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

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 29, 2021

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Eric Hansen

1:32

Thanks.

Josh from NYC

1:32

Thanks for the response, and agree, always good to defer to winningest coach of all time at ND :)

Eric Hansen

1:32

Thank you ... I think. ... As long as you're not trying to say my columns are for the birds. ... To your question, you answered it yourself. You have one less option to throw to, so maybe that means you can give safety help on Michael Mayer when you wouldn't otherwise been able to do so ... or you can blitz a cornerback. Things like that. To provide the extra protection, you have to give something up. If you're pressed to do it, it's good to mix it up and not do it every passing down.

Bill from St Joe, MI

1:29

Congrats to your Cardinals Eric…I think of you each time a cardinal feeds on our bird feeder.
Immensely enjoyed the Pot of Gold podcasts of both Bob Morton and Aaron Taylor.
I would have liked to have asked Aaron Taylor the following question but since I can’t I’ll ask you. What is the downside of more frequently giving the left tackle help, understanding that it give you one less receiver to have to cover and thereby freeing a defender to create issues for example on the other side of the line.

Eric Hansen

1:29

Josh, I'm not trying to pick on you here, but I have gotten this question intermittently every season that Brian Kelly has been at Notre Dame. I'm running out of ways to answer it. I'm going to give the guy who just broke Knute Rockne's record and is 37-5 since 2018 the benefit of the doubt on this. You can make a case for both ways, but consider this. Cincinnati is 25-4 under Luke Fickell when the Bearcats score first and 20-0 when they lead at the end of the first quarter. So if ND defers and Coan gets sacks and they've already scored on their first possession, now they have the lead and the same good field possession. There may be a game in which switching things up makes sense, but this is a formula that has worked well for Brian.

Josh from NYC

1:17

With the caveat that I don't know who won the coin toss each week, has BK been asked whether he's reconsidered his "take-the-ball" if we win the toss approach, given the protection issues? The last two games Coan was sacked on his first pass attempt, leading to 3-and-outs and the opponent getting great field position (and momentum) to start the game. Seems like this team is built much better to have the defense on the field first, hopefully forcing a three-and-out, and creating momentum for the offense.

Eric Hansen

1:16

Zac, the coaching staff had all spring, all summer and all fall camp to make the distinction as to who would make the best No. 1 option. In the August practices we saw, Coan was more consistent. And his experience in big games helped the coaches trust him more. I also don't believe the staff felt the offensive line would struggle to THIS extent. Remember, we haven't seen Pyne play in a full game, with a defensive staff scouting him and trying to get him to play to his weaknesses. But I too was impressed by what he did against Wisconsin. It's not insignificant. The guy absolutely works his butt off to get better. The plot really does thicken in this case.

Zac Patterson

1:12

From Havre de Grace MD. Hey Eric hope you and the family are well I asked before the season why Pyne wasn’t more of a thought. After his showing do you believe we should step back and determine who are starting QB should be?

Eric Hansen

1:12

I'll have updates on both in my Thursday afternoon notebook online (and in print on Friday). Hinish was progressing well through concussion protocol earlier in the week and Carmody seemed to be moving much better, per Kelly, so there's optimism for both of them. Again, I'll cover that in the Thursday notebook online. We get BK via Zoom at noon.

Ryan mars pa

1:10

Good afternoon Eric is carmody or hinish back this week go Irish

Eric Hansen

1:09

Jim, thank you and best to you. What we don't know for sure, is what kind of reps C'Bo has been getting for the last four weeks. If he's sharp, yes working him into the rotation makes sense. He's always been good with yards after contact. I'd like to see a handful of carries from him to see what that looks like.

Jim Tal, Valley Center CA.

1:07

Hi Eric, as always wishing you the best. Now that he has been cleared to play, do you expect C'Bo to see some playing time this week? Given the issues with the O-line on short-yardage situations, a guy like him who can literally power his way to critical chain-moving first downs could be a huge factor in a game like this. He's certainly proven that he can fill this role in the past. Your thoughts.

Eric Hansen

1:07

Jack Coan practiced Tuesday. We'll certainly ask about him on Thursday, but I'm not sure Brian Kelly will provide an expansive/illuminating answer. If Coan is 100 percent of close, I think you'll see Coan/Buchner. If he's not, I think you'll see Pyne/Buchner.

Brian from Dallas

1:05

Hi Eric. What is status of Jack Coan and do we see a greater amount of QB rotation against Cincinnati? Who gets the playing time after Jack?

Eric Hansen

1:04

The dream location was/is Lambeau Field ... which would have happened last year if things had been normal and now is scheduled for 2026. ... A dream matchup as far as team? Probably Oregon at Autzen Stadium, off the top of my head. Kind of curious what Ole Miss in Jackson, Miss., would be like.

Rich, Indianapolis

1:00

What is your dream Shamrock Series game? If you could schedule ND to play any opponent at any stadium, what would it be?

Eric Hansen

1:00

Mitch, it's a really interesting puzzle, because of the experience quotient. If all three had the same amount of experience, the same amount of calm in big moments, the same demeanor, Tyler Buchner would win every physical skill contest. I think Pyne sees the field really well and understands coverages and pressures extremely well for a QB so young. Buchner will get there. Then there's Coan, who's a strong leader and is tested under the bright lights. With a more experienced offensive line around him, his stats would be better, but I don't think he's an ideal fit for THIS offense. I think it's significant that the two younger QBs so far have come in during high-leverage, high-pressure moments and handled those well so far. This is easily the most intriguing QB situation I've covered in almost four decades of doing this.

Mitch, Bremen, IN

12:54

With 3 ND quarterbacks seeing playing time this year, can you give your opinion on who has the top traits? Best arm, best running ability, etc. Overall, who or which combination do you think gives ND the best chance to win?

Eric Hansen

12:54

Both ND's defense and Cincinnati's defense like to turn you over, and they're both very good at it. So far, ND's offense had the one bad turnover game and UC's has been pretty good too. The Irish are 4th nationally in turnover margin and second in takeaways. Cincinnati is No. 11 in turnover margin. They're pretty evenly matched in a lot of other areas, so the game could well come down to a turnover or special teams play.

Tim - Goshen

12:51

I watched some of the IU/Cincy game and there were tons of turnovers on both sides. Is that pretty typical for Cincinnati's offense and defense? How will that affect ND's game plan on Saturday?

Eric Hansen

12:50

Bob, I think we saw it translate pretty well in 2019, then not at all in 2020, when he battled injuries the whole season. This season, I agree, there's more out there for him, especially when the defense has to pay attention to Michael Mayer, Kevin Austin Jr. and Avery Davis. There have been times the ball was underthrown, and if it was thrown in rhythm, those incompletes would have been touchdowns. But Lenzy dropped a TD in one game and needs to be stronger on 50-50 balls. I think he has it in him to do that.

Bob from Naperville

12:47

I know Lenzy is considered the speedster WR, but it hasn't seemed like it has translated so far. Are you seeing that too and what is the reason? Bad/under throws, good coverage, or his injuries catching up with him?

Eric Hansen

12:46

Marie, I think Notre Dame ought to bring YOU in. Seriously. You do have some very good ideas from week to week. I know your own work, though, is extremely important and profoundly valuable. ... This is not a knock on Jeff Quinn, but if he could get an Aaron Taylor to come in or one of the guys playing in the NFL during a bye week, it's a great idea. Harry Hiestand used to bring Olin Kreutz in on a regular basis. As far as the first part of your question. I think Coan -- with some exceptions -- is better off in the shotgun. And yes, you could roll the pocket, but his footspeed doesn't allow you to take full advantage of that concept. ... and I don't mean to hammer the guy about his mobility. He is infinitely more mobile than I am.

Marie from Atlanta

12:39

Hi Eric, I hope you enjoyed Chicago. Thinking outside the box, would you consider putting Coan under center and then using different drop backs to move the pocket or do you think he would just get sacked faster that way? Also would you consider very quietly bringing in an outside set of eyes to look at the O line, their inability to improve is frustrating and if they could get to average this team could be very good, in a year where even the Blue bloods seem flawed and the chances of an outside team winning the National championship is probably higher than usual. I would hate to see ND not take full advantage of the college landscape this year. Thanks for all your great insights!

Eric Hansen

12:38

Hi Chad and thanks. That you know who Miss Cleo is really made my day. ... Notre Dame is going to likely have a different approach offensively. The Irish go from facing the nation's No. 1 run defense to facing the nation's No. 2 pass-efficiency defense (and No. 66 rush defense). It would seem that passes to the backs and Mayer, and the running game might take precedence this week offensively. Defense is still going to have to carry this team -- likely through October -- until the offense can work through its current limitations.

Chad Denver

12:34

I wise journalist told his readers last week ND needs to lean on its defense and some help from special teams would be great too. Look out Ms. Cleo, EH will give you a run for your money!! Is the formula the same this week for ND? Can ND mix in more run or is Cincy tough on the run too like Wisc.? Great work as always and I hope you and your family, as well as the people you work with, are healthy.

Eric Hansen

12:34

Steve, the Cardinals' winning streak is surreal -- and fun! ... There is so much familiarity on both sides in the ND-UC matchup, I think it all cancels each other out. I think the most interesting part of that is how well Luke Fickell knows how Marcus Freeman thinks and how well Brian Kelly knows how Mike Denbrock thinks ... and vice versa. ... I don't think a jet sweep would have been a bad idea, but I'm not sure it would have opened up the middle. It'll be really interesting this week to see the Wisconsin defense match up with a Michigan offense that has been running the ball well.

Steve from St Louis

12:30

Hope all is well Eric. What a run by the Birds! In regards to advantages/disadvantages what are your thoughts on Freeman’s familiarity with facing the UC offense and the UC staff knowing where to attack the defense. Also ND knew it would be tough to run up the middle last week, were you surprised they didn’t try to go outside a few times maybe even a jet sweep just to see if they could open the middle? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

12:30

On this point, you are not crazy. But if Notre Dame is not able to evolve in the running game as the season goes in, it make the margin for error in each game thinner than it should be.

Dave from Ponte Vedra

12:29

It’s fairly evident after 4 games that we cannot run the football. Despite that, if we can somehow get by this weekend, we might run the tables. Am I crazy for thinking that?

Eric Hansen

12:28

If we do, we hear them from Brian Kelly, and they're really only asked about (and followed up on) if a call directly influences the outcome of a game. For example, the offensive pass interference call in the closing seconds at Florida State in 2014 or the non-targeting call that took out Torii Hunter Jr. at Texas in 2016. That's not to say we're not curious, but there's so much ground to cover each week, and it's usually not a priority.

Dale McDonald,Oh

12:26

i know the coaches submit plays from the previous game to the conference officiating office for review or clarification. The missed holding calls on our defensive line in the Wisconsin game come to mind. Do you ever hear of any feedback from those submissions?

Eric Hansen

12:26

For your second question, defensive scheme, personnel and game plans vary from week to week, so your offensive approach should take those into account on a weekly basis. With Wisconsin, it was smarter to attack them downfield, because that was the best chance for success. And you needed big-chunk plays against that defense. You were not going to be able to consistently drive the ball. Cincinnati, for instance, is a different challenge, because their cornerbacks are as good as ND will see all season. So maybe Mayer, Davis and the running backs have more priority in the game plan this week, because those are the more favorable matchups.

12:22

Thank you, Bill. To you first question. Our podcast, with Aaron Taylor, can give you a lot more depth here, but here's my abridged and abbreviated version: Injuries at LT combined with newness at four positions combined with a quarterback with limited footspeed and escapability. And in some cases, it's just one thing gone wrong, but that can produce completely unblocked defenders. Aaron's assessment, when I asked him, is that the problems are fixable. This year. So, you're not going to get a Joe Moore Award finalist this year -- but a functional O-Line that's average to above average is realistic. ...

Bill-Idaho Falls, Idaho

12:16

Good Afternoon Eric. You are my trusted source for ND Football questions as you always do your homework, before answering questions or you let the readers know you are just guessing. I have two questions for you today: 1. Offensive Line: I do not have the expertise, and I believe many readers on this chat don't either, to understand why the Offensive Line is not producing this year. What do your experts that you talk with tell you the issues are: QB failing to get them in the right formation? Tight end or running back missing a block? Line just missing one or two blocks? And most importantly, are the issues fixable this year or are we waiting until next year? 2. Everyone agrees we need to get the ball to our play makers-in particular Tyree and Williams. In the first three games they had 6-7 combined passes and got good yardage out of them. Against Wisconsin, they only had one combined catch. Why did Tommy Reese go away from getting them the ball in space? I did wee Williams blocking a lot.Thanks!

Eric Hansen

12:15

Steve, if you're going to move pieces around, the only realistic window to do that during the season without more disruption is the bye week. And even then it's risky. Here's why. Once you've settled into your best five and have placed them into their positions, each week is an investment in chemistry, in them experiencing different scenarios together at game speed and developing solutions TOGETHER. If you start moving people around, you are throwing away that investment of continuity and chemistry -- two unmistakable keys to offensive line play. It's much easier to make personnel changes or switch positions elsewhere on the field.

Steve F from DFW

12:10

Why not move Jarrett to LT, Zeke to C, & put Rocco #50 @ LG? Nobody wants Jack to get hurt, and he is taking a beating - tough QB!!!

Eric Hansen

Let's get to your questions.

12:09

PLEASE include your NAME and HOMETOWN with your question.

12:08

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