JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 20, 2023

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 20, 2023

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Eric Hansen

3:18

Ugh... .ran out of time and have too many questions left in the queue. Wish I could give you more overtime. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all again next Wednesday at noon ET.

3:17

OK Matt. Here goes: 1. Both. 2. Most do, and probably not. 3. No, I've been in South Bend in 1988. So, remember those great Holtz teams that Vinny Cerrato helped put together? 4. Huge key to the game. Even a push there would be a win. 5. They played against him last year with a lot of the same personnel. He's made some philosophical tweaks in the offseason, but I think that game would be far more relevant than an Oklahoma State defense that gave up 35 points to ND.

Matt (KC)

3:13

Hi Eric, back with some rapid fire as you are amazing at it. 1. Do you think ND plays a lot of zone this Saturday and goes bend don't break, or will Al Golden attack with new blitzes? 2. I see we signed a lefty QB, in general that makes RT more important, do tackles generally have the ability to play either side or do we have to recruit with that in mind now? 3. In all your years covering, is this the most physically gifted team you have seen? They seem much quicker. 4. I hear about OSU's WR play, I am curious about our ability to control their OL and RBs and your thoughts on if we can do that? 5. Do you think the fact that we played a Jim Knowles defense at OK St. will help us prepare or do these teams save a lot of new formations and plays for these big games?

Eric Hansen

3:12

You may be right. I once scheduled to put a new roof on my house based on the weather forecast and had torn off the old one and was up there hammering shingles with my father-in-law in a downpour.

Alex from Cincinnati

3:11

My mistake. Sorry

Eric Hansen

3:11

Hi Chris. If Angeli continues to progress, it'd be tough for Minchey to jump him, but not impossible. It's also possible CJ Carr would eventually pass them both.

Chris from San Diego

3:10

Hi Eric, Thanks for all your hard work this season. Enjoy the chats and the podcasts a lot. A question regarding next season. Assume we do not obtain a QB in the portal in the off season and assume that Angeli continues to progress at his current rate. What is the probability that Minchey could leapfrog Angeli and be the starter next season?

Eric Hansen

3:10

Hi Mike. I think there's going to be concerns with a lot of QB commits in a lot of places in this age of NIL. As far as the whole geography thing, I trust the coaching staff's read on it. Doesn't mean they'll be right, but they had another very good alternative if they weren't convinced Deuce was all in and will stay all in.

Mike BR, LA

3:08

Pretty excited about Deuce committing. BUT! And this may be the anxious Irish fan talking, and you’ll have to excuse me if my memory is mistaken, but it seems like we had a talented 4-star qb whose ceiling might have been affected by a lack of playing time. I do realize it’s different, and Deuce does have a senior year still to play, so maybe it’s just the weirdness of the transfer to another state and then, well, not. Any concerns about his unconventional(?) junior year?

Eric Hansen

3:08

There are scads of recruits coming in, Ced, of recruit-apalooza proportions. Check our our message board and Charleston Bowles' stories this week.

ced walker

3:06

ced walker saginaw michigan notre dame must play the perfect game to beat ohio st this weekend my prediction nd 27 ohio st 24 any new recruits from 2024 class or 2025 visiting this weekend trust the process god bless the golden standard rally we are nd go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us

Eric Hansen

3:06

Hi Len, again sometimes it's hard for me (others may excel at it) to separate those out, because they're all interconnected. I give Parker and A, for example. Dealing with that 3-3-5 and only have a UConn game on tape was a tall task. And in that weather. I'm not sure if a C is too low with the WRs. I think Hartman and Parker both have done a good job of seeing what the defense is trying to take away and then exploiting what they're willing to give up to get that.

Len from the Jersey Shore

3:03

Hello Eric, I will be at the game and wearing green. To all ND ticket holders. Keep your ticket and wear green!! Last week it appeared to me that Sam H was searching for open receivers. Often pressure ultimately came when he could not. Both NC State and Central Michiagan tried to change the timing of receivers and confuse them as to what pattern option to take. This allowed the D to dial up more stop the run defenses. At NC State using the tight ends was the solution. Versus Central Michigan it was the deep pass. I give Sam H an A this year in finding that adjustment to the passing game. I give the Coordinator/O Staff a B because it took too long IMO in the NC State game. I give the young wideouts a C in making route adjustments. Do you agree with these grades and these adjustments? Are all of these areas ready to make those adjustments? Will Chansi Stuckey have the Wideouts, especially the young ones, ready to do their part? IMO #1 key to the game.

Eric Hansen

3:03

Not in favor of the second returner. If Alex from Cincinnati is wrong about the wet forecast, I'm all in favor of Chris Tyree saving some yardage with a fair catch instead of letting it roll.

Matt from Gulfport

3:02

Do you think there will be an emphasis this week on fair catching punts rather than standing back and watching 10-20 yards of roll each time? That will be valuable real estate on Saturday. Should consideration be given to having 2 returners?

Eric Hansen

3:02

Hi Joe. We're moving into lightning-round mode, because I have a commitment coming up here that I can't move. The short answer is Notre Dame is No. 4 in the nation in total defense. Are there flaws? Yep. Are they fixable? I believe they are? Will they show up Saturday night? Yes, but so will their strengths and their growth.

Joe P. from Los Angeles

3:00

Hello Eric. Thanks again for your great work and for being our omniscient source for ND football. My question relates to ND's defense against the Buckeyes. While there have been some bright moments so far this season, there have also been too many chunk plays given up to much lesser opponents. I believe (i) our safeties are weak in coverage, which the Buckeyes will undoubtedly try to exploit, (ii) our linebackers tend to get themselves out of position on a regular basis, and (iii) our d-line does not get off blocks efficiently enough to consistently create havoc plays in the offensive backfield. Two questions. First, does my analysis hold any water, or is it simply a "glass is half empty" take on the defense? Second, how do you see ND addressing their defensive deficiencies in light of our upcoming opponent? Thanks again.

Eric Hansen

2:59

Myliah, you are on top of things. I think we need to separate quarterback evaluations/development from the other positions. I do think Notre Dame, by and large, under Kelly was a strong player-development program. With QBs? It was largely the missing piece, chronically and consistently. And it wasn't always for the same reasons. I do think Marcus Freeman set a higher standard toward evaluation and QB recruiting and the portal (in and out) will be a part of that, perhaps more intermittently than steady given the talent ND is starting to stack in back-back-to-back classes. But keep an eye on QBs coach Gino Guidugli moving forward. I think he's is extremely thorough in getting his eyes on a lot of players, forming relationships with them, evaluating them well ... and I think he's very good in development.

Myliah, El Cerrito, CA

2:54

Eric, I noticed that former ND QBs Jurkovic, Buchner, and Pyne didn't have just bad games last week; they were historically awful (the only remaining QB transfer, Clark, never made starter at Old Dominion, and retired last year). Maybe this was a fluke, or maybe ND wasn't great at talent assessment and/or development. Now, however, we have multiple freshman on the field and sophmores surging. If there has been great change in talent ID and development in the program, where do you see it? Why is it improving?

Eric Hansen

2:54

I will post the screenshot in the transcript when we get done here, and maybe I am bookmarking the wrong weather page, but my forecast says zero percent chance of rain. So I am confused. ND certainly has the experience of playing in it and scoring 45 points in it, so if my weather forecaster is at Happy Hour with Ryan from Mars, Pa., then I would say ND will be OK in the rain.

Alex from Cincinnati

2:49

Hi Eric. It looks like it will be a rainy day in South Bend on Saturday. My hunch is that this will help ND, but wanted to get your thoughts. Does a rainy day favor ND or OSU. Thanks!

Eric Hansen

2:48

Swami? Wait a minute, I'm kind of jazzed by that reference. This is a tough one, because I really tried to only go with guys Notre Dame was deeply involved with, not just who had an ND offer. OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD ... I'd go with OG Zak Zinter -- Preston's older brother -- on offense, with Washington WR Jalen McMillan was No. 2. On defense, if he were healthy -- and he's not -- Keon Keeley from last year's class at DE. He's now sitting, recovering, incubating at Alabama.

Drue in Springfield

2:39

Great day for a chat with the swami of ND football!!!! This team is competent with some good depth at all position groups for the first time this century. My question is what two players ND missed in recruiting, one offense and one on defense, that could make this team one of the favorites to win it all.....not that anyone could eliminate that outcome at this point? I am expecting a Notre Dame victory on Sat. if the Irish can play without turnovers, penalties, and execution blunders.

Eric Hansen

2:38

Sean, good take. I think Notre Dame needs to be at least turnover-even/neutral in this game. And I can say that in every practice we were in, fully or partial, ball security drills were the very first thing the offensive players worked on after stretching/warmups. So it is emphasized daily. And Freeman/Deland McCullough reinforced it when Audric fumbled in the opener and then pulled him for a while. That said, I'm sure OSU DC Jim Knowles is taking to his team about trying to force those TOs.

Sean, Schaumburg IL

2:32

Eric, great breakdown on Football Never Sleeps! I like your metrics that you utilize to determine success. My concern, and I'll be in ND Stadium for the game with a childhood friend who's an OSU fan, is ball security. Hartman was pressured a couple times in the NC State game that led to a TO in our own end. Luckily, the D held and a missed FG ensued. Estime gives me pause. What do you think the coaches are practicing/preaching during practice to ensure ball security? One TO in a critical moment(I'm still seeing Tommy Rees on the Michigan 3-yard line muff the snap and starting the complete disintegration of a game we controlled for 3.5 quarters in 2011 in Ann Arbor.) I was at that game as well. One TO. One blown play-the 3rd and 15 blitz in Columbus comes to mind-and it could be game over. ND 27 OSU 23. No TOs and we win. TOs we lose. GO IRISH!!

Eric Hansen

2:32

As far as matchups, there are so many, and I don't want to get them too disjointed where they don't add up to big-picture results. So here's the bottom line. If Notre Dame wins both lines of scrimmage (OSU did last year) and has the better QB performance (OSU did last year), the Irish will walk out of Notre Dame Stadium with their fifth win of the year. Do I think ND holds those advantages. I think the first two are a push, but I think ND holds the edge at No. 3. ... And I am not downplaying Harrison, Egbuka and Co., against Hart, Morrison, Mickey, Harper, etc. But ND can tilt those matchups in its favor by winning the pass rush/OSU O-line battle.

2:26

Hi Marie. Great to have you back and testing my analytical limits again. ... Let's start with the back end of that question. Really intriguing. Fortunately, I kind of wrote about this in a roundabout way earlier this week. On defense, former OSU DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste. And Al Golden was really complimentary Tuesday night about how he's coming on. On offense, OG Rocco Spindler. Look, if the guy wasn't mentally tough and committed, he would have jumped in the portal last May after finishing spring No. 2 and not having played much his first two years. But Ohio State will try to attack ND's offensive line at what it perceives to be its most-vulnerable point. The Buckeye did last year with good success at it. This year could be different, but we'll see. Very talented front 7. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

2:20

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. I can’t believe Ohio State week is finally here. Which matchups do you think most favor Notre Dame in the game and which matchups do you feel most favor Ohio State? If you could pick one player on offense ( not including Sam Hartman) and one player on defense who could have their best game ever who would you pick, that you think would most help Notre Dame win the game? Thanks for hosting the chats and the great insights.

Eric Hansen

2:20

Hi Jim. No. 8, for those who don't have the uniform numbers memorized, is linebacker Marist Liufau, who was far and away the surprise player on the team through three games. Game 4, he was far down the Pro Football Focus grades. I think some of that was JD Bertrand missing and all the linebackers having different responsibilities and getting out of their rhythm with regard to rotations. They adjusted well to it in the NC State game, not so well (other than Kiser) against Central Michigan. The sense I got from DC Al Golden Tuesday night was that Marist snapped back to form in practice and had a good one. And the Irish will need him to be at the top of his game.

Guest

2:15

Jim Florida What was # 8 on defense pff for cmu. He seemed to regress from his performance against ncs

Eric Hansen

2:12

I would describe ND's D-line through for games as whelming, and I know that's not a real work but ... humor me.. Not overwhelming. Not underwhelming. They have a lot of good players. They can rotate three deep at some positions without a significant drop-off. That does matter. But do they have difference-makers? This is the week we find out. I would not change personnel, though I might give Jason Onye more reps and I'd give Gabe Rubio some snaps coming back from injury in the rotation. I'd also maybe bump up Josh Burnham to No. 2 at vyper.

Shaun- Boston

2:09

I can’t put my finger on the D Line’s performance through 4 games. Can they impress this Saturday? What changes would you make to the D Line in terms of scheme/personnel (if any) ahead of OSU? Thank you!

Eric Hansen

2:09

The key metrics are rush offense, pass efficiency, rush defense, total defense and turnover margin. Notre Dame, respectively, is 26-3-41-4-28. Pretty good. Ohio State is 68-24-19-3-29, so pretty close. Just for fun here is No. 1 Georgia this year: 75-43-22-15-8 (which means offense is where their fault line is now), Last year, Georgia in winning the title was 19-6-1-9-65. ... Am I worried about weaknesses showing up in a big game. They're not my responsibility, so no worries, but I get what you're asking. Good/great teams have better resources, in general, with which to attack your weaknesses. Not always, but usually.

2:02

Hi Matt. There were a lot of twists in the 2025 quarterback commitment story. Basically, it came down to who was going to commit first. Notre Dame liked both, still does. I do too. Deuce Knight had to move up his timeline to make this happen. Otherwise, we'd be talking about Bear Bachmeier, who again I think will be a great catch for someone. (more)

Matt, Salem oregon

1:59

Thank you for your insight and time. Were there any hard feelings about accepting Deuce, on the weekend Bear was visiting? This is the big weekend. Can you share those efficiency stats that you mentioned would be indicators? Without them, just my eyes I feel mixed. Can't seem to run when teams expect it, and there's pressure to disrupt on some big plays. Are you worried that in a tight game where more plays are meaningful those weaknesses show up more? Thanks for your time and everything you do.

Eric Hansen

1:59

Gee, Andrew, would you rather have burnt steak or ketchup licorice swirl ice cream to eat? I'd go with the Marist scenario. Botelho would have made the question harder.

Andrew

1:57

Andrew from Sioux Falls. Lighter question to ease the OSU week. Would rather try to tackle Audric Esteme in a drill or he tackled by Marist?

Eric Hansen

1:57

Thank you Maria. My only rooting interest is that my Keurig machine doesn't break down before I go to bed at likely 6 or 7 a.m. (They boot us out of the press box an hour after the game.)

Maria Guadalupe from Ranch Cucamonga, Ca

1:55

Eric, we love your coverage of ND football in these parts! Will you/do you have a rooting interest in this Saturday’s game?

Eric Hansen

1:55

Remember, Rocco Spindler was an investment, just as CB Ben Morrison was last year. The Morrison payoff, after weeks of growing pains, was huge. That doesn't guarantee Spindler will work out the same way, but the thinking is the same. If ND were considering a change, it would have been far better to make that on Monday and practice together during the week, than try to pull that off during a game -- let alone a game of this magnitude.

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