson Beck had no such issues.

“They're improving. We just, last game, we didn't feel like that was what we wanted to do to attack their defense. We have a lot of confidence in the tight ends room, and those guys are getting better. If it calls for playing more this week, they will.”

12:48

Len!!!!!! Beyond starter Eli Raridon, the rest of the tight end corps was credited as having played one offensive snap (Ty Washington) by the Pro Football Focus film review, and 0 by the Notre Dame stat crew. Either way, with Texas A&M not lighting the world on fire either against the run or the pass to this point, it would seem like more multiple tight end sets would be in order. Here's what Marcus Freeman had to say about it when asked on Monday ... (more)

Len from the Jersey Shore

12:44

Hello Eric!!!!!!!!!!Notre Dame has used Tight Ends in their run blocking schemes and not a spread offense. What do you expect for this week given the TE situation? Linemen as TE's ala Joe Alt, running from a spread? For the defense how much zone passing defense will we see?

Eric Hansen

12:44

So Tyler James and I were introduced to a very nice young person who is a student at Notre Dame and who is covering the team this year. As I was being introduced the introducer was hesitating as to how long they wanted to say I had been covering the team, thinking that might hurt my feelings maybe (lol it does not). And I just blurted out that I had been coving the team since Knute Rockne was the coach. And then, in all seriousness, 4 minutes later I was asked what it was like covering Rockne... who's last season was 1930.

12:41

Hi Pete! Thanks for watching Football Never Sleeps with live or on the replay. I will answer the Rockne experience question at the end, because it kind of is a funny story. So let me get to your more-serious stuff. Mike Elko returning as a head coach ... is it unique. Let me answer that in the span of my career (1983-present) Chuck Martin of Miami (Ohio) comes to mind. I'll try to wipe away the cobwebs. If I think of another before the chat is over, I will add to this list. But Martin is the only one I can think of. ... as far as player vibe, there were four of them and they came off confident, defiant, and ready to rock. Thank you for the compliment. Now to the Rockne story. ... (more)

Pete from Erie, PA

12:35

Hellooo Eric! Game week again! Need to snap the 2 game L streak this time! I'm listening to the great FNS as I type this and you're answering my questions! I was going to ask about the bye and MiamiFL hangover, especially in light of Clemson' LSU hangover vs Troy, but y'all covered that! I'd like to hear more about your Rockne experiences :-) Former DC Mike Elko returning to ND Stadium as the HC on the other side is unique, no? Do you know the history of former coaches returning to do ND harm? I don't recall any. Did you get a vibe from the players yesterday? do they seem tight? I hope they're fired up because another L might be too much to overcome. Win in the trenches and let the Jere-Monster out of his cage! Thanks Eric! You're the best! Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

12:35

Hi Monty. It wasn't the weather that melted them. It was Miami's offensive and defensive lines. Credit where credit is due.

Monty, Great Falla, MT

12:34

Freeman talked about how the team was prepared for the heat and humidity in Miami- What happened?

Eric Hansen

12:34

Hi Norm. I assure you every defensive coordinator that draws a paycheck, and even those who volunteer as coaches as I did eons ago (youth football) emphasize tackling. My colleague, Jack Soble, pointed out the other day that Drayk Bowen had four missed tackles against Miami, yet had only five all of last SEASON. So it's more a confidence/hesitancy thing. The players need to be better, but Chris Ash needs to coach his scheme better and make the necessary small tweaks so they can play with confidence, competence and velocity.

Norm Temple Terrace FL

12:31

I saw lots of missed tackles and I don’t recall that from last season. Is this a Coach Ash shortfall or under emphasis?

Eric Hansen

12:30

Jack, wow thank you. I'm just happy I haven't broken my webcam yet. Very nice of her. I don't know that you need a gauntlet of tough games in November, but I do think you need at least one. And if USC goes away, I do think AD Pete Bevacqua is doing a good job of building a Plan B. The first couple of Clemson games in that soon-to-be annual series are in November ... and others could be too. There's sentiment about playing Miami and Florida State more regularly and perhaps that could replace the USC/Stanford rotation of that goes away. So I think it's a really good question, but there are options.

Jack, Strongsville, Oh

12:24

Hi Eric. Before I get to my question, my wife said you looked very debonair on FNS in your white shirt and gold tie! With the perceived emphasis on late season wins, how does Notre Dame beef up its November schedule. The Clemson series obviously helps but with the SEC and Big Ten going to 9 conference games each it leaves little left for ND. And the added factor that a lot of ND fans don't care to watch a game in Notre Dame Stadium in the middle of November on a Saturday night. Thanks as always for these weekly chats.

Eric Hansen

12:23

Eric, thank your parents for me for coming up with such a cool name. Tyler James reminded me during our podcast recording that Aneyas did have an elbow issue in August, though that injury did not show up on the availability report for either the Miami game of this week. We no longer get coordinators every week, but a rotation of coaches on Tuesday night, so Mike Mickens would not have been someone in position to bring clarity. Here's what I think. Jeremiyah Love's touches need to be the priority. But with Texas A&M struggling against the run to date, ND still has to mix things up, but I think all the RBs will get more touches ... both in the run game and passing game. But I can see why Aneyas is a favorite of yours. Bright present and even a brighter future next season.

Eric, Bristol

12:18

Eric, thank you for continuing to host these chats. One of my favorite players toward the end of last season was Aneyas Williams. His ability to run, catch passes out of the backfield, and block were great complements to the RB rotation during the playoff run, and he had some key plays in the championship game. Knowing that Denbrock is trying to get J. Love more touches in general, it seemed like the offensive game plan against Miami would've been well suited for Williams, and his ability to block would've been valuable in a game where the OL struggled with giving up pressure. Any insights into why Williams didn't get more snaps against Miami, and do you know if there are plans to incorporate more of Williams moving forward?

Eric Hansen

12:18

Hi John. I think you've asked me this before, ad I've responded positively and then had a brain cramp. It's a good idea that I will write down in my big black book. Maybe have Jeff and Tommy Z on together on a podcast might be fun. Thanks for the suggestion.

John Elkhorn, Ne.

12:17

Hey Eric - any plans in the near future to do a piece on Jeff Samardzija? Do you ever run into him at any ND events? One of my favorites along with Tommy Z.

Eric Hansen

12:16

Manny!!!!!!!&^^%%$!! More strong punctuation. ... I think ND is mad too, so things should be intense on Saturday night. I think Notre Dame will run the ball more often and more proficiently. It's been Texas A&M's weakness to this point -- the Aggies are 82nd nationally in run defense after playing UTSA and Utah State. I think some misdirection would work well mixed in. ND needs to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

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