JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 7, 2022

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 7, 2022

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Eric Hansen

3:30

That's it for today. There's a lot of great questions sitting in the queue. My apologies for not being able to think and type faster to get to them. We'll do it all again next week at noon EDT on Wednesday. Thanks again everybody. for asking, reading, ranting and lurking.

3:28

John. ND has leverage in its current situation as to whether it wants to take the conference plunge or not. ... That is if the proejected NBC revenue numbers for the next contract are real and if the models Jack Swarbrick are building out hold up from the financial end for 5-10 years down the road. I think jumping into the Big 12 makes no sense. The stability of the league isn't comparable to the Big Ten or SEC and certainly the revenue is way behind what those two leagues command. And if you're joining the Big 12, because you think Notre Dame can't ever compete at the highest level, than I guess you don't understand the aspirations and the spirit of Notre Dame football.

Jonathan from Hershey, PArshey, PA

3:23

Hi Eric, When, in your opinion, will ND be forced to join a conference? We don't belong in the Big Ten or the SEC because we'll get our butts kicked and lose too many games. I think the Big 12 is the best option.

Eric Hansen

3:23

Tony, I don't remember the Mayer play you referenced well enough to comment, but the other one is etched indeiibly into my memory. So first thing goes wrong is that TaRiq Bracy gets hurt and is off the field for that play. He's replaced by Mickey. ND has three corners and three safeties in on that play. Two of the safeties are deep. Asking Mickey to handle the slot receiver alone is flawed, because both deep safeties blitzed -- from the parking lot. Stroud could have made a sandwich before they got to him. It also looked like JD Bertrand was supposed to blitz from the line, but he backed off in coverage. Maybe that would have made the difference? Didn't like the call at all.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

3:18

Hey Eric, I quickly went from "I'm ok with a close game to feeling angered at a loss." Probably need another hobby, ha. Anyway, I am likely not the first to ask, but the double safety "blitz" has been playing in my head sense the game. As soon as I saw them creeping pre snap, I said "oh no, Stroud sees this, and they better get home. And then there was what seemed to be hesitation to "get home". As I thought more and more, it seemed like just overall bad execution (bad snap read, no inside leverage by Morrison, and the hesitation to get home). What was your take and what did the coaches say? And the ABC camera did not show it, but on the rumble, stumble, fumble by Mayer, how much running room vertically did he have?

Eric Hansen

3:17

Hey Jay. Hope you enjoy it. Based on visits, I'd say the next commitment is most likely to come from WR Tayshaun Lyons, who is visiting for Cal (Sept. 17). RB Jeremiyah Love is scheduled to take his official visit to ND this weekend. It's down to Texas A&M and ND for him. I think ND will get a QB and a WR. Lyons is 50-50ish. DE Samuel M'Pemba is a bit of a long shot. So 25, 26. If Love signs with ND, I'd say their class would be No. 3. If not, 4 or 5.

Jay, Granger IN

3:14

Next 2023 recruit we will see on the board? Final 2023 number we will end up with and overall class ranking? Looking forward to be in attendance for opener this weekend. I can only imagine how much Freemen is looking forward to finally stepping on the field as head coach. GO ND!!!

Eric Hansen

3:11

Paul, I saw the same things you did with Lugg. It shouldn't happen. Even when you're seeing a new stunt or pressure you didn't see on film, you have to rely on your rules/techniques. ... As some of the chatters have pointed out, field position didn't help encourage a more daring game plan in the second half, but I sitll think ND would have been better off trying that to keep the OSU defense honest.

Paul from Toronto

3:09

Hi Eric. I wasn’t expecting a win but half way through the game my hopes were up. Two things . Josh Lugg seems to get lost on his blocking assignments. A couple of times he let a man go right by him to try and block someone Fisher was engaged with. Why is this happening to an experienced lineman. I understand the theory of what the game plan was, shorten the game and run the ball, but when everyone knows that’s what your doing shouldn’t you mix it up occasionally to make the original plan more effective.

Eric Hansen

3:08

Joey, I'm glad you weren't my first-grade teacher. I'd still be repeating it. I'm not sure what you're expectations were for a 17.5-point underdog on the road, but it sounds like you lost a bet. Seriously, there was a lot to critique in that game, but if you don't look at these games through a more realistic lens, you're going to be one unhappy guy. This is a process, not an event.

Joey G. Philadelphia, Pa

3:06

Hi Eric, I know you and some of the Irish fan base are happy with the effort against the Buckeyes! But I can’t say the same. I was extremely disappointed in Tommy Rees play calling. Our overrated Harry Hielstand coached O-Line. Our 1 catch apiece WR’s. And our usual loss against a Top 10 team. When teams come in to Norte Dame stadium as underdogs they throw everything at us. Like Toledo did last year. But we play teams passively like Alabama in the CFP & Ohio St Saturday night. When you say Freeman needs to take this program to the next level. Is this how you envisioned it? Aren’t we supposed to start trying to win these types of games? And no Jarret Patterson excuses! They played without Jaxon Smith Njigba for most of the game! Lol

Eric Hansen

3:05

Hi Don. I'll start by pointing out that the national perception of Notre Dame football coming out of the Ohio State game is much more favorable than that of the fan base's assessment. Not saying either one is right, but it's interesting. To your question, I've found fans in general are more encouraged by high-scoring losses than low-scoring ones — because in the scorefests, you always kind of feel you have a chance. Offense sells tickets. I do think there's enough talent and depth of talent in the two lines for us to be looking at them much differently when we go back and review at the end of the year. That Marcus Freeman is emphasizing those facets of this team, that its a part of the core identity, I believe, will help that growth process along.

Don in Phoenix

2:59

Eric, Hope you had a chance to visit your mother and enjoy a meal. I don't know why but this loss knocked me for a loop. I would have felt better if it was the usual type of loss to a team like OSU.....41-24. My question is are the O line and D line "fools gold"? Does HH have enough to work with at guard to raise the level of OL play this year? Does the D line have power at the edges to play against elite tackles? I realize they will get better over the next 3 weeks but how but better can they be?

Eric Hansen

2:59

Hey Jeff. I think the starters need all the reps TOGETHER that they can get. That's how they'll learn and get better. And given that they only played 48 snaps -- 41 fewer than the Oklahoma State game and fewer than any game in the Kelly Era -- I think it's reasonable for them to go the distance. Only 20 of those snaps came in hte second half. ... Thanks for watching and plugging the YouTube show.

Jeff from Phoenix

2:57

Good morning Eric, good to see you and Tyler on the monday Inside Notre Dame Sports You Tube show. My question is about strategy based on the snap counts from the OSU game. On the d-line, no players had more than 60% of snaps, indicating good rotation of players and depth. However on the o-line, all 5 starters played 100% of snaps. These guys could have used some rest/rotation in the second half, IMO. Did the coaches stick with the same players due to the lack of talent depth on the o-line or forego freshness to try to maintain some continuity for that group? Do you expect to see at least some new players on the o-line this week? Thanks much-

Eric Hansen

2:56

Hi Terry, if Tosh Baker rose to the level of being one of the top five and Alt and Fisher were healthy, he would have to play guard.

Terry from Ithaca, NY

2:55

The OL had a bad game and the center seemed to still be a weak link. What is your sense of any other OL candidates being ready to get some playing time? If Baker becomes one of the top five who plays guard? I still like a left side of Alt and Fisher.

Eric Hansen

2:54

Joe, it's too small of a sample size to call it a trend and draw any solid conclusions, but it is enough of one to get your antenna up, which is exactly what you're doing. It's a fair question. I'd like to think we'll have our answer when the offensive line grows into its potential. So certainly by Clemson (and likely before), but that profoundly difficult matchup with Clemson's defense will inform your answer.

JoeP from Los Angeles

2:51

Thank you for your great work, Eric. We always appreciate your efforts. I'm a big fan of Tommy Rees, and I loved the hire from the outset. However, the last couple of games have created some concerns for me. Under Coach Freeman, Tommy in theory has much greater autonomy to run the offense than he did under our former "we have to coach better" head coach. In the last two games, our opponents have made some significant halftime adjustments that have completely shut down our offense in the second half. It appears that Tommy has been unable to respond to those adjustments, as our offense has essentially gone 3-and-out on virtually every second half possession in the last two games. I'm very concerned about this trend. Can you give me your thoughts on whether my concerns are based merely on my simplistic analysis of the last two games, or whether there may be some underlying issues with Tommy's ability to see the opponent's adjustments on defense and make the corresponding adjustments on offense? TY!

Eric Hansen

2:50

Not sure what you're talking about. He's the first one listed as the most recent verbal commitment.

2:49

NEIL

2:49

Why is Mulcan not listed on '23 recruits?

Eric Hansen

2:47

Doug, really good line of questioning here. If you weren't so far away and always bragging about your weather (kidding), I'd buy you a beer. I touched on a lot of those points in this piece Monday morning: Analysis: What Freeman learns from ND's big-game moments matters most ... It starts with better athletes, but while that process is happening (assuming ND will continue its recent recruiting momentum), Marcus will evolve as well as a gameday coach. So those two things will kind of happen with similar timelines.

Doug from Sunny Florida

2:42

Eric, since 2016, ND has been in that high 2nd tier of teams knocking on the door to get into the top tier with Alabama, Georgia, etc. I may be one of the few that saw enough on Saturday to think that they're knocking a little louder now. I think the game plan on both sides was as good as it could get given there is still a gap in overall personnel. That falls onto the coaches and I think the coaching turnover, head coach included, is heading on a better course than previous years. What gets us over the hump into the top tier? Better athletes? Better in-game adjustments by coaches?

Eric Hansen

2:41

Stanley, thanks. Really glad you enjoyed the YouTube show, Monday Night Live. That will continue throughout the season at 7 p.m. ET on Mondays (hence the name). We apparently agree on a lot of our takeaways from the game. I haven't seen the calls for Pyne to replace Buchner, but I haven't worked my way through a very deep question queue this week. But that notion is absurd. ... I still think Clemson at home and BYU in Vegas are the toughest games, and for very different reasons. USC on the road will be a challenge. I originally thought North Carolina might be a trap game, but their defense is awful. They're 114th in total defense after having played a Florida A&M teeam missing 20 players and Appy State (gave up 40 fourth-quarter points). My new trap game is Syracuse ... on the road ... a week before the Clemson game. The Orange punked Louisville this past weekend, 31-7.

Stanley in Chester VA

2:31

Afternoon, Eric, Really enjoying your new features, the YouTube shows. Good to see a face behind the voice. Why are we hearing so many screams for Tommy Rees' head? I thought, what with the restrictions place upon him, he called a pretty good game. And I also thought that Tyler Buchner was all I hoped he'd be in his debut, and yet many fans are ready to dump him in favor of Pyne. Does that make sense? After all, he was facing a team loaded with 5 stars. Looking ahead, where do you think the toughest matchups lurk in this year's schedule? Thanks again for all you do for us in the trenches.

Eric Hansen

2:31

Bob, I'm not going to try to talk you into what your position on Rees should be. I do know people who I respect when it comes to football knowledge believe he is an elite offensive mind. In reality, this is a big year for Rees to define who he is and whether production will meet potential. What I would suggest is some patience to let the season play out a little bit more. It's kind of like walking out of a movie during the warmup cartoon.

Bob - Loganville, GA

2:28

Eric, Why should I be encouraged in Tommy since he no longer has the reigns of BK. In two game riding solo the offense was worse in the second half than the 1st with no adjustments in either game. 17 points in the last 6 quarters. Granted against tuff defenses but we will never beat these teams with this offense. The only touchdown scored was in large part due to Salerno’s circus catch. I’m losing faith that TR can get the job done.

Eric Hansen

2:28

Jack, nice to hear from you. There's a big difference in pulling a guard from a basketball game and an offensive guard from a football game, especially when that guard has taken so many reps during practice working on chemistry and non-verbal communication to survive in a raucous stadium environment. Better to pull Lugg aside between series and help him get it right the next time.

Jack revord, glenview,IL

2:25

Greetings Eric! On one play in particular Josh Lugg did not touch the defensive lineman for a sack of Buckner. It seems to me that Harry should have pulled him immediately and put somebody in the clear hand on a rush man, your comments? Thank you JACK

Eric Hansen

2:25

I think he was being honest.

Greg from Chicago

2:24

Lots of slings, arrows and criticism directed at Rees Saturday night. It seemed to me that MF went out of his way at the Monday presser to praise Rees as a team player who slowed down the offense, used the play count, delayed snap counts, etc., etc. as if he wanted to take some heat off Rees. Did you interpret that or was it just me?

Eric Hansen

2:21

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and guess that you are auditioning for Last Comic Standing?

Andrew from Washington DC

2:20

Facts are facts and Marcus Freeman has the lowest winning % in ND history. By Far. Would Gruden or Stoops be interested?

Eric Hansen

2:19

hi Dave. I'd give it time. The WR corps had a lot to prove coming into the season and still does. But the better the O-line becomes, the more the offense has the ability to be balanced, the faster Buchner grows, the better those playmakers are going to look.

Dave, ponte Vedra FL

2:18

Somewhat pleased with the outcome Saturday night. The defense looks like it could be stout. I’ll give the o line a pass without Patterson. On the other hand, where are the playmakers? I knew the receiving corps was thin, but they all but disappeared. Was it just the Buckeyes superiority, or do we have issues in that area?

Eric Hansen

2:17

Jerry, thank you. This week? I would plug Patterson in if he's ready, and coach up the other four. At the end of the season, barring injury, my expectation is Fisher-Lugg-Correll-Patterson-Alt. Changing O-linemen sounds like a better idea on paper than it is in practice. But sometimes it works -- like Alt and Kristofic last year replacing Carmody and Correll. Too early in my mind to make that kind of move. If we're still having this conversation in the bye week (Oct. 1), that would be the itme to make changes.

Jerry from Dallas

2:12

Jerry from Dallas: Eric, what changes would you make to the starting OL for this game? What would you expect the starting OL to be at the end of the season? As always, thanks for being here for all of us.

Eric Hansen

2:12

Hi Fred, and thank you. Not even close to the same situation, though Marcus has veto power as the head coach. Kelly was a lot more involved in the offensive meetings than Marcus will ever be -- at least this season.

fred from oakland

2:11

Eric, Do you think Marcus Freeman is letting Tom Rees call all the plays on offense or is it the same situation with Tom Rees deferring to Brian Kelly on offensive play calls? thanks. you're the best.

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