Chat Transcript: How quick are ND's fixes? Where's Tobias? Rees in pieces?
Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat — Marshall Week. PLEASE remember to include your name and hometown along with your question(s).
As you can expect, there is a pretty deep supply of offensive line questions this week. I'll try to mix in as many as I can that focus on different aspects of it, so I'm not repeating myself. And, of course, other topics are welcomed too.
Frank from Royse City, Texas: Do you think ND will throw the ball more against Marshall to get their receivers more involved in the offense?
Eric Hansen: Frank, yes, and I think it's a natural evolution of two things ... 1) QB Tyler Buchner having his first start under his belt, 2) and ND not employing a game plan that's meant to shorten the game. Keep in mind, the more effectively ND can run the ball against Marshall, the better its passing game will be. The Thundering Herd was actually quite good against the pass last season — 12th in pass-efficiency defense vs. 104th against the run. This is a team, though, that might not resemble its 2021 tendencies so much, as more than half the roster is new — thanks to a heavy dip into the transfer portal.
CHUCK FROM CLEVELAND "THE LAND": Eric, great job on the YOU TUBE yesterday -- so informative! Very proud of the Irish — no T/O's in a hostile environment and battling the entire game. Knowing that you will be inundated with questions about why Correll is starting and why the offensive Game Plan was so boring in a game where we needed to be unpredictable, I will go elsewhere. I am not going to challenge coaches Rees and Freeman and their decision-making this early in the season. Two questions: 1) Do we have anyone on the O-Line who is similar to Quenton Nelson — vicious, aggressive and nasty? The O-Line personalities seem too passive and soft to me. They are big but not nasty, in my opinion. 2) is there a future for Jordan Botelho and Rocco Spindler? These guys seem to have that nasty side but are getting little to no exposure. Thanks Eric, 11-1 is NOT impossible!
Eric Hansen: Chuck, thanks for watching Monday Night Live and for the encouraging feedback. Let me preface the O-line comments with my assessment that what you saw Saturday night in terms of underwhelming and inconsistent play will evolve away from that through the month of September -- even more so as Jarrett Patterson gets plugged back in (which we still don't know yet whether that will be this weekend). So, now let me address your specific questions.
1) I think the player who embodies those qualities the most is freshman Billy Schrauth. And after missing this spring because of foot surgery, he'll be in play next spring, fighting his way up the depth chart. Again, I'd withhold judgment about the other O-Line personalities for a few weeks. I think there's plenty of nasty there ... eventually. 2) I think there is a future for both of them, and a present for at least Jordan Botelho this season, more so than Rocco Spindler. With Isaiah Foskey and Justin Ademilola gone after this year, Botelho will have a clear path to compete for a starting berth. This year, I think you'll see him on the field more when ND isn't committed to playing so much nickel, as the Irish were in the Ohio State game. I like Rocco's future a lot, but not sure he fits in the present without injuries.
Manny from San Pedro, Calif.: Eric!!!! Thanks for these chats. It’s like therapy!!!! Disappointing finish last week, but the way the defense played gives me hope for the rest of the year. Do you think Tommy Rees opens up the playbook this week or will the QB draw still be the go-to play?
Eric Hansen: Manny, I can see your disappointment. That's the fewest exclamation points that you've put after my name in a while. To your question, as Tyler Buchner grows into the role each week, I do think he has the capacity to take on more of the playbook. Also, ND isn't facing the caliber of athletes on defense or the schematic soundness that Ohio State brought until the Syracuse/Clemson stretch Oct. 29/Nov. 5. Again, there's no reason to try to shorten the game against the rest of the September schedule.
John from Palmyra, Pa.: VERY disappointed in Tommy (and subsequently Marcus). Running plays were ineffective and not creative. They only had 11-plus months to prepare. ... Not going back to Braden Lenzy and Lorenzo Styles also inexcusable. D played PLENTY well enough to win. It’s a shame for them. How can Marcus justify playing Benjamin Morrison on D against the No. 1 offense in the nation but not give Tobias Merriweather a snap? The freshman tight ends?? (Oh, I know, they wouldn’t have thrown it to them anyway). This game should have been won!! A for the D, and D- for the O. Not good, Tommy. Not good.
Eric Hansen: This seems like a scolding more than a question, but I'll try to chime in here, John. ... As far as the conservative gameplan in the first half, I think it was justified. You can prepare all yoju want for 11 months, but a Jim Knowles defense with Ohio State's personnel was going to be different from Oklahoma State film (or Ohio Stste 2021 film). I talked to TE Kevin Bauman about that Tuesday night, and he confirmed that. Now, once ND got it to halftime with a 10-7 lead, I think ND got too conservative at that point. They had made the in-game adjustments in the first half on offense. If they wanted to win the game — as opposed to not losing it — the Irish needed to take some chances and some shots. ... If Tobias Merriweather was ready and ND felt he could help win the game, he would have played. Simple as that. I'd expect you'll see him and the freshman tight ends in games as ND moves forward this month.
Tim from East Liverpool, Ohio: Hey Eric, was at the game in Columbus on Saturday. The Shoe was a snake pit, and I was impressed with Buchner's poise in that atmosphere. However, another big game and another game with NO running game. Is it the linemen (all highly rated), the scheme, Rees, Hiestand? I'm at a loss as to why we can never establish a solid ground game in big games. I sure miss the days of imposing our will on the opponent. Thanks for the chats. You do a phenomenal job.
Eric Hansen: Hi Tim, and thank you. I agree with your assessment of Tyler Buchner's poise. His teammates had similar remarks last night at the player/media availability. I chatted with a former Notre Dame interior offensive lineman last night about just what you asked me and some other things related to the O-line play in that game and what we might be able to expect moving forward. There's only so much you can simulate in practice in training the O-line. So much learning takes place in the games. And lines that are cohesive and smart learn faster. Jarrett Patterson's return would accelerate that process. By and large, the offensive lines that win the Joe Moore Award — including ND's in 2017 — don't show that form out of the gate, at least not against elite athletes. Having said that, I did expect a better running game Saturday night. The conservative/predictability of the play calls did not help.
Bob Gorman from Oak Park, Ill.: Hi Eric .. .curious how you evaluate the defensive line play, which was anticipated to be an advantage for ND Saturday evening. How does our DL stack up? Is it elite? Do we have enough guys rotating into play to stay fresh? My impression, apparently false, was that we would have three players at NG and DT rotating. Surprised Botelho still not getting time?
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. Notre Dame rotated eight .. two at each position Saturday night, as you noted. I was surprised we didn't see Gabe Rubio inside or Jordan Botelho on the edige. (Botelho did play on special teams). I would expect that those two will be playing this week. For three quarters, on Saturday night, Notre Dame's D-line played up to my expectations, then got mauled on the long fourth-quarter drive. When I asked DE Rylie Mills about it last night, he termed it "execution issues" and was fully confident they are fixable. Mills, incidentally, was ND's highest-graded defensive player at any position (via Pro Football Focus’ film reviews), while Chris Smith was second. Jayson Ademilola garnered the lowest grade of anyone who played offensively or defensively for the Irish. That won't happen again.
C.J. Stroud's elusiveness and savvy tempered the results of the D-line as a whole. I still think this is ND's best and deepest position group. I still think at the end of the year, we'll consider it elite.
Guest: Why didn't the band perform at halftime?
Eric Hansen: Way out of my purview, but you get an 'A' for originality.
CHUCK FROM CLEVELAND "THE LAND": One more thing ... you mentioned on YouTube show that the two safety blitzers were lined up in Cleveland. I want to confirm that when I looked out my window before the play, I saw four deer and two ND safeties!
Eric Hansen: Haha. Thanks for the confirmation. I think we have a question coming up on that play a little later.
Chris in Albuquerque: Hey Eric and good morning! I may be rambling a bitm but here we go: Does our offense and Rees not feel like we can throw a pass over 20 yards against good competition. I look at that game plan, and if I am a five-star WR, why would I come to his offense? That's the time to shine, not disappear until Marshall comes to town. Stetson Bennett owned a good Oregon defense and a good 'Bama defense last year. We kept hearing the handcuffs were off Rees, but it was the same limited conservative offense from the past couple years vs. a top-ranked opponent. Spread it out and let it eat! I love our defense and Go Irish!
Eric Hansen: Chris if you're rambling, then you'll fit right in with the rest of us. To be fair, the passes to Matt Salerno and Braden Lenzy were over 30 yards in the air, and Kevin Bauman’s was 17 ... and there were only 10 completions total. ... Here's my take, as I read between the lines of your comments and question ... when you play Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama, you're still at a talent deficit if you're ND. We had Corey Robinson on our podcast Tuesday, and he felt the gap is narrowing, but it's still there. Until it's smaller or gone, ND has to play left-handed to some extent. Against Ohio State, that meant shortening the game —especially with a first-time starter at QB. The objective is to impress the five-star recruits by winning those games, not by style points. However, yes, it's reasonable to do both against ND's schedule moving forward — especially as Tyler Buchner learns to handle more and more of the playbook.
As ND puts together stronger recruiting classes, the talent quotient will begin to show up in these big-stage games.
Bill from St Joe, Mich.: Eric, with all the beefs we all have, I’ll bet that every ND fan would have signed up to holding OSU to 21 points before the game. Having said that, it was still disappointing to see how OSU ran out the clock late in the fourth quarter.
Eric Hansen: Hi Bill. It was stunning actually. It reminded me a bit of the ND-Oklahoma game in 2012, except in that one, it was Notre Dame pounding and pushing its way down the field to seal the victory.
Chris in Albuquerque: Hey Eric. Appreciate the chats and a chance to let us vent! You are the man!
Eric Hansen: Thanks, Chris!
Kevin from St. Louis: How much of our secondary defensive success should be attributed to Ohio State's early loss of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a subsequent lack of synch on their part vs. a significant improvement in the play of our DBs (or an excellent game plan against a specific offense?)? Feels like either CB top-end talent or quality depth has been one of our major Achilles' heels for many years in recent memory (flashback to Julian Love's injury in 2018 Cotton Bowl). Would be delightful to hear that our floor and ceiling at that position are suddenly much higher than they've been.
Eric Hansen: Hi Kevin, there's some hidden math in your question — and some really good observations. There's no question Jaxon Smith-Njigba's injury took some pressure off the ND defense, but the Irish played him well when he was in the game and the DBs played well for the most part against a deep WR group for Ohio State. TaRiq Bracy and Benjamin Morrison need to take a bow. Clarence Lewis held his own. Jaden Mickey had some good moments and one regrettable one on a bad defensive call. Cam Hart recovered from getting torched early. Brandon Joseph and Ramon Henderson graded out the best among the five safeties who saw action.
ND is recruiting CBs at a higher level. And it's showing up, with Morrison and Mickey two of only four freshmen who saw the field for ND in a game of that magnitude and a season opener. Cornerbacks Christian Gray and Micah Bell may be in similar positions to help as freshmen next year. Safety Peyton Bowen is probably ND's most talented recruit overall at this point. So yes, I would say the floor and the ceiling are higher for this group, especially if the defensive line can turn up the heat with the pass rush.
Adam from Dayton, Ohio: Hello Eric, so how was your return to The Shoe?? I find myself super impressed by the Irish (defense) and disappointed by the result at the same time. These games bring emotional overreactions, and I've heard them all. Harry Hiestand stinks. Tommy Stinks. ND has no playmakers. What, in your opinion, IS a valid criticism and a true worry for the season? For as revered as Harry is, even in his first stint, his lines were only OK against elite competition, and even worked over by the Clemson/Georgia/Ohio State-type teams. I think Tommy is good, but his offenses have been anemic against great competition, minus Clemson when they were missing a bunch of guys. Is the offense going to continue to hold ND back in big games?
Eric Hansen: Adam, my return to The Shoe was probably boring for most of you, so I'll keep it short. I've been to more than 50 games in that stadium, mostly in the '70s and early '80s, before I got into the sports writing business. I hadn't been there in 27 years — the last ND-OSU game played in Columbus. A lot has changed. Stadium feels newer and modernized. And there were no couch burnings that I am aware of after the game this time ... I'll let your comments stand on their own and simply answer your question. No, I do not think the ND offense will hold this team back. It will have to win the Clemson game, and I wouldn't rule that out at this point.
Kevin from St. Louis: Hi Eric, I know sticking mostly to conservative offensive play calling seems to have been a (largely successful?) attempt to shorten the game. If instead we played the whole game aggressively, do you think we lose by more than 11?
Eric Hansen: With a first-time starter at quarterback and extra possessions for C.J. Stroud and the Ohio State offense to figure things out — yes I do think the Buckeyes would have won by more than 11.
Jim from Oakwood, Ohio: Hi Eric, I admit to an indulgence of schadenfreude as the LSU game ended Sunday night — especially after watching the four major special teams blunders by the LSU personnel under the guidance of Brian Polian. Perhaps I am a lesser person for that, but it seemed appropriate. My question concerns the ND special teams performance, which was excellent considering that a walk-on was prepared to step in for kickoffs then excelled; the punting was excellent and so was the field goal team. Why do you think that the punt return game was so conservative (I'm thinking of the instance where the returner Brandon Joseph joined the expanding membership of the Fair Catch U. Club, even though he had room to attempt a return), which the announcers also acknowledged. Too much emphasis on avoiding turnovers ... too much emphasis on the conservative game plan? Your thoughts please. I know that that phase of the game did not affect the outcome, and I thought the articles by you and Tyler covered the key issues very, very well. Thank you and be well.
Eric Hansen: Jim, thanks for the kind words. I have to admit, you had me running for the dictionary, but indeed "schadenfreude" was the perfect word there. I got it mixed up with an indulgence of Frusen Glädjé, which is an ice cream company that I'm pretty sure went out of business a long time ago. .. I would imagine Brian Kelly could have used some Frusen Glädjé after that 24-23 loss to Florida State. ... ND was pretty aggressive in pressuring the punter, and maybe Brandon Joseph just didn't have the confidence to try to return it, knowing that. Marcus Freeman was adamant that ND needed to be better schematically on the kickoff returns (execution too with some missed blocks), and I'd imagine the same goes on punt returns. This is not Freeman's or special teams coordinator Brian Mason's philosophy to be so conservative. So I would not expect this to become a trend.
Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric. I hope that you were able to get back to South Bend easier than the team. Our O-line continues to struggle in games with tough opponents — whether it is bowl games, playoff games or Top 10 opponents. The reasons/excuses are basically the same: lack of passing attack, scheme, communication, bigger, better D-lines. How would you rate the reasons for Saturday's performance? It looked like a lot of the problems were coming up the middle. Can Patterson make that much of a difference? I was really looking forward to seeing Merriweather play and was disappointed that he did not get on the field. Sounded like the coaches were saying he wasn't ready and they did not have confidence in him yet. But, with the WR group being so thin, you would think that he could have spelled somebody for a few plays. Do you think that we are expecting too much from him too soon?? Looking forward to coming to the Cal game for my first game back in several years. Can't beat a game day SAturday back at ND. Go Irish!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, as I watched the game live, most of the problems seemed to be coming from the interior part of the line. And when I discussed it with the former ND O-lineman, he was able to get into the nuances of why that was happening. Center Zeke Correll (and it's not all on him) couldn't have been happy with his performance. Even with his size and strength gains, he looked overmatched physically. And mentally/assignment-wise, it was a big step back for him. So if you're looking for a solution, Correll regaining the momentum he built in the spring and in fall camp would be a big first step.
Jarrett Patterson, healthy, can make a huge difference. You're talking about one of the best interior offensive linemen in college football replacing a player who's trying to hold his own. As Corey Robinson said on our podcast, it's not just his physical presence and knowledge of fronts and pressures that would be helpful, but the mental lift -- he is a connection to the vintage O-line culture at ND. That matters. As far as Tobias Merriweather goes, I would imagine you'll get to see some of him in person when you come up to the Cal game.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric. I hope you enjoyed your return to Columbus. Disappointed with the outcome but very glad Freeman realizes there are no moral victories. Multi-part question today.What grade would you give the offensive line? I was disappointed in their play, especially the interior. How good do you think this line can be and how long do you think it will take to get there? I know the staff is hesitant to play freshmen, but when everyone was talking about how talented Merriweather is, why couldn’t they get him up to speed on one or two simple plays and get him into the game. Just his size advantage seems like it would’ve been helpful. Who decides when these freshmen are ready to play — the position coach, the head coordinator, or the head coach? Finally, do you think the fact that Mickey and Morrison played a lot will help recruiting? It would seem talented kids don’t want to come to school to sit on the bench. As always, thanks for the great insights.
Eric Hansen: Marie, thanks for the great questions. I would give the O-line a C-minus and send a note home to their parents. Having said that, I still think this is a line that's going to evolve into something special. If Jarrett Patterson comes back this week, I think they have a chance to look pretty good by the end of the month, with steady improvement after that. If I'm wrong, you all can give me a C-minus. I think a big handbrake for Merriweather not getting on the field had to do with some nagging injuries he was dealing with late in camp and during game prep week. Too much missed practice time affected his execution when it mattered in practice.
Who decides when a freshman is ready to play, starts with the position coach and works its way up the chain of command. ... ND played four freshmen Saturday, and Marcus Freeman hinted that he'd be conservative in that regard for the OSU game only. I think you'll start to see more, beginning this week. The four who did play were Benjamin Morrison, Jaden Mickey, Junior Tuihalamaka and Zac Yoakam. The OPPORTUNITY to play early is attractive to recruits. But it wouldn't be best for the team or fair if, say, Jaylen Sneed was playing instead of Jack Kiser or Gi'Bran Payne over Logan Diggs.
Fred from Oakland: 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.
Eric Hansen: Hi Fred, and thank you. Not even close to the same situation, though Marcus has veto power as the head coach. Brian Kelly was a lot more involved in the offensive meetings than Marcus Freeman will ever be -- at least this season.
Jerry from Dallas: Eric, what changes would you make to the starting O-line for this game? What would you expect the starting O-line to be at the end of the season? As always, thanks for being here for all of us.
Eric Hansen: 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 Blake Fisher-Josh Lugg-Zeke Correll-Jarrett Patterson-Joe Alt will comprise the starting line. Changing O-linemen sounds like a better idea on paper than it is in practice. But sometimes it works — like Alt and Andrew Kristofic last year replacing Michael 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 time to make changes.
Dave from Ponte Vedra, Fla.: 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: 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.
Andrew from Washington DC: Facts are facts, and Marcus Freeman has the lowest winning % in ND history. By Far. Would Jon Gruden or Bob Stoops be interested?
Eric Hansen: I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and guess that you are auditioning for Last Comic Standing?
Greg from Chicago: Lots of slings, arrows and criticism directed at Rees Saturday night. It seemed to me that Marcus Freeman 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: I think he was being honest.
Jack Revord from Glenview, Ill.: Greetings Eric! On one play in particular Josh Lugg did not touch the defensive lineman for a sack of Buchner. It seems to me that Harry Hiestand should have pulled him immediately and put somebody in the clear hand on a rush man. Your comments? Thank you, JACK.
Eric Hansen: 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.
Bob from Loganville, Ga.: Eric, why should I be encouraged in Tommy since he no longer has the reins of Brian Kelly. In two games riding solo, the offense was worse in the second half than the first, with no adjustments in either game. Seventeen points in the last six quarters. Granted against tough defenses, but we will never beat these teams with this offense. The only touchdown scored was in large part due to Matt Salerno’s circus catch. I’m losing faith that TR can get the job done.
Eric Hansen: Bob, I'm not going to try to talk you into what your position on Tommy Rees should be. I do know people who I respect, when it comes to football knowledge, believe Rees 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.
Stanley in Chester Va.: 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 placed 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 five-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: 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 Drew Pyne to replace Tyler 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 remaining, 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 team 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.
Doug from Sunny Florida: Eric, since 2016, ND has been in that high second 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: 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.
Neil: Why is Mulcan not listed on '23 recruits?
Eric Hansen: Not sure what you're talking about. He's the first one listed as the most recent verbal commitment.
JoeP from Los Angeles: 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 three-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 opponents' adjustments on defense and make the corresponding adjustments on offense? TY!
Eric Hansen: 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.
Terry from Ithaca, N.Y.: The O-line 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 Tosh Baker becomes one of the top five, who plays guard? I still like the tackles to be Alt and Fisher.
Eric Hansen: 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.
Jeff from Phoenix: Good morning, Eric. Good to see you and Tyler on the Monday Inside Notre Dame Sports YouTube 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 five 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: 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 the second half. The defensive line by its nature lends itself to more rotation and substitution. The O-line not so much. I do not expect to see new O-linemen in a starting role this week unless it's Jarrett Patterson. ... Thanks for watching and plugging the YouTube show.
Don in Phoenix: 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 three weeks, but how much better can they be?
Eric Hansen: 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.
Joey G. from Philadelphia, Pa: 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 one-catch-apiece WRs, and our usual loss against a Top 10 team. When teams come into 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 and Ohio State on 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 Jarrett Patterson excuses! They played without Jaxon Smith-Njigba for most of the game! Lol
Eric Hansen: Joey, I'm glad you weren't my first-grade teacher. I'd still be repeating it. I'm not sure what your 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.
Paul from Toronto: Hi Eric. I wasn’t expecting a win, but halfway 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 who 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: Paul, I saw the same things you did with Josh 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 in the second half to keep the OSU defense honest.
Jay from Granger, Ind.: 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: 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 the Cal game (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 50-50-ish. DE Samuel M'Pemba, who visits in November, is a bit of a long shot. So 25, 26 signees. If Love signs with ND, I'd say their class would be No. 3. If not, then No. 4 or 5.
Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: 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 since the game. As soon as I saw them creeping pre-snap, I said, "Ooh 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: Tony, I don't remember the MIchael Mayer play you referenced well enough to comment, but the other one is etched indelibly 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 Jaden 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 linebacker 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.
Here was Freeman's response to the question:
"We had a timeout, and I remember (defensive coordinator Al) Golden said, ‘Hey, do you guys like whatever the call was?’ It was a zero pressure. I agreed and everybody else agreed. You look at the execution of that play, it’s not the call. It’s third-and-11. We had said going into the game — we had a plan for third down, and one of those plans was to be able to bring six. We were able to play in zero pressure. We had not run that all game and we said, ‘OK, here’s a good time for it.’ The execution of it wasn’t where we wanted. The safeties were a little bit too late. We had a guy drop out when he probably should have been going. We have to get inside leverage with the nickel. You have a freshman in that big moment. If we could go back and do it over again, I wouldn’t change the call. I’d probably just change the way we communicate and the execution of it. That was a heartbreaker and obviously changed the tide of the game.”
Jonathan from Hershey, Pa.: 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: John, ND has leverage in its current situation as to whether it wants to take the conference plunge or not. ... That is if the projected NBC revenue numbers for the next TV contract are realistic 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.
Eric Hansen: 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.
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