JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 29, 2021

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 29, 2021

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Eric Hansen

3:07

OK, sorry I'm out of time and have another commitment. Thanks for all the great questions. The Aaron Taylor podcast, hopefully, will answer some of those I couldn't get to. We'll do this all over again next week at noon EDT.

3:06

Mayer is only a sophomore, so he's not draft-eligible. Hamilton is draft-eligible and likely a top 5 pick, so I don't see him being at ND in 2022.

Dan,Grand Rapids, Mi.

3:05

Hi Eric, Any chance Michael Mayer and/or Kyle Hamilton come back next year? Or is it slim and none? Thanks as always.

Eric Hansen

3:04

Thank you Will. If South Bend couldn't/wouldn't support a Skyline franchise, I would wonder what people are doing with their lives. 2) The answer to this lies in between the two options you gave me. No, you don't have to wait until 2022. No, it's not going to be as quick as the defense found itself.

Will Vandiver, Seattle, WA

3:01

Eric - Thanks for bringing this every week! Two questions: 1) Do you think a Skyline Chili franchise would succeed in the South Bend metro area? 2) We’re all happy with the apparent jump the defense has made over the past two weeks. Can the offensive line progress as much in the near term, or, do we have to wait until 2022 to see a meaningful improvement? Thanks again!

Eric Hansen

3:01

Jeff, Kelly joked that they would have gone to a Wildcat formation if Pyne got hurt. I think he was joking. Brendon Clark would have made the most sense. If not him, Avery Davis in the Wildcat. I still think it's essentially 60/49 Coan/Pyne depending on Coan's ankle. Buchner has an RPO package he works with, and that certainly might get expanded. The compelling issue to me is what will those percentages look like at the end of October?

Jeff from Phoenix

2:58

Good morning Eric! What a game, lots to chew on for us chatters. So, first just a comment in that Kelly and staff now appear to be clairvoyant in taking Coan and Madden last spring via the transfer portal as those positions were hurt by injury and attrition. So now to my questions, first, if Pyne had been hurt and couldn't continue when he was sacked and fumbled, would Clark have been able to play or who would have been the QB? Second, if Kelly divides the practice work for QBs 60/40 for the starter and backup, who gets those percentages this week? Thanks for your insights-

Eric Hansen

2:58

Thank you, Bill. This is tough off the top of my head, because I inevitably will forget someone. But Louis Nix III was funny, mostly unfiltered, authentic, thoughtful and kind. He's No. 1. I loved talking to Jay Hayes for similar reasons. Malik Zaire had no filter, but sometimes he didn't have perspective, either, about his own abilities. As an analyst, he's perfect. Dayne Crist was a great interview for different reasons. I remember talking to him when he was 17 and he was so mature, I almost asked him if he could be my dad. As far as the current team, it's a little different postgame, because all interviews are done at the podium. And you don't get to pick. Lots of good talkers, though, for midweek interviews. Kyren, Michael Mayer, Kyle Hamilton, Kurt Hinish, Jarrett Patterson. Hard to pick one. I really want to interview Jordan Botelho. Haven't had the chance yet.

Bill from Buffalo, NY

2:50

Hi Eric, just wanted to say a big thank you for taking your time to open things up a bit from the fans...I've always appreciated your honesty and integrity in answering some difficult questions...Here's mine; can you name 3 of your top players who you enjoyed the most to interview and why? Who is your go to guy from this year's team? I can imagine each team has some real characters that you can get great quotes from...LOL

Eric Hansen

2:49

Keep in mind Quenton Nelson, Mike McGlinchey, Ronnie Stanley and Zack Martin -- four of the best linemen in the NFL -- all couldn't get on the field as freshmen at ND. There have been nine freshman offensive lineman in 50 years to play at all at Notre Dame (two this year, Joe Alt and Blake Fisher) and only two to start an opener. So Rocco not playing yet in 2021 is not a knock on his potential. As I mentioned earlier, O-Line doesn't lend itself to moving people around and lineup changes if you're trying to build consistency, chemistry and continuity. Maybe during the bye week, but don't count on it. ... But count on this, Rocco Spindler is going to be a star down the road.

IrishRob from Scranton PA

2:44

Eric, I am confused, and while I readily admit that is not a rare occurrence, but perhaps you can help. ND fans have been gushing over the potential of Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler. The question was asked if Coach Kelly would have the guts to start 2 freshmen on the left side of the OL to start the season. Fast forward, and not only has Spindler not started, he hasn't played. That wouldn't be as perplexing if the OL wasn't, by far (like distance to the moon far), the biggest problem on this team. My confusion is on what this says about Spindler as a player right now, that he can't get any reps with Madden and Correll struggling mightily right now on a consistent basis. Is there anything you are hearing or any prognostications on why he hasn't even been given a chance so far?

Eric Hansen

2:43

I think Cincinnati is closer to a final product than Notre Dame is, and that's why playing the first week in October is a lot different than a mid-November matchup might be. Wisconsin was a difficult matchup, particularly defensively, for ND's offensive weaknesses. Cincinnati matches strength vs. strength. Cincy QB Desmond Ridder's speed is a real wild card. I like the team that gets off to the better start and controls the turnovers better to win this one.

mark, orange county ca

2:39

Hi Eric, the defense evolved considerably against Wisconsin and ND has 3 QB's who are game ready. I think this is the deepest ND has been at the QB position mid season during BK's tenure. with Mike Denbrock at UC and Marcus Freeman at ND this game should be an interesting battle. Since UC has not faced an opponent with ND's talent level this year I believe ND will prevail. How do you think the 2 teams match up?

Eric Hansen

2:39

Bruce I wouldn't put him in the same category as Joe Schmidt, but I wouldn't put him in the category of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah either. He's such a surprise with such a small sample size, I think everyone -- including pro scouts -- are trying to learn more about him. Is he an elite coverage guy in addition to getting all those tackles? What's his straight-line speed like? His change of direction? As we get deeper into the season, I'll do a pro potential story on the current roster, so thanks for giving me a nudge on that.

Bruce, Centralia, IL

2:31

Eric, JD Bertrand has turned into a tremendously productive player, but I don’t hear him talked about much as a pro prospect. Do the coaches think of him as a Joe Schmidt type - that is, a guy who maximizes his talent and is a natural leader but has a lower ceiling because he is not that physically gifted? Thanks as always. - B.

Eric Hansen

2:31

Tony, we are aware of this, and sometimes deals get done at the 11th hour -- or later. I'm going to be at the stadium, so you can come to my house and watch it there, as long as you're nice to my son and his kids.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

2:27

Hey Eric, sorry for second post but just found out that YoutubeTV and NBC are having a spat because NBC wants to force YoutubeTV to bundle peacock. And if they don't make a deal by Thursday YouTube TV will drop NBC. As a YouTubeTV subscriber and vocal dissident of Peacock,I might be stuck having to watch the games on PeacockTV. Ughhhhh. Anyone have a another cable streaming service I can borrow creds for?

Eric Hansen

2:26

Ed, what they're saying about Jack's footwork is two-fold. First, he's not fleet of foot, so he can't run his way out of mistakes (his of the offensive line's) very easily. Two, I think sometimes he shuffles his way into a sack, instead of sidestepping the pressure and buying himself more time.

Ed Coquillard

2:25

Ed from Ocala, FL by way of Niles, MI. Eric I often have read the experts say about a QB and I have heard it about Jack Coan, “He doesn’t have the best footwork”. Please explain what that actually means to us lifetime football fans but not necessarily expert evaluators. Thanks Eric!

Eric Hansen

2:25

I think USC would be stupid to pin that pursuit on one game. Then again, they haven't made a lot of smart decisions in recent years regarding coaches and athletic directors.

Mike S in LA

2:24

Eric! I think this is Fickell's audition for the USC job. He wins and SC comes after him. He loses he stays at Cinci. So what would you want...Going against Fickell ever year with much superior talent or just this one-off with SC looking in another direction?

Eric Hansen

2:23

Doug, thanks for your question. Just because those BYU players have a deal doesn't mean they CAN'T OR WON'T transfer. Kids atNotre Dame are guaranteed a world-class education, and some of them transfer to places where that isn't the case. And the school those BYU kids transfer to may have a better market for NIL deals. Like Dude Wipes. Doug, I don't want to get too far into the weeds on this, because we both agree there needs to be more structure to this. And I'm not going to vet every hypothetical until that happens. But I do understand your curiosity and concern.

Doug from Norfolk, VA

2:18

Hi Eric, Thanks for the great coverage as always. I have a followup question from one(s) I had last week on NIL. You seemed to scoff at the thought of a "no transfer" clause with NIL, but that seems to be exactly what is happening at BYU, especially with the walk-ons. They're getting this deal specifically because they're at BYU and presumably wouldn't get it if they transferred. That's as much of a "no transfer" clause without calling it as much. Your thoughts on this and what would happen should this type of thing spread to more schools?

Eric Hansen

2:18

Franz, I'm not sure you knew but Mickens and Freeman were high school teammates. But Mickens didn't need to sell Brian Kelly on Marcus. Freeman was in demand, and LSU made a nice offer that the Irish trumped. If anything, Mickens' experience helped sell Freeman on Notre Dame (as a factor, not the main reason) and not the other way around.

franz from Niles, MI

2:15

I am curious as to what role Mike Mickens played in the Marcus Freeman hire. At the very least if he didn't have a high opinion of everyone involved I doubt it would have happened. Coach Mickens has extensive knowledge and long standing relationships with both Kelly and Freeman and could speak volumes about both sides and also about the unique strengths and challenges of the Notre Dame environment. At the very least I suspect he was a good conduit for information going both ways between the two camps and I wonder if he was even more of a facilitator during the courtship.

Eric Hansen

2:14

Thanks, Shaw. A very good showing for both teams.

shawf

2:13

Eric, Thanks for your insightful info and answers on these chats! ittruly makes a difference in our Notre Dame lives. Did we get great fan support for the Wisconsin game? It seemed almost all RED when the stadium was 'camera panned'. If we did not, what do you think was the problem. Shaw (St Augustine, Florida)

Eric Hansen

2:13

"Yeah, we had it pretty clear. I mean when two guys take a run at somebody, I guess that's not targeting somebody, I guess. But if you try to stop somebody from going in the end zone, that's targeting. We just don't have it right yet. Your eyes should tell you what's going on in the game, but sometimes we hide behind the rulebook.
“It just wasn't officiated in the manner that I thought it should have been. So, they thought that because I went three feet out on the field, that I should get a flag for them not officiating it correctly."

2:12

The short version is this: Two Wisconsin players clearly took a cheap shot at Kyle Hamilton -- far away from the action -- on a punt coverage play. Brian Kelly saw this, and thought there should have been a penalty. When he expressed that, probably colorfully, he got the flag. Here is his take on the situation:

Tim St louis

2:11

What was the personal foul call on Brian Kelly and have you ever seen that call before ?

Eric Hansen

2:08

Offensive MVP of the first third of the season: Michael Mayer edging out Kyren Williams. And Williams' blocking and receiving have been really impressive. Defensive MVP: Kyke Hamilton. Most improved: JD Bertrand.

Pat South Bend

2:04

Who would be your pick for offensive and defensive MVP so far? What about most improved player?

Eric Hansen

2:04

I did a deeper dive on this in 2019, and what I found is that some coaches are WAY better with that extra week than others. I'm going to throw out 2020, because those byes week were tainted by the COVID stuff and often weren't planned. But ND went 7-0 in those situations in 2019 and the Irish are 1-0 this year. I would say, by and large, have that extra week is an advantage. You can heal from injuries. You can put in some wrinkles schematically that you could pull of without the extra week. You can do some self scouting. BUT if not handled right, you could also break momentum. I think in this particular game -- UC vs. ND -- the place it's most likely to show up is the Bearcats doing some different things with their defensive front to try to add to ND's O-line challenges.

Todd, Goshen

1:54

Most of ND's opponents having byes before their game has been mentioned a lot. How much of an advantage do you think it is?

Eric Hansen

1:53

You're welcome. Tony, to be honest, I haven't watch Houston much the past two weeks compared to some other part of the defense. So let me put that out there first. He played 50 snaps last week in a game when the defense, as a whole, made a strong surge forward. He has 14 tackles on the season with one QB hurry ... but no pass breakups, ints., forced fumbles, recovered fumbles or tackles for loss. But maybe that's what ND needs from him. ... to be assignment-correct and steady rather than spectacular. I think that's who he has become.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

1:40

Hey Eric thanks for taking my question on the Smith / Hamilton debate last week. Il admit I was not quite as keyed into appreciating Smith while there. As for question. I have not noticed much of Houston Griffith. I think that a good thing, no? What is the assessment of his play so far. Is he being the safety valve to let Hamilton play aggressive or is he not on the field. I haven't had a chance to really look at that so curious of you have.

Eric Hansen

1:40

Tim, I'm going to address your statement first. I think it's unfair. First, you're implying Jeff Quinn deserves to be fired. I don't agree. Screamed at through the TV? Ok, I can live with that. Second, BK was never going to fire Harry Hiestand -- because why would you? But I think I know what you're getting at. If Brian Kelly hires someone he's familiar with and has worked with, it's automatically a bad hire even if other head coaches do the same? BK has a track record of hiring and firing both familiar and less familiar assistants. ... As far as your question, I understand your frustration. Chris Watt has a full-time job as Tulane's offensive line coach. As I mentioned in Marie's question, sure other resources could be helpful. But just to be clear, does someone's foot need to be put down? Or in someone's rear? Not sure you could do both.

Tim from Darien

1:33

Brian Kelly will never fire Jeff Quinn so let's get that out of the way first. With that in mind, what are some things Kelly and Quinn can do in the short term and in the long term to help bring a presentable O line to the table? Can they bring in Chris Watt or someone like him to help out? There's an issue at the line that's deeper than just a "rebuilding year" issue and someone's foot needs to be put down or put in someone's rear to get it together.

Eric Hansen

1:33

Please do correct me. You are right.

Tom from Lansing, MI

1:32

Not to correct you, but isn't Ole Miss in Oxford? It is, I've been there!

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