JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 18, 2024

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 18, 2024

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Eric Hansen

3:16

OK, I'm out of time and due for my next assignment. Thanks for all the great questions. And there were some really good ones that I just didn't have time to get to. But we'll be back next week to do it all over again. At noon ET on Wednesday. Cheers.

3:15

Hi Tom. When you score the second-most points EVER in a road game in Notre Dame history and especially if you're not playing St. Viator or Chicago Physicians & Surgeons, you have to acknowledge some improvement. To your true or false questions. True on the first. True on No. 2. Consistency across the board but especially in run blocking on question 3. Prediction. Haven't formulated a score yet, but I think ND will win. And thanks for the kind words.

Tom F, Kennesaw, GA

3:11

Hi Eric. Hope that you are having a good week after the PU game. ND scored a lot of points and looked good in doing so, BUT Purdue looked terrible on defense. Poor angles to the runner, missed tackles and just an overall poor game. So my question to you is how much did ND really improve on offense?? It looks like Riley is more comfortable and a better passer on the run. True or False?? It looks like Evans is ready to contribute like the All-American that he is if we look for him more. T or F?? Finally, what improvement do you want to see this week from the O-line?? Prediction? As always, love all your work and Go Irish!!!

Eric Hansen

3:10

“I mean, I think he does have to, at times, feel the pocket and not necessarily see flashes of color outside him that forces him to not trust it anymore. That's come up during every one of the games so far, where he should slide into the pocket a little bit more than try to escape around it. But it's natural instincts we're working with, you know what I mean?”
Q: He generally gets away — that’s the issue, right?
“It doesn't help me when he makes plays when he gets out of the pocket, whether that's around it or up through it. But I think he's aware of that and working hard to do a better job of making sure that he doesn't cause pressure by the way he moves in the pocket.”

3:09

Patrick, I'm into overtime here. So let me be quick with this and give you Mike Denbrock's answer last night about Riley Leonard leaving the pocket, and how to get past that:

Patrick from Boulder

3:08

Hi Eric! Thanks as always for hosting these chats - they are a consistent highlight of my week!!!! Question about Riley Leonard's propensity to leave the pocket/stop looking downfield as receivers come open. Why do the coaches think that this will get better over time? Is that something that Leonard executes well in practice but hasn't consistently executed in the game, or is sitting in the pocket a fundamental change in how he plays the position that he's now having to learn? Also, what are we to take from Angeli's standing in and immediately connecting on passes that I don't believe we've seen from Leonard? Was the defense just playing Angeli differently, or were those throws that were there for Leonard if he'd stayed in the pocket but he weren't because he bails too early? Finally, of all the injuries from last weekend, it seems Botelho's may be the most impactful. Do you anticipate any drop off with Traore? Thanks for taking our questions and helping us process all that is ND football! Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

3:07

Hi Tom. As long as Jordan Faison doesn't have a setback physically, I think you'll see him a decent amount on Saturday. The redshirt rule the past couple of years was altered by a temporary addition that has now become permanent. So, a player can play in four regular-season games and all postseason competition. So if a team played four playoff games, a redshirting player could see action in all of those plus the four regular-season games and still save the year of eligibility.

Tom

3:03

Tom from Golden Beach, Fla: Hi Eric! Do you think we'll be seeing a lot more of Jordan Faison this week? Also, do you think it was a missed opportunity to get CJ Carr in earlier for something more than a couple hand-offs? At first I thought they were protecting his redshirt until they inserted him in the final 2 minutes. Speaking of redshirting more generally, does the NCAA still have a 4-game participation limit for redshirting and does that include or exclude bowl/playoff games? Thanks. Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

3:03

Hi Matt. Boubacar Traore is the one guy who was a really good fit at both spots. But with Botelho out for the year, it's hard to see him bouncing back and forth, moving forward. I asked about that on Monday, and Marcus Freeman led me to believe Junior Tuihalamaka will get more reps there and Loghan Thomas, really good but way undersized at this point, will get some run in practice to see if he can help. You can also drop one of the linebacker down there in passing situations, which they were already doing. So maybe more KVA there on obvious passing downs.

Matt from VT

3:00

Hi Eric, How interchangeable are the Vyper and Field End positions and do their roles change drastically in subpackages? With Botelho done for the season, Junior only earning 18 snaps through three games, and three legitimate options at Field end (Oben, Burnham, and Young) do you see one of those three moving to the opposite side? Or is the plan to give Junior and Logan Thomas increased time behind Traore? Thanks!

Eric Hansen

3:00

I think most ND fans would like to see progress. Tangible progress across the board, Saturday and each week after, that would lead to this team being playoff-worthy in December.

cederickwalker

2:58

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw pride great win beating Purdue what would you like to see us do vs Miami Ohio Saturday god bless this football team here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

2:58

Hi Lorne and thank you. I was surprised Hudson Card played the whole game, too. And maybe ND does beat NIU with Steve Angeli at the end and maybe not. What would have made me consider that as a coach is if Riley couldn't function physically at maximum or near max.

Lorne

2:55

Lorne from Reno, NV. Thank you again for sharing your expertise with us. Hard to believe a guy can lead a team to a 42-0 halftime lead and still have a QB issue, but (I can't even believe I'm asking this) do we beat NIU with Angeli at QB? And speaking of backup QB's, I understand the principle (get your QB reps and maybe some confidence), but I still can't believe that Hudson Card played the whole game against us. Doesn't their backup need a little work also (and the game was a good example of the risk of injury)?

Eric Hansen

2:55

Having said that, Mike Denbrock has a track record elsewhere and earlier at ND. What recruits want to see now and he's eager to show off is what this offense looks like in 2024 with ND players running it. So let's see what that looks like in November and revisit this question then?

2:54

Hi Tanker. For some reason, I associate your hometown with restaurants I would love, but maybe there's only a McDonald's there? In any case, I thought you questions were intriguing. I don't think any of that affects recruits considering Notre Dame, visiting Notre Dame, putting Notre Dame among their finalists. But when it gets down to splitting hairs between two top schools IT MAY come into play with some prospects and not at all for others. And that's a picture that can change season to season and even week to week. But let's say even if Deuce Knight goes elsewhere, when has ND in decades had a QB room like it has now and with 2026 high four-star Noah Grubbs waiting in the wings? And three four-star freshmen in the wide receiver corps? (more)

Tanker, Dulce NM

2:49

Happy Tuesday Eric. There is obviously a lot of football and offensive growth/evolution ahead of us but so far do you feel that the passing woes and absence of WR production (not their fault thus far in my opinion) will have a material impact on recruiting/retaining top end talent at WR and convincing a guy like Deuce Knight to stick around? This is something i think about and try not to get concerned about so early in the year but i feel we are remarkably underachieving in this particular department given the TEs and WR skill on the roster with Denbrock at the helm. It begins and ends at QB in my view but curious how you feel the output so far impacts recruitment if at all.

Eric Hansen

2:48

Hi Skip. I think the best is yet to come from the slot receivers. Their snaps collectively were a bit limited Saturday by two things -- more two-back sets and Jeremiyah Love lining up wide, and more multiple-tight end sets, which sent the slot receiver off the field. ... And the recruiting question you keep sending me is one I can't give you a verifiable answer on, so I'm going to pass on it.

Skip / Houston

2:46

Our receiving corps is an upgrade from last year, both in quantity and quality. After three games, what grade do you give our slot and wide receivers? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

2:45

Hi Len. I got your note that I have answered your Riley Leonard question, so let me get to the others. What a cool story with Kevin Bauman. At least for now, I see his role as intermittent. With Mitchell Evans finally back to full health, you'll see mostly him and Eli Raridon and Cooper Flanagan. But Bauman may get a few snaps here and there, just not consistently barring injury to someone else. And yes, a tribute to Coogan and Rocco for being ready and continuing to help the young players when those two did not win starting jobs. I have a story on Coogan today: Notre Dame O-lineman Pat Coogan ready to ride his second wind

Len from the Jersey Shore

2:41

Hello Eric!!!!!! The Jersey Boys, Angeli and Bauman, connected on a TD pass. For me it was the best moment of the game. Kevin B has had bad luck with injuries. It is a tribute to his character that he was out on that field. I am sure it took countless hours to get there. I was also excited on seeing Spindler and Coogan succeed when they unfortunately needed to replace Schrauth and Craig. Kudos to them for being ready when needed. 3 questions. Will Kevin B see more plays without another TE getting hurt? KB showed early on an ability to catch the ball in tight spaces and against Purdue showed good run blocking ability. 2cd, Riley Leonard is a dynamic runner. All ND fans are hopeful he continues to develop as a passer (which includes reading defenses, stepping up in the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield when on the move). Will we ever as fans understand why his running number wasn't called from 2cd QTR on vs NUI? In your opinion will he become a CFP level passer by end of reg. season?

Eric Hansen

2:40

Jason, sorry I didn't initially see part II of your question. Kennedy Urlacher was really fun to watch. I think the challenges for him are: Practicing that way on a day-to-day basis and being adept in his coverage skills. But against the run, he was a human highlight reel. More please.

Jason from Grand Rapids MI

2:38

Keyboard error... speaking of running free, granted it's a limited sample size but have you seen a freshman play with such zip and quickness as Urlacher? His tackling and game speed were a treat. I hope to see him continue to develop.

Eric Hansen

2:36

Jim, I REALLY appreciate your perspective. Thank you. To your O-line question, I think Billy Schrauth is Notre Dame's best offensive lineman. Period. End of sentence. When he comes back healthy, he's the starting right guard. But if Rocco surges then perhaps he's pitted against Sam Pendleton for playing time at left guard. I don't anticipate Pendleton's progress stalling, but perhaps it can play out that way. As far as the defensive end position, I think Josh Burnham will end up as the starter, but Young has a big opportunity in the next week or so to push for more reps in that rotation. I'm not writing off RJ Oben, but from what we've seen of Young on special teams and in some practices, it's just a matter of time until he can consistently assert himself in that rotation. And it's needed.

Jim Oregonia, OH

2:29

Eric!!!! I am embarrassed to admit that I actually predicted Purdue would beat us on this chat last week....sheesh, I must have been more depressed than I thought after the NIU game! What a luxury to have Coogan and Spindler on the bench to come in after the unfortunate injures on the O-line. Question, when Schrauth gets healthy in a few weeks or so, lets say the o-line is really jelling, do you reinsert him into the starting rotation or go with Rocco? I know the ole adage where you don't lose your starting job because of injury. Also, barring further injuries is Young the starting DE by the end of the year? Liked the bounce back from Leonard, hoping he uncorks a few TD passes soon, watching that kid in interviews makes is sure hard not to root for him. As always thanks so much for all you do with everything Irish. I don't know how you maintain the not too high or not to low attitude in dealing with us crazed Irish fans. Go Irish!

Eric Hansen

2:28

Relax, Matt.

Matt from Austin

2:28

Hi Eric, sorry so late to the show this week. I still have significant issues in two areas that I feel will cost us wins. Vertical passing and punting. Please tell me to relax. Thank you. Matt

Eric Hansen

2:28

Hi Scubavt. Steve Angeli does receive first-team reps in every practice, just as he did last year as Sam Hartman's backup. That's been pretty standard practice under both Freeman and Brian Kelly, no matter who the No. 1 QB is.

scubavt jamestown TN

Do you think the coaching staff gives Angeli reps with the first team to keep the rust off him in case that happens?

2:26

With the way Riley Leonard runs and sacrifices his body by playing it's easy to see he might get injured during a game.

Eric Hansen

2:26

Hi Jason. I see Aidan Keanaaina, the Notre Dame transfer nose guard, doing well at his new school, Cal. And good for him. But I can see why he wanted to transfer for more playing time. He was playing behind an All-American, in Howard Cross, at nose guard with Gabe Rubio and Donovan Hinish all competing for playing time ahead of him. That's an example of the transfer portal working well for a player.

Jason from Grand Rapids MI

2:21

Hey Eric, I see that Aidan is having a solid start to his career at Cal. He didn't ever seem to gain traction at ND but feel like he could have been a run stuffer and let our LBs run free

Eric Hansen

2:21

Hi Don, and thanks for the endorsement. ... The NIU game prompted me to go back and take inventory on Marcus Freeman, because he really was at the center of that storyline and deserved to be. And while his blind spot was alarming and unexpected, it kept going back to all the things he does get right as a developing first-team head coach, actually some of the hardest things on the checklist. And so, I continue to see his potential to do bigger and better things ... as long as he doesn't repeat his mistakes. I do think underestimating NIU played a part in it. And we'll get a better feel for NIU when they visit NC State at the end of the month. And I think until this team moves closer to its potential on offense, there's a smaller margin for error. Thanks again for the compliment.

Don in Scottsdale

2:15

Eric, Hope all is well with you. Your objective review of NIU debacle was good for me. I was on the brink of believing the season is over. Hard to remember CMF is a first time head coach. It took Dabo a few years before Clemson stopped Clemsoning. CMF said the team needs to learn how to deal with success. Is that really it? When he says that does he get that from the team or is it his projection on the organization. Did he start believing the press clippings and forgot the fact that ND has to prove it every week. I like the smiling Freeman but I hope he keeps this demeanor and get a playoff win or 4. Not likely but maybe 2 wins. Thanks for the great coverage. You and Tyler deliver quality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen

2:14

Hi Ryan. I hope you're enjoying your new location. I know you've asked me about Chris Terek before and now you got to see him in action. He got in 23 snaps at right guard late in the game and did a decent job. Better on his pass blocking than run blocking. He'll be the No. 2 RG until Billy Schrauth comes back. I thought Steve Angeli looked as good as usual, which is impressive.

Ryan Frankfort illinois

2:08

Good afternoon Eric what do you think about the play of Steve Angeli also Same with Chris Terek Steve Looked good so did Chris my prediction for this week is 49-10 Irish GO IRISH 🏈🏈☘️☘️💪💪

Eric Hansen

2:08

Jumping back to an earlier question about Steve Angel that I forgot to answer. Angeli has two season of eligibility after this one, because he redshirted.

2:06

Hi Patrick. I, for one, am not writing off Kenny Minchey in terms of his viability to start the 2025 season at the top of the Notre Dame QB depth chart, but I am willing to admit he has the most unknowns and that's probably why if you took a poll among ND media, he'd probably finish third as to who had the best chance. Steve Angeli has the most experience, practice and game experience. And he's done a lot with that experience. CJ Carr in practices and scrimmages is remarkably advanced, skilled and poised for his age. Minchey feels like the most inexperienced, even though he's a year ahead of Carr, and the most untapped. And there's a lot to tap. He can make spectacular plays with his feet and his arm, but his consistency is the issue. Sometimes that comes in time. Sometimes it doesn't. But when he was acting as Caleb Williams on scout team during last year's USC prep, Irish DC Al Golden was wowed by Minchey. So again, not writing him off.

Patrick from Los Angeles

1:54

I was very impressed with Kenny Minchey in the Purdue game. He may be the most athletic of all the QBs. Why does he seem to be the forgotten man in the QB room? I think he could be a good starter in 2025.

Eric Hansen

1:48

So those are the numbers I'll be watching, especially as a heavy favorite this week and then against what appears to be a formidable Louisville team the next week heading into the first bye week.

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