JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Sept. 30, 2026

Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Sept. 30, 2026

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Eric Hansen

3:14

OK, I am way into overtime and I am sure in trouble with someone for doing so, just not sure who. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon ET!

3:13

Glenn, first off football was a way different game in the Holtz Era than it is now. You could have QBs who were average, even below average passers in that age that would not compete in today's spread offenses. I wouldn't look at it as taking what the defense is giving as much as I would attacking mismatches. And if Georgia and Miami were playing defenses the caliber of their own or Notre Dame's in a game, I guarantee you, they would be doing the same and not being stubborn to live up to an identity. You are right about the low number of offensive plays, and that's coming up in my piece later this week, but there's some hidden benefits to that. But you know what's also encouraing, ND has a tempo gear it can execute at a high level if/when game circumstances dicate it.

Glenn from Seattle, WA

3:09

Hi Eric. A lot has been written about CJ’s ability to recognize defenses, make adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and consistently put ND in position to take what the defense is giving them. Going back to the Holtz era, it seemed like ND often imposed its will on defenses and took what it wanted, rather than checking out of plays based on the defense. Even today, teams like Georgia and Miami seem to have enough offensive firepower to dictate terms regardless of how the defense lines up. Is there a concern that ND’s relative lack of offensive firepower could eventually catch up with them against better defenses? And can elite defenses disguise coverages or give CJ conflicting pre-snap looks that make it difficult for him to check into the right play? Related to that, CJ’s adjustments at the line of scrimmage seem to be contributing to a relatively low number of offensive plays per game. Is there any concern that when ND faces adversity, particularly when trailing, they won't be able to speed things up?

Eric Hansen

3:09

Ced, I am stunned at how effective Loghan Thomas has been as a defensive end weighing less than 225 pounds, especially in the run game. Hats off to him and DL coach Charlie Partridge.

ced

3:07

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw pride glad to see Rodney Dunham jonaz Walton getting playing time , the real surprised this season is Logan Thomas how you feel Logan been playing God Bless This Football Teamhere 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

3:06

Don, it's not something I discussed with Marcus Freeman in our Monday presser, but I can't imagine another coach handling things as poorly as Lincoln Riley did. And if you didn't see the clip from the USC announcer, wow.

Don from LA

3:05

As always, thanks for the chats, Eric. Not that our players would ever act the way the USC players acted after the Desman Stephens III hit on Dante Moore -- but did Coach Freeman use this as a teachable moment, or was there any discussion of the aftermath? I would imagine our players would be coached to 1. go to the bench if you made the hit or 2. Take a knee when an opposing player is unconscious on the field?

Eric Hansen

3:05

Sorry got these out of order, will fix in the transcript. Len!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for getting your question all on one screen. I appreciate it. Because you did that, I would have even answered it if you asked for my secret pasta sauce recipe, which I am glad you did not. ... to your succinct question !!! Len, I am going to have to dig up the diagnosis on CJ and maybe include it next week or email you. The answer to your offensive line question is in today's story: Inside why Joe Rudolph believes Notre Dame’s offensive line is coming of age

The Cliffs Notes version is it's much more difficult than you'd think, because you're not doing much at full speed to avoid injury, and players get used to the moves of even elite guys like Traore and Young when they see them enough. ... And thanks for the hype on the Mr. October story!

2:59

Here is your answer. Not your imagination. Here is the percentage of catches on contested targets in the Freeman Era:
2022: 53.6%
2023: 51.0%
2024: 66.7%
2025: 46.0%
2026: 31.6%

And there are three players who could help this, one of who is out for the season -- Quincy Porter. But I think Greathouse and Ian Premer are two players who could push that percentage higher, given the opportunity.

Len from the Jersey Shore

2:59

Hello Eric!!!! Great coverage again. My first question was who can develop into a player that can help later in the season. You answered it already in "Notre Dame's Mr October....". I encourage everyone on the chat to read that article. It appeared that Purdue did not have the pass rushers that gave the tackles fits in the Wisconsin and Mich. St games. In the spirit of challenging everything, is there anything in practice, above what is being done already, that can be done to better simulate pressure and prepare these tackles (and all O linemen) for good pass rushers? Second question, what was the issue with CJ's elbow two years ago?

Eric Hansen

2:56

Hey Mike/Mo/!!^^!! I had to so some math ... sorry for the delay ...

Mike AKA Mo from Maumee OH

2:50

Hi Eric !!^^!! Wonderful to see ND take care of business against Purdue- didn't always happen during my student days back in the early 1970's. My question is about "contested catches"- to me, it seems like ND receivers are losing the battle for 50-50 balls more than over the past few years. Just my imagination? If it isn't my imagination, could it partly be that ND doesn't have that big-bodied 6'4" receiver as they did of the past few years? Thanks!!!

Eric Hansen

2:50

Hi Jack, ignore the weekly Heisman polls. I believe CJ Carr is on a trajectory to be in New York as a Heisman finalist, and he'll have the opportunity to make that more apparent on bigger stages later in the season. For now, he's operating at a very high level. I have a story coming later this week that spells out why, kind of behind the numbers piece. And yes, congrats to the Cleveland Guardians.

Jack,Strongsvville, Ohio

2:47

Hi Eric. From the home of the AL Central champs Cleveland Guardians. We both remember years when the question was whether the Cleveland Indians would avoid losing100 games. What a turn around. My question today is after 4 games what is your evaluation of CJ Carr? He appears to be a superlative game manager. Thanks as always for all your work.

Eric Hansen

2:47

So I texted Tony, because, well he and I have met and struck up a Mexican food/beer alliance. And his wife is in on it too. He said he meant Jonaz Walton, so I will answer that version of the question. Yes, Walton has become the No. 1 option on kickoff returns. And North Carolina has not been good at kickoff coverage -- ranking 99th this season out of 138 FBS teams.

2581

2:44

Tony from Lexington, KY, the current home of the Kentucky Wildcats' Kenny Minchey ! Is Bubba Frazier really KR1 for the UNC game? If so, I hope he gets the chance to show his ability !

Eric Hansen

2:41

So what might the Belichick family, Bob Diaco and who knows who else cook up to cause some problems in Chapel Hill? Well they did have a bye week for some extra prep time and healing time. They are way better on defense than offense, but I don't know how good either of those elements are. The impressive ranking by UNC is No. 9 in sacks. The troubling number is 116th in third-down conversions. If Notre Dame plays as well as I think they can in the first half, this could be the game where the wheels start falling off on the Bill Belichick experiment in Chapel Hill.

2:37

Ciao Paul, I mention the word "lasagna" in a recent anwer, and who pops up with a question. You never did tell me if you can make that at an elite level. ... Let's get to some football ... I think significant might be too strong of a word to use. I would say it got incrementally better. I felt going in, a 5.0 yards-per-carry average was an important benchmark, and they got 5.5. I hesitate to use Pro Football Focus grades, because quite frankly, they've been weird this year, but PFF has ND improving in the run game in each of its games so far. (more)

Paul from Knoxville

2:28

Ciao Eric: I'd like to ask for your thoughts on the progress (or lack thereof) in our rushing offense during the Purdue game. Aside from statistics -- since Purdue's rushing defense appears below average -- did you observe improvements from the O line and/or RBs that indicate we're getting significantly better? For the upcoming game, does UNC do anything particularly well that could challenge ND? Similarly, what do they not do so well that we could take advantage? Buon viaggio a Chapel Hill e buon rientro!

Eric Hansen

2:28

Hi Bill. I like that last condition. 4.3 speed isn't going to happen with me either, nor necessarily is 14.3 speed, unless there's lasagna or ribs at the finish line. ... to your question, and this is a fun one. ... With Aneyas, he's actually shown it before. Quit pressing, quit running up the behinds of your linemen ... let your blocks set up, hit your crease and take off. With Nolan James Jr., cutting at full speed is his gift and I'd lean into that more. With Jonaz, keep working on the things other than the running part ... being an asset in the passing game, being trusted to block. The home runs in the running game will come.

Bill - Texas

Greetings Eric!

2:22

Can you provide one component of each of the top three RBs game that you personally would like to see improve in order to show progression and development? Leave out other considerations like Oline for now and speak to the RBs. For example, you could choose Williams and vision or Walton and patience. What is the one factor that you think would get them on the field more and be more effective running the ball. Try to stick with possible outcomes, i.e. saying James and 4.3 speed is just not going to happen, lol. Thanks!!

Eric Hansen

2:20

And it's been an evolving thing with Marcus. In 2022, he was much less involved with the offense. Now he has a comfort level on both sides of the ball. And if there's something to fix, he's in the middle of it. Like last year's slow start by the defense. But he does give these guys some freedome. For example, the biggest difference between Al Golden and Chris Ash is how much more of an emphasis Ash puts on rush D. And Marcus was on board with that.

2:18

Hi Beth! Thanks for your questions. Let's dive in. What Marcus does is present a big picture of his vision for the program. One of those tenets is being an offensive line/defensive line-driven program. So his hirings reflect that. But then once they're here, how does that work. And it's very different in season and out of season. But I would say once they collaborate and debate and come to a common vision in the offseason, Marcus let's his coordinators coach. He trusts them. This allows him to move around to where he's needed most. (more)

Beth from Westfield, IN

2:06

Hey Eric! Just wanted to let you know that I have always been very happy with Mike Denbrock as the OC. He can coach an elite running game with Riley Leonard or an air show with Jayden Daniels. Not having a good OC can kill a program (see Georgia Tech or Texas A&M). My question is about how Marcus manages his coordinators. Does he lay out an overall strategy and let them work out the details or does he attend most of the meetings and hash out everything with them? Does he give more oversight and time to one side of the ball? Just curious on how he does things. Whatever he does seems to be working!

Eric Hansen

By the way, what's for dinner?

2:06

I am not optimistic Charles Jagusah is realistic to come back during the regular season. He has surprised us before with quicker injury timelines, but I just don't see it. There have been no official updates from Marcus Freeman, but in ND's weekly availability updates that continue to keep him out of the "out for the season" category.

2:03

We've dabbled in the right guard talk already, but there's more here to tease out based on your questions. I don't think they'd move Cam Herron there, after spending time talking to Joe Rudolph last night. I really think the equation is Absher, Prescod or Augustine. I think Augustine is the best long-term option for this season, but how soon can he be that version of himself. McKeogh, Thom and Strebig are all ascending players at tackle, but I don't think they're close enough to being starter-ready that you're going to move Presod out of being your third tackle. And if that's his focus, can he be your first right guard. I'd roll with Absher for now, see how he improves and then deal with this again when Augustine is back. (more)

1:58

Dave, in journalism, there is a long-uttered axiom: "Don't bury the lede" -- and they spell it lede and not lead. I do both, for the record, because it looks weird. But you buried the lede, big time. However, it was smart strategy, if that invite for a home cooked country meal had been higher in that paragraph, my brain would have frozen. And don't think I won't take you up on it! OK to your real questions ... (more)

Dave from Mitchell, GA

1:56

Eric, hope you are having a good week so far. Another good win in the books and I am happy with what I saw from our team. The only negative was giving up the TD with a few seconds on the clock. It's a shame because the defense had a great game. I understand it was against the second team but they need to stay mentally sharp until they see 0:00. I see more negatives written about the run game and I read something from your colleague Jack Soble, who said in a nutshell, the talk about the RB's doesn't matter if the O-line doesn't block. There is only so much you can do if there isn't a hole. Is there any plan to give someone else a look at RG? It seems Absher and/or Prescod aren't getting it done consistenly. What about Herron moving to RG? Also, have you heard any updates on Jagusah and when/if he will return? Thanks for all the great content you publish/produce. If you are ever in the East-Central GA area, stop by for a home cooked country meal.

Eric Hansen

1:56

Now if you're asking if Dallas Golden could have been a college-caliber wide receiver coming out of high school, heck yeah. So could Joe O'Brien and Brauntae Johnson to name a couple of more. Even situationally, the only one that might make sense would be O'Brien with that 6-5 frame as a surprise red zone play in one game only.

1:54

Hi Brian, I get the spirit of your question. But let me start with your assessment of Wisconsin. IN my brief encounters with the people of Wisconsin, including the trip to Green Bay in September, wow, what nice people. I wish I was related to them. Maybe it's the steady diet of cheese curds, brats and beer that has them so nice? OK, to your question ... Notre Dame has 16 scholarship receivers on the roster. So depth shouldn't be a problem. And if you plugged in Dallas Golden, taking away your No. 2 nickel, to be a fourth/fifth-string receiver midway through a season doesn't make much sense. (more)

Guest

1:51

Brian here from the best state in the Union,Wisconsin Do you think Dallas Golden could do a Travis Hunter and give ND better depth at WR? I’m afraid an injury or two at that wr position will dismantle the team against top 10 teams

Eric Hansen

1:50

Here it is:
Inside Notre Dame’s hypothetical CFP path — and how the Irish measure up

The short version is ND, if it met the highest possible seed in each round of its playoff path, it would face Indiana, Georgia and Texas. Of those three, Texas has the most fault lines and kind of astonishingly so, even given their level of competition to date. IU is the toughest eval. Georgia looks like the most formidable when it comes to matchups on paper. Lots of football to be played that could change those trends.

1:45

G-Smooth! I have mixed emotions about your nickname for me. I've got 8 -- soon to be 9 -- grandkids, with four of them having birthdays in the coming weeks. I don't want them to get to ambitious with their wish lists when they see the term Monday used in my name. ...To your question. I haven't teased out the entire playoff field yet in terms of matchups. That's a better November story, but I did take a look at Notre Dame's playoff path if the season ended today and how the Irish would match up against those teams. (more)

Gabe from Walkerton

1:41

E-Money! Now that we have about a quarter of a season to review, projecting to the playoffs, who do you see as the toughest matchups for ND? Who does ND match up really well with? Who does USC match up with in the camping world bowl assuming they can pull some upsets to be bowl eligible LOL

Eric Hansen

1:41

Hi Charley, there are several questions in the queue today that kind of touch on this theme. You addressed it pretty succinctly, plus saying you're from the Sip is just too cool to pass on. I am doing an analysis piece later in the week on this, so I won't give it all away today. But one stat that you can really tie to CJ Carr's line of scrimmage chess playing is tackles for loss allowed. Notre Dame has allowed 8 in four games for a total of 20 yards. That's No. 3 nationally in fewest per game.

Charley From the Sip

1:39

Hey Eric - we constantly hear about how good CJ is at getting the offense out of bad plays. Are there statistics that back this up? Negative play rates or something of the sort?

Eric Hansen

1:38

I named Ian Premer as one of my five Mr. October candidates (players who could ascened in October, not dominate like the baseball Mr. Octobers). So yes, I think both the talent and opportunity will be there for him to push his way into a larger role. I touched on the Mylan Graham point earlier. Some players reach this point and find the fire ... Jerome Bettis and Elijah Burress are good examples. Some kind of stay stuck, and Cam Williams is swimming in that sea right now.

1:36

As far as Augstine returning, one of the things I wrote about in my O-line piece today was the value of banking game reps. So yes, there is a calculus of determining whether a possible talent upgrade is worth the temporary chemistry upgrade. My sense in this case it is. In the case of moving Ashton Craig to guard and Joe Otting elevated to starting center, it was not worth the risk. (more)

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