JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 3, 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Sept. 3, 2025

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Tony

1:55

From Pawlet Vt. Very disappointed in game plan and “witness protection program” for Love. Why didn’t Denbrock make changes after 1st quarter?
Think O line misses Coigan and Spindler. Two tough maulers.

Eric Hansen

1:55

Before I move on to the next question, this is about a team playing up to its potential. I get that, but it was a three-point loss on the road against at team that's ranked No. 5. Not a loss at home to a multi-TD underdog.

I don't understand the final question, so I'll wing it. I'd expect improvement in both lines just as we saw last year.

1:52

We didn't get a chance to talk to Adon Shuler, so that question is deferred. But I do think he's a good enough player to learn from that and not make it a trend. The whole game was a step back for him, but he's got talent and drive and let's see what he does with that. I think the staff feels good about the freshman CBs, but they only had one game rep between them at Miami and only then because Christian Gray hurt his shoulder. In time, I think you'll see more of them. A&M is going to be tricky, because the toughest matchups are at field receiver (Gray) and slot (Smith/Hobbs) and not boundary. (more)

1:45

Len, I know I deserve only a comma today. I'm not going to agree or refute your observations, just cut to the questions. There's times I have to say "I don't know" and to your Knapp question, that's my answer. Wasn't asked. We do know he came out in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Styles Prescod. Have no answers why Aamil Wagner struggled, maybe part of it was the shuggle at RG, but he dealt with that well last year. (more).

Len from the Jersey Shore

1:38

Hello Eric, that was a bizzarro game. What was expected to be good was bad. The O line and secondary brought up the rear of position grades IMO. Was Knapp physically compromised as the game went on and not just in the fourth quarter? I had him ranked first amongst O line after quarter one. Not surprised Aamil Wagner PFF grade dropped from initial grade. He was awful, coming from a player that was MR. Consistency last season. What was up there? Secondary players do high point drills all the time and probably since Pop Warner. Why did Adon Shuler wait for the ball and not attack the ball in the air on second Miami TD? IMO worst play of the game since it was so fundamentally unsound. Will Freshmen/RSfreshmen CB's rise up to the occasion as coaches believe? Need some depth there. A self fulfilling prophecy. Since the O line is so good and best in the country by so may outlets, the D line playing the O line tight in pre season must mean the D line is pretty good also. Where does the truth lie?

Eric Hansen

1:36

HI Tony. For those unfamiliar Carter Karels used to work with me at the South Bend Tribune and is an A&M alum and now works covering them. We talk all the time, so I know more about the Aggies than any other team on the Irish schedule. And I also know that Carter still has a serious illness with he taste buds, because he thinks a certain takeout pizza chain's products (PJ) is the equivalent of eating caviar.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

1:34

Hey Eric, for this next game, it seems like TAMUs weaknesses line up perfectly with what the Irish can exploit. I feel much better about this game. I am assuming you and Tyler will have one of Intel from Carter Karels soon about TAMU?

Eric Hansen

1:34

Texas A&M's offense will be a challenge, so it's a good measuring stick. its defense has a lot to prove. Not in Miami's class.

1:33

Mike thanks for watching and for the hype. I appreciate it. Chris Ash was pretty quiet with the media and played things closed to the vest. An aside, when I first got into sports writing, the first basketball coach I covered was Bob Knight at Indiana and did so for more than a decade before ND football became my beat. But if you asked him a question of how much this vs. how much of that, he could give you an answer that went out like 12 spots past the decimal point and somehow that quickly get it to add up to 100 percent. For instance, it was 59.1783245 percent Ash's scheme. I won't do that do you, because I like you and it's a darn good question. I think Miami is good. I think Chris Ash made them look better. A year 3 version of Al Golden would have had more and better counterpunches. Not sure the Year 1 version of him would have. This is a big week for Chris Ash. I'm willing to be patient, and see if there's improvement in game 2. (more)

Mike from Santa Barbara

1:28

Hey, Eric, great FNS session on Monday night by you and Tyler! You calmed [some] fans’ nerves after a disappointing outcome with Miami. My question relates to Chris Ash. I have not heard much from him since he came to ND, and the Defensive performance on Sunday was uneven until the fourth quarter. How much of that performance was driven by his schemes, and how much was attributable to Miami simplu

Eric Hansen

1:25

Hi Skip. It wasn't addressed in the short postgame press conference, but my bet would be it was because of the fumble.

Skip / Houston

1:24

Price did not get a carry other than during one drive. Was he hurt? Was it the fumble? Or ...? Thanks.

Eric Hansen

1:24

You know Ced, I don't disagree with any of that, even if you put in all in one sentence. I can tell you know your football. I do think you'll see more of the offensive playbook with each succeeding week as Carr grows into it and shows he can handle it. It wasn't about his lack of ability to throw downfield, it was his inexperience, and unexpectedly a very very off night for the O-line. All the other stuff I won't amend, but to add Botelho returned WAY ahead of schedule and got 9 snaps. I would expect to see more of him each week, including some when he and Traore are on the field at the same time.

Guest

1:21

ced walker Saginaw Michigan aka sagnasty Saginaw pride Marcus Freeman needs mike denbrock to open the play book more didn't like the first drive with the short passes c.j. carr threw get the running game going first offensive line need to blocked better Chris ash defense need to play better coverage adon shuler should've attacked the ball and it would've been a sure int Jordan botelho need more snaps God Bless This Football Team here 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

1:21

The leadership thing is something that shows itself in times of adversity, as I mentioned a bit ago. Everyone can lead when it's right turns and green lights. Thank back to last year too with Riley Leonard for instance. There was a huge shift on how he mentally approached the game but also changes with his relationship with Mike Denbrock and how that changed the X's and O's. I think ND's leaders will come forward. The fix to me is on the shoulders of the coaches to come up with some schematic fixes and teach them with CLARITY.

1:18

Hi Bob!! Thanks for making the effort with punctuation, and there's a lot packed in there after it. So let's start with the backs against the wall. The NIU loss last season did galvanize the 2024 team, but chemistry and dynamics change each year. And as I mentioned earlier, I don't think ND lost to Miami because they were overconfident or not urgent enough in their prep or looking ahead to Texas A&M. I really lean into X's and O's fixes over attitude adjustment with this team. (more)

Bob Gorman Oak Park IL

1:15

Eric!!! Fewer ! given the mood following loss. One of my sons, a Buckeye fan first and then ND, observed that perhaps ND likes to play with its back against the wall. He pointed out how they needed to win out after NIU, and then come back against PSU, OSU and now Miami while showing true resilience and grit. Do you think there is something to that? Must it be do or die for them to find the energy? Secondly, since you are closer to the campfire as you interact with the players, are the "leaders" of this team growing into their roles? Do they need to be microwaved? Is there a drop off from Kiser, Riley, Watts. Leonard? If so, I would expect that some of these young guys will grow into that role but maybe not by 2 weeks from now for A&M. Thoughts? A friend, John Sweeney, suggested that winning a Natty is like catching lightning in a bottle. Perhaps the growth of Carr and development of leaders makes next year a more likely scenario to capture the lightning and shake down the thunder?

Eric Hansen

1:14

In the bye week, yes. And that makes tons of sense. In the game, no. Not more than he usually is involved.

Marie from Atlanta

1:13

Hey Eric, one last question, in light of the defensive performance and the defensive play calling fo you see Marcus Freeman getting a little more hands-on with the defense?

Eric Hansen

1:13

Hi Tony, I probably share your big-picture view ... although had ND won, there still would have been a lot to clean up. I voted ND No. 9 in the AP poll this week, which is where they landed, because I do believe this is a Top 10 team. Now the Smith and Hobbs question. I was a little stunned when I saw the snap counts, because it did feel like Hobbs played most of them at nickel, but here's the breakdown: Total defensive snaps 71, Smith 37, Hobbs 21, 13 when neither one was on the field. I think we noticed Hobbs, because that's where the completions were. His coverage grade was rough and his tackling grade was below 20. So he's going to want to redeem himself. He's better than that. But you're right even that split, I thought would be greater in Smith's favor, considering the very difficult matchup in the slot with Malachi Toney.

Tony, Lake Mary, FL

1:05

Hi Eric, if I want to look for silver lining, a 3 point loss when the team did not look great, especially the lines, feels like highway robbery. We are well past moral victories with Freeman, but if it wasn't for two spectacular plays for Miami TDs this is a different feel. I am really interested to see if the Irish can improve and also see if Miami will stay undefeated. This game made me feel like they had to have had moments where they didn't play well for the score to be what it was ,but no one is talking about that. Curious if you have thoughts on that. The other question is, with Hobbs seemingly following Miami WRs all night, I didn't hear any mention of Devonta Smith. Was he not in the field when Hobbs came in? With the chatter about Smith,.I felt like he would be like Jordan Clark and never come off the field.

Eric Hansen

1:04

I didn't love the pass defense and neither did PFF. Now, when there's little to know pass rush, that's one of the consequences, but I feel like in the bye week Mike Mickens will have some good input as to how to tweak some of those calls, etc.

1:03

Hi Joe and thank you. There are services, like Pro Football Focus, that chart drops. Although it's more tied to the receiver than altering the QBs numbers. If you were going to alter it because of drops, then do you also alter it the other way for Beck when CJ Daniels makes an insane catch that should have been an incompletion or pick. All in all, Carr's 140.5 pass efficiency rating was almost the same as Carson Beck's (141.4) and really good considering the defense he was playing against. (more)

Joe, Valparaiso, IN

1:00

Hello Eric, thanks so much for your excellent, grounded reporting. One comment and two questions. No complaints or harsh criticism on Carr's performance. For a first start in a hostile environment, in my opinion, he exceeded expectations. Do you think there should be a separate statistic for quarterbacks and passer ratings that encompasses drops? Seemed as though various receivers, especially one, had quite a few of them. Also, what is your opinion regarding secondary calls. I'm not a DC, but considering the quality of the ND defensive backs, I thought there was in inordinate amount of soft rather than press coverage. Thoughts?

Eric Hansen

12:56

Hi Terry. Not sure Tony Romo could have done that with how much ND's O-line was struggling, and even more so with a backup left tackle making his college debut in the game.

Terry. Ithaca, NY.

12:55

Why no comments on the 2 min offense? 64 seconds s/b enough to get in field goal position. Haven't the OC or QB ever watched football on TV. I recommend they watch Tony Romo at Dallas. He was a master. Your thoughts?

Eric Hansen

12:54

Jack, thank you. I think Alabama has the toughest road, based on its remaining schedule. Now that also means more opportunities for redemptions, but Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma, Auburn and South Carolina? Good night. Texas and Clemson can play their way into their league championship game. Notre Dame does not have that option. Clemson does not play Miami in ACC play this season, but they do have some toughies in Florida State, SMU and South Carolina (non-conf.). If I were to rate the paths, I'd go Texas most favorable, followed by ND, Clemson and Bama.

Jack, Strongsville, Oh

12:47

Hi Eric. Which of the four pre-season top ten teams, Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama or Clemson loss over the weekend has made their path to the CFP the most challenging? Thanks as always for all your hard work.

Eric Hansen

12:46

Lou Holtz used to like to say, "Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it." And so, this next week and a half is going to tell us a lot about that, not just with regard to the six captains, but to other leaders ... like Jeremiyah Love and Leonard Moore, for instance. So that story is being written and we'll get a reveal on Sept. 13 ... and beyond. I happen to think there are some strong leaders in this team. ... You are not alone, Fred, in your assessment that the team looked flat. The queue is full of that today. I think it was more playing confused. And when you don't play confident, you don't play fast. I remember Marcus' year as DC at Notre Dame and after some early struggles, he had to tweak his scheme to get the players playing with velocity. Marcus Freeman's ND teams are 5-0 in the first game after a bye, so let's see what this looks like then and it might be quite different. That is my expectation.

Guest

12:36

Fred Laskowski, Phoenix AZ. Hi Eric, I am surprised that Notre Dame came out so flat and performed so poorly with no fire. Hard to see who the leaders on the team will be. How can this happen after a team just played for the national championship? This was reminiscent of a BK coached team; not a MF team

Eric Hansen

12:33

Manny! Thanks for the token exclamation point, Hang in there. Let me give you the least complicated version of my answer. It would not end it, but it would really would give you no margin for error and take your destiny out of your hands. An 11-1 Irish team is definitely in, maybe even plays its way up to the top 4. A 10-2 Irish team needs some things to align beyond there not being a lot of other great 10-2 options. 1. Root for Miami to either be the ACC champ or lose enough that they fall behind ND. 2. Hope that there's more octane in the November schedule that was on paper at the start of the season. And that could happen. BC or maybe Pitt, Navy too, but not a lot of convincing options yet. 3. Play well enough that the first two games look like outliers.

Manny from san pedro

12:25

Eric! Disappointing week 1. My question does a loss next week essentially end our playoff chances?

Eric Hansen

12:24

Hi Marty. KVA was indeed Notre Dame's top-rated defender in the Pro Football Focus film grades. Originally, Jaylen Sneed and Jaiden Ausberry were high too, but PFF recalibrates those scores midweek and they've both dropped some. The player who really struggled was Drayk Bowen, which is a surprise. Miami is good, but I'm going to strike it up to the first game in the new scheme. This is supposed to be a linebacker-friendly scheme. It was not in game 1. Better days are ahead for that group. There's a ton of talent, and Texas A&M's offense will test them.

Marty, San Antonio, TX

12:19

Eric, I know it’s just the one game but our LB corps minus KVA did not seem stellar. It may just be this opponent but they seemed out of sorts and not ready at time of snap. How do you feel that group performed?

Eric Hansen

12:19

I would have like to see Jeremiyah Love get more touches. I think we will see that in game 2. Not sure what I would have called on that 2nd-and-2. I know this is not going to be popular to say this, but I believe Mike Denbrock will prove to be elite over the long run of the season as OC.

12:17

As far as more run plays, I think Mike Denbrock was using the early part of the game to take inventory against a new DC for Miami, then figure out the best way to attack. Lots of in-game adjustments and layer on top a new QB and communication challenges. I thought the game plan evolved well in the second half and will evolve on a weekly basis moving forward. I would expect to see an improvement across the board and more of a game plan that will challenge a defense as Carr continues to grow into the offense. (more)

12:15

Nos. 1 and 1A are easily identifiable. Fix the offensive line. And I don't think you need to make personnel changes but you do need to pick a right guard. And 1A how to created a pass rush AND create more push on run plays from your defensive line. ND is playing differently philosophically in its front four. If I'm Marcus Freeman, I'm really taking a good hard look to see how to make that work better if not tweak that. Third, I'd play more man. Marcel Reed of A&M presents different problems that Carson Beck of Miami, but zone seemed to really minimize Leonard Moore. (more).

12:11

Hi Marie. Thanks for the questions. Let's unpack the three things to prioritize during the bye week, at least what I would do. I am glad Marcus Freeman has a "question everything" mantra that's not for show. That's what this bye week needs to be about, learning from that first game. Even in losing there's a potential long-term benefit from not scheduling East Idaho A&M Tech as a season opener. (more)

Marie from Atlanta

12:07

Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. Very disappointing performance by the Irish on Saturday night. If you are HCMF what are the top three things you’re working on both offensively and defensively before the Texas A&M game? Offensive line play was extremely disappointing, do you see them changing personnel before the A&M game? Also, what can you do with the O line in two short weeks to significantly improve play? Finally, can you explain why Love and Price did not get the ball more, I really can’t. Perhaps a lot of that was RPO‘s and Carr choosing not to hand off but maybe with a first time quarterback you don’t give him the choice and just tell him to run the ball a few more times during the game? I feel like that interception when it was second and two should’ve been a run play. What are your thoughts on that? As always, thanks so much for hosting the chat, and all the great insights

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