Chat Transcript: Beyond the ND rage — talking fixes, timelines and changes
Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, UNLV edition ... although it feels like Stanford week all over again, in scanning some of your questions.
Some quick programming notes:
► If you haven’t already, check out this week’s Inside ND Sports podcast presented by Dead Soxy with our special guest Dennis Dodd. Lots of great insight from the national college football writer for CBS Sports. Among the topics discussed are Notre Dame's 3-3 start, what we can learn about head coach Marcus Freeman in his first season, what signs should indicate improvement, how other first-time head coaches found success, if ND should look into adding more experienced analysts on staff, how Brian Kelly would be doing with this team, what teams in college football have been more disappointing and more.
► Tyler James and I were back with our YouTube show, Monday Night Live, this week — barely. We had our own Stanford experience with some technical difficulties/execution issues that finally came right. Tyler may take some issue with the word “we” in that sentence. In any event, the show will run every Monday night at 7 ET the rest of the football season. If you can’t catch us live, you can watch anytime during the week, as the show keeps its shelf life going through the entire week leading up to the next game.
► Finally, recruiting writer Kyle Kelly will host a subscribers-only recruiting chat in the Insider Lounge on Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT.
As far as the chat ... PLEASE remember to include your name and hometown along with your question(s).
Here are the rules:
The no-drinking and no-bare feet rules have been rescinded this week, considering the circumstances, as has the unofficial no-whining rule ... but easy on the whining.
We've got a full question queue with a lot of anger ... so let's get right to it.
Dave from Ponte Vedra, Fla.: I made my annual trek to South Bend last week and was dismayed by the performance of the Irish. I’m not going to criticize the young men. I’m going to question the adults in the room. That team was flat and uninspired from the start. That’s coaching. Rees insists upon trying to run Tyree between the tackles, never in space. We had one playmaker, Merriweather, who stood on the sidelines at the end of the game when a playmaker was needed. It’s still early, but I have my doubts about the coaching. Am I wrong to think changes should be made, particularly when it comes to play calling?
Eric Hansen: Hi Dave. Your question is representative of the sentiments of a lot of the chat-heads this week. I'm not a big fan of in-season staff changes. DC Brian VanGorder's purge four games into the 2016 season was a rare one that I endorsed and one that worked. It still didn't salvage the season, but I do think it helped get the defense moving in the right direction for 2017 and helped mitigate some of the recruiting losses in that cycle. ... In this case, I think it's fair and the best decision to wait until the season is over to evaluate any staff changes. It's not as if the staff is resistant to doing things a different/better way. There are weekly evaluations. It's their first year together. I'm in favor of letting things play out.
Harvey Vaughn from Houston, Texas: Why is Tyree the starting RB? As soon as he's touched he goes down.
Eric Hansen: Harvey, maybe your quibble with Chris Tyree should be about the way he is used in some of the games ... maybe not playing to his strengths? Even though Chris has started five of the six games, Audric Estimé has more carries (76 to 60), Logan Diggs has 47 but remember, he was eased in at the beginning of the season because of injury. I like the three-man rotation. I think I can make a strong case for keeping Tyree in that rotation. He gives ND formational and play-calling flexibility, because you can change a play at the line of scrimmage and put him in the slot. He's the fastest of the three backs, though we haven't seen that breakaway speed this season. He's also the best receiver of the three, behind only TE Michael Mayer and WR Lorenzo Styles in receptions.
Bob Vale: Hi Mr Hansen, this question portal is giving me trouble LOL. Nonetheless, let's move forward. Oh wait, it's like our struggling offense. We do not have an offense. When will we move forward from this offense? Several teams have great offensive coordinators and great statistics. I think Tommy Rees should be a QB coach, not an offensive coordinator. What will it take to move forward? Obviously, we should have taken a QB and wide receivers in the transfer portal and an O-coordinator. Why has this offense been so predictable? Have you seen photos of Drew Pyne behind his O-line? He cannot see over their shoulders. He cannot be the answer to a high-powered offense. We have two (healthy) QBs that are taller than 6-1. Let's put them into play.
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. The return bar is tricky. Thanks for your patience and diligence in submitting your question in multiple tries. Losses like the one against Stanford on Saturday night tend to stir up what seem like reasonable solutions from the fan base and the media. And certainly change is in order, in moderation. Let's go with Drew Pyne. A week ago he was on a trajectory to set the single-season school record for pass efficiency and completion percentage. Now, he's not tall enough. If the two QBs behind him gave ND a better chance of winning, they would be playing. As for Tommy Rees, what would be you alternative at this point if you wanted to make an in-season change?
Bill from Milford, Conn.: So six games in with the same offensive game plan until Stanford executed the obvious defense that everyone on the schedule will follow —stack the line, double/triple Mayer. So let’s reverse it? Why won’t Tommy open up the passing game — I.e Merriweather and others — flood the zone. Pyne has shown he can make those passes (assuming protection which he’s had) and maybe then the run game opens up. We’re just too one-dimensional and predictable. UNLV is a good place to start? Thanks for all you do each week.
Eric Hansen: Bob, thanks. Especially against the fronts Stanford was showing, I think that would have been a reasonable adjustment and one that would have worked. In Tommy Rees' defense, Drew Pyne did miss some wide-open receivers that perhaps would have encouraged Rees to go down that play-calling path more persistently. ... My assumption is that UNLV will look at the Stanford tape and deploy a similar defensive philosophy until/unless the Irish show that they can make you pay.
John from Glenview, Ill.: Hi Eric. Great job as always. Really enjoy the videos you and Tyler are putting out. Keep up the great work. I really appreciated your article after the Stanford game where coach Freeman mentioned “failing to execute” too many times to count. It’s his go-to comment every time the team underperforms, which unfortunately has been a lot. Someone, and I hope that will be you, needs to ask the million dollar question to coach Freeman of “WHY” after spring practice, fall camp and now 1/2 a season, why this team is still failing to execute? It would seem that it either has to be the player repeatedly failing to execute which suggests a different player needs to be playing or the coaching hasn’t been good enough to correct the repeated mistakes a player is making. I fear it’s the latter, as some of the players (Foskey, Crawford, etc.) are playing far worse this year than they were last year. I can’t believe there’s been such a big drop.What do you think is the reason “why” we keep failing to execute? Please ask the coach
Eric Hansen: John, thanks for the feedback. Because of the question formatting, it really takes a collective effort to get to the bottom of certain topics when we're interviewing Marcus Freeman. On Mondays, we get one question and a follow each. On Thursdays, sometimes it's just one question. So you perhaps can see the challenge. Fortunately, we've got a pretty good beat group, who are looking for the same answers. And we did try to collectively get that answer on Monday. But consider this: the coach is kind of in a lose-lose situation with those types of questions. Brian Kelly, especially early in his time at ND, was pretty direct about it. And people got on him for throwing his players under the bus.
Perhaps that's what Marcus Freeman is trying to avoid, which leads us to our own conclusions. So here's mine. I do think the less-than-expected continuity on both sides of the ball was a bigger challenge than both the coaching staff and the media (or at least me) anticipated. For instance, I don't think Al Golden's defensive scheme is overly complicated. But with new terminology, new philosophies, new leadership and three different schemes and coordinators in three years -- it adds up to making it complicated. On offense, it took some time for the offensive line to get it together. Sometimes a dynamic QB (think Brady Quinn in 2005-06) can camouflage growing pains and offensive weaknesses. The Irish are not dynamic at QB (or wide receiver). So they need to be extremely efficient and consistent.
There's a shared responsibility between players and coaching to changing the "why" part of the execution issues. But when you're 3-3 six games in, the burden should be more on the coaches to provide those fixes.
Joe H from Williams Bay, Wis.: Hey, Eric. I’m as disappointed as anyone after watching that awful performance Saturday, but I would try and add some perspective if I can While I think it’s fair to say that, with the exception of Michael Mayer and Joe Alt, almost every else on our rooster has underachieved so far. Our biggest concerns has been quarterback and wide receiver play. While I don’t completely exonerate Marcus Freeman on that, I think it’s fair to point out that both those positions were very poorly recruited by the last coaching staff. God bless Drew Pyne’s competitive spirit, but a low three-star, 5-10 quarterback should not be starting at Notre Dame. As far as wide receiver goes, with the occasional exception of Lorenzo Styles, I see no one running good routes or creating any separation. Again, some of that does fall on the coaching staff, but the reality is that both position groups are fair to poor. Help is on the way, and if you just show some patience, I’m sure with the way he’s recruiting coach Freeman will get this corrected.
Eric Hansen: Joe, you got cut off there at the end, so I'm not sure if there was an additional part to your question/remarks. So I will just address the part I can see. Your point about WRs and QBs rings true. Of the combined 11 wide receiver prospects the Irish signed out of high school in the 2017-20 recruiting cycles, nine ended up transferring, switching positions or both. Current grad senior Braden Lenzy and 2022 NFL Draft early entry Kevin Austin Jr. are the exceptions. ... ND has three Rivals top 150 committed at WR for the 2023 class and is chasing one more ... so help is on the way.
As for the QBs, Marcus Freeman didn't have anything to do with that position on the roster, but Tommy Rees did. These are the guys he recruited. Getting CJ Carr in the 2024 class was outstanding. So far 2023 has been a bust. There are a couple of months to change that. But yes, the QB and the WR positions are a big part of the problems with this team and well as the potential answers now and in the future.
Larry from Topton, Pa.: Hi Eric; Thanks for being the voice of reason during good times and bad. My biggest disappointment with coach Freeman has been with his comments after games, specifically with his repeated usage of the word, and fixation on, execution. When I hear a coach say the problem is execution, what I hear is some form of: “The coaches are doing their job, but gee, the players are not doing their job." I do not like hearing that as a fan, and I do not think I would like it as a player. I would rather hear something concise like “the coaches need to coach better, and the players need to play better." Am I overreacting to the word execution? Thanks, Eric.
Eric Hansen: You are not overreacting to the word "execution." It came up so many times Saturday night, I actually counted them and included them in my column. Those postgame losing press conferences are difficult for coaches not used to speaking with the media on a regular basis. I think Brian Kelly did his assistants (who aspired to be head coaches) a disservice by having them speak to the media so infrequently. Freeman now is giving his coordinators a weekly opportunity (Tuesday nights) to get that experience. That's a good more for everyone involved — media, coaches and fans.
Bill Belichick did the same thing with his assistants at New England and that contributed to some awkward and clumsy media interactions for Charlie Weis in his early years as ND's head coach. ... I think what I'm most interested in hearing after a loss is not who's to blame, but how it's going to get fixed. That's a good way to handle it, I think.
Adam from Dayton, Ohio: Hello Eric, we appreciate you! Can't figure out Tommy Rees ... not shouting "Fire him!" like message boards want, but frustration certainly. The results are what they are, just not sure the reasons. Sometimes I think the offense is too worried about being "O-line driven" and they are stubbornly running into loaded boxes. I think "lack of creativity" is mostly bogus, and film would show that he often has creative play design. But, is he trying to do too much with too many formations? The "check with me" offense, I understand, but is he overdoing it? Also ... to see Tobias with his athleticism and route-running ... to hear Tommy's press conference and their work on drawing up the perfect play for him. ... I mean is it that hard to draw up plays for that talent? Different story if he was trying to get me open, but not Tobias. It's like Tommy may be making this harder than it needs to be. Sorry for the manifesto, but the point is, A LOT of criticisms. Of the ones you have heard, what do you think are valid?
Eric Hansen: Adam, I appreciate you too and really appreciate your approach to this question. You get an 'A' for execution. Here are the criticisms that I have. That doesn't make them valid, but here goes: 1) It's unfortunate that Tyler Buchner got hurt. I'm very curious as to how he would have evolved as the starter. But Tommy had a hand and a say in recruiting the rest of the QB room. And what plan B looked like. And he's responsible for making plan B work. 2) I would imagine Marcus Freeman's vision for the offensive identity isn't always easily baked into every game plan. But Rees must find a way to do it or find workable compromises that make the team better.
3) Notre Dame is 80th nationally in total offseason and 99th in scoring offense at midseason. ND did play the Nos. 5 and 13 teams in total defense, but they've also played 67, 94, 97 and 127. There's no way to justify those low rankings or the fact that ND has started slow on offense in every game — six first-quarter points over six games. I'm open to the possibility that the Irish will improve in the back half of the season, but they won't face three defenses that are statistically as bad as BYU, Stanford and North Carolina the rest of the season.
Jason from Grand Rapids, Mich.: Hey Eric. Thanks for the chats!!! Last year, Kelly got a little lucky with some close wins (FSU, Va. Tech and Toledo) that perhaps masked the true talent level of the team and this year MF is 0-2 in those same games. I think he'll get better with experience and am encouraged he's reaching out to Lou Holtz and Jim Tressel as mentors. It's easy to blame Rees for this, but I feel we are a 4-2 team with Buchner at QB and his mobility can't be taken for granted when we look so one-dimensional. Is it just Pyne making better throws or is there another midseason adjustment Rees can make to improve our Offense? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jason. Thanks for being a part ot today's chat and for the extra exclamation points. Let me address one of your premises before we get to your question. I think overall this is a talented roster, but it has holes. And the opponents have done a good job of exposing those holes, while ND has been slow to get those positions to evolve (QB, WR, CB). The Virginia Tech game was a revelation, because it revealed to Brian Kelly and Tommy Rees how to maximize Jack Coan's skill set and minimize his lack of mobility. So to your question, I think the answer is both. Drew Pyne being more consistent with his accuracy and Rees/Freeman finding better ways to play to his strengths.
Fr. Greg from Springfield, Ill.: I strongly sense that coach Freeman will be an excellent coach. Secondly, his success will be determined by those closest to him, namely his leadership staff (coaches), his recruiting, and the three to four people who serve as his mentors. Third, I think Tyler Buchner has the potential to lead the team to a national championship. However, he needs experience and the wisdom to run and avoid contact. Fourth, tackling is a problem for the secondary, along with looking back at the ball. If this doesn't change, we might not be able to even win the west division in the Big Ten. Finally, when ND is great, the team takes names and kicks butt. We cannot be pushed around! Thanks for your great work, Eric! God bless!
Eric Hansen: Fr. Greg. Thanks for your thoughts. I didn't see a question lurking among them, so I'll let them stand — other than giving you props for the Big Ten West reference.
Dan from Vernon Hills, Ill.: Eric, thanks for hosting these chats. Really appreciate it. After watching Tennessee vs. Alabama, it looks like Notre Dame plays a different game offensively. They are quicker, faster and use a perimeter passing game a lot. Is the main reason that Notre Dame’s offense struggles is there just isn’t the talent in the quarterback room or wide receiver room to keep up with those elite programs? Does this make it harder for Tommy Rees to run the offense he would like to run? Also, is Brian Kelly right about Notre Dame having a ceiling and they have reached it?
Eric Hansen: Thanks, Dan. A reason for the offensive struggles, as some of the previous questions have gone into, is the QB and WR positions. This was exposed as far back as the 2018 playoff. However, very few teams have a tight end room like ND's or O-Line talent the level of ND's. So there's a great complement of offensive firepower waiting there when ND does get the QB talent and WRs up to standard. ... I'm not sure Brian Kelly said something about a ceiling ... maybe it was implied. But recruiting at the high level Marcus Freeman has to this point gives ND THE CHANCE to push that ceiling higher.
Ryan from Hampton, Va.: Eric, Long-time reader, first-time writing in. In your personal opinion, does Marcus Freeman have what it takes to not only stay at ND but to also continue as a head coach past 2025? I know there have been, and will continue to be, growing pains, but when should we expect to see a polished head coach? Thanks for all you do!
Eric Hansen: Ryan, for a first-time questioner, you sure asked a tough one. I think that question will be easier to answer not only after the season concludes, but after spring ball. That's because that's when we'll learn so much about Marcus Freeman's crisis management ability, his ability to adapt and evolve, and his ability to make good roster and staff decisions. I've mentioned this before in columns. There's a lot of things Marcus has done in less than a year in big-picture areas that has taken other ND head coaches years to get right — if they ever got it right. The man who Marcus Freeman is also informs me as to his potential as a head coach. The guy has conquered a lot of adversity in his life. That matters. All of that is enough to make me optimistic about his future regardless of what the recent past looks like. So if you're pressing me on 2025, I will hedge toward yes. ... and thanks for jumping into the question portal today.
Ron from Delaware: Happy Hump Day, Eric. Thanks for answering my question Monday night. I see your point, but in this day, with no one-year sit-out for transfers and the NIL, which I think will ruin college sports, these highly recruited freshmen are a risk to transfer if they don’t see some plays in the games or if they don’t totally understand why they are not on the field. My question is the coaching staff really communicating specific reasons for not playing? I ask this because Marcus comments about coaching better and giving coaches confidence in the player is so vague. I think it also doesn’t make fans comfortable he really knows what the issues are.
Eric Hansen: I think the best way to answer your question is let one of the players do it for me. So here's Tobias Merriweather from Tuesday night on his path to playing time:
"I think it's just part of the journey. Like, every guy has taken their turn, sitting down, waiting, you know, getting better in practice every day. That's what it is about. It's not that Tommy didn't want to play me. He's told me he wants to play me, but I have to be ready. Because imagine I go in that moment and I'm not ready for it. And then I don't run the right route, I get the player wrong, drop a ball, then the whole media is like, everything's a lot of different story. Waiting for that moment, I think was just part of the process part of my process. And we're working every day to get more reps in the game. That's what it's about. We got six games left.
"Me and TR (Tommy Rees) and coach (Chansi) Stuckey talk every day, I'm in their office watching film, we're figuring out, they're telling me what I need to get on the field, they're telling me, teaching me about more coverages and stuff, and teaching me about how to affect defenders, how to run routes, everything. So it's been a process. They've been clear on what they've needed for me. And obviously, I did what I needed to do to get on the field."
Tom from Toronto: Nothing hurry-up about the offense this year, and there was no switch they could turn on to hurry up. They were doomed.
Do you agree or disagree? Or should I hang up my keyboard for the rest of the year and keep my comments/questions to myself and just read the transcript? As usual, I appreciate your insight and wisdom, even if it hurts. Thank you.
Eric Hansen: Tom, keep the questions coming. I understand in games against Ohio State, UNC, BYU why you'd not want to speed up the tempo. You're trying to play clock control/ball control against some powerful offenses. Against Stanford, especially, it would seem that some tempo made sense. So I'm with you on that particular game.
Bob from Loganville, Ga.: Any thoughts to getting TR out of the box and on the field to get a read on the offense? BK knew a lot more about offenses than MF and could read and relay information. Would it be beneficial for TR to actually look into the offensive players' eyes and talk to them as a unit instead of talking on a phone to only Pyne?
Eric Hansen: Bob, most (but not all) offensive coordinators prefer the box upstairs, because they can see formations, personnel, etc., so much better. I don't think it's a bad question, but I do think Tommy Rees is better off in the box.
Denny from Pittsburgh: Eric, after the six games played so far, do you think that ND coaches have provided enough evidence that they are reacting to what they are seeing from the other teams and making adjustments during the game, or is it just execution that is holding the team back?
Eric Hansen: I think they do make adjustments, but intermittently. Certainly in the Stanford game, you could argue it was with much less frequency than that. So yes, that has been a factor.
Shane from White Deer,Texas.: Hey Eric- I hope all is well with you. My hope is to execute my question with as much execution as possible. A lot of talk has been made about trust, how one practices, game player vs. practice player, and yes, execution and how that affects playing time. I can buy into that, but, is it not possible that one may be a great player in practice, then when the lights come on, that same player fades and falters when it matters the most? And, the player that you didn’t think would or could execute, gets into the game and does just that? I saw Botelho make a bone-crushing tackle on special teams, Kollie block a punt, and Merriweather score a touchdown on a perfectly executed route. Yet, these players have a hard time getting onto the field. Is it time to evaluate differently? My execution is turning into a rant, sorry for that. One more question, am I wrong, or were both Mayer and Merriweather on the sidelines on the fourth down play on the last drive? If so, execution much? Thanks for letting me execute.
Eric Hansen: Shane, there's a Brian Kelly post-Florida State punch line in there somewhere ... but perfect execution. I am a believer that practice performance is a fair pathway to playing time. I also agree that if a player shows up in games, that needs to factor into the playing time calculus. And I also believe that coaching is part of the player development model. Prince Kollie and Tobias Merriweather are going to play more moving forward. Not sure what the solution is with Jordan Botelho. Can you play Isaiah Foskey and Justin Ademilola less? If he's still on the roster next season, he will have an opporunity to earn a starting position, so there's that.
Tom from Sister Lakes, Mich.: “This one’s on Marcus Freeman.”
Hi Eric: The lead paragraph in your post-game piece was not complete. It needed a second sentence. “But even more so on the players.” Freeman wasn’t the one who committed the stupid, costly penalties or missed loads of tackles or threw errant passes or didn’t control the line of scrimmage. That’s on the players and they need to own it. If there are any leaders in the locker room (and I question whether there are) they need to get things fixed. The same players who embraced Freeman 10-1/2 months ago need to have his back now by performing up to his expectations and their capabilities. If Freeman is guilty of one thing, he hasn’t mastered the art of the post-game press conference when he feels let down by his players and coaches. But just give him a few more years and he’ll be able to dissemble just like Kelly. Eric, please comment on the players’ responsibility for Saturday’s debacle and moving forward.
Eric Hansen: Tom, you and I are going to butt heads on this one. Yes, the players have a responsibility to give their best effort and their best performances. But when you lose to a 1-4 team that hasn't beaten an FBS team in 11 games and has one of the worst defenses in the nation and you're six games in, it's about leadership. It's about coaching over anything else. And they're paid well to make a difference. Even in the era when coaches weren't paid well, they made a difference. In 1963 ND was 2-7. I read stories back in the archives about how the Irish would never be a national power again, that too much had changed in college football around them for that to happen.
Then Ara Parseghian happened. And the Irish -- with essentially the same players -- went 9-1 and came within an eyelash of a national title. So no, you and I aren't going to agree on this one.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric. What an uninspired, embarrassing loss this weekend. When Freeman says he is fine with the direction of the offense, do you actually believe that or do you think it is just coach-speak to the public? If he is 100% fine with this offense, then I have some series concerns about him as head coach. Although he may not think it is as much of a shambles as the fans do, he has to realize it is problematic. The comments about not being able to execute are becoming tiresome. We are six games into the season. If the players cannot execute the game plan by now, then there is a problem with the game plan. Simplify it. Let them out-talent the majority of the remaining teams of the schedule. Do you think Tommy Rees will be the OC in 2023? If he is not, how desirable is the ND OC job with no upfront NIL money and essentially very little ability to use the undergrad transfer portal?
Part 2, friends who were at Vols game this weekend said there were opportunities to give to the collective at every turn — in the book store, at the concession stands, etc. How long do you think ND can hold out from doing this and from not liberally using the undergraduate transfer portal without falling too far behind? It puts potential coaches in a difficult position, as they can much more easily succeed at a school with NIL bag money and easy transfer portal access. As always, thank for you great insights and for hosting the chats.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. I do not want to get on your bad side. I'm going to let your venting stand, but I do want to answer your questions. They're pretty interesting. If you had asked me at the beginning of the season (and you may have) would Tommy Rees be the offensive coordinator at ND in 2023, I'd have put that at 50 percent and 2024 less than that. He has professoinal aspirations that go beyond his current role at ND. Now six games in, with a different story line unfolding, would that change those original thoughts? No. I'll stick with what I at least remember thinking in preseason.
So then really, your other questions all have to do with your concern about ND's place in college football with apparent disadvantages in the NIL space and the undergrad transfer portal. I don't believe we know that conclusively is the case, because both concepts are new and how they are playing out is evolving. If ND can show recruits concrete examples of Irish players benefitting from NIL without the upfront guarantees, could the pendulum swing back to the Irish? And if ND's academic side is willing to work with the transfer credit issue (not admit subpart students, but find a compromise on the credits), then the Irish are back in business. Having an elite recruiter as you head coach — as long as he remains so — is powerful in both those equations. I would not underestimate that.
Martin in Enfield, Conn.: After the game Saturday night, Pyne said he should have thrown more to Mayer. What do you make of that? What do his teammates think of him? He seems passive/aggressive angry.
Eric Hansen: Martin, Martin, Martin. Here is the exchanges in the Drew Pyne press conference regarding throwing to Michael Mayer:
Q: What was Stanford doing defensively that made it difficult to get the ball to Michael Mayer?
"I don't think it was anything special. I think kind of going back to the first thing I said, I think I just got to go out there and execute and deliver the football. We get in good looks. We get in spots where Mike is one on one. And we just got to execute and convert and deliver the ball. "
Q: Do you get any feedback at certain times that maybe you're too reliant on him, and that maybe you were looking for him and maybe someone else was coming open?
"Mike is a great target and he's a great player and defenses have ways to try to combat that. And I think when they do, I like you said, I’ve got to go find other guys. And I think there were times tonight where I could have done that. And I'm just going to learn from it, come back and execute every day in practice this week and just come back with the head down and work. "
Soooo, I think Pyne's teammates love him, support him. In terms of a clinical diagnosis of passive/aggressive angry, I'll leave that to Dr. Phil.
Steve from Findlay Ohio: Hi Eric. Nice interview with Dennis Dodd. Ggood questions for Dennis, what are your thoughts on the mix of Marcus and ND culture? Will ND wait a few years to be competitive while he learns on the job?
Eric Hansen: Steve, thanks. I think that's what they had in mind when they hired him. ... althought a little more accelerated timeline would be welcomed.
Irish Mike from Altoona, Pa.: Hi Eric! As always thank you for your chats! My original question was going to be about the failings of Tommy Rees and Drew Pyne, but, I’m sure others will have that covered. My question is why so many 7:30 home game start times? The original premise of the NBC contract was to ensure afternoon kickoffs! Is this a preview to the new NBC/ Big Ten deal?
Eric Hansen: Hi Irish Mike. No it's just things that were renegotiated along the way. So, yes there are more night games and will be. And no, it's not a precursor necessarily to what the next deal might look like.
Jay from Granger, Ind.: I’m your recent article you mention Freeman is following his own blueprint. What experiences is he bringing to the table to develop the blueprint and do you think Swarbrick might recommend some changes for next season or do we get to look forward to continued on-the-job training? Watching Tommy and Freeman figure things out a week in arrears is more than painful. Last question: how do you think Peacock ratings will stack up this week, and do you expect a sell-out at the game?
Eric Hansen: I think Marcus Freeman is leaning into his roots with former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, but also his successful run with Luke Fickell at Cincinnati (and yes there is some overlap there). He's also mindful of a regime that didn't work, that he (and TEs coach Gerad Parker) was a part of at Purdue. There are lessons there. ... If there are changes to be made for next season, the time to evaluate and talk about them is after the regular season ends. ... I think maybe the Peacock ratings will suffer from actual ND fans perhaps not tuning in, but there may be a twisted curiosity for non-ND fans to take a peek.
Jay from Cincinnati. How do this season’s wins and, more importantly, losses affect this current 2023 Irish recruit class? Have you heard anyone teetering due to the on-field play?
Eric Hansen: Safety Peyton Bowen has been teetering long before the season even started, and yet he's still in the class for now. So much of the win/loss recruiting formula has to do with how the coach handles/spins it and how the leaders in the recruiting classes lead. In the last 20 years, there have been four recruits that come to mind that are/were exceptional in this regard — Bob Morton, Dayne Crist and now Drayk Bowen (2023) and CJ Carr (2024).
Jeff from Fort Wayne: Thank you Eric for doing this. Rreally like your insight on things. My question is with all the commitments for running back for next year, as long as they all sign, do you see all the current running backs staying in 2023? And if they do, won’t there be a crowd? I don’t see Chris Tyree leaving for the NFL. By my count we are looking at eight running backs next year. I know they say Edwards and Love can play other positions, but will they want to full time? I’m assuming Price will be able to play, but you never know with Achilles tears. How does Notre Dame manage this?
Eric Hansen: Thanks Jeff, and an excellent question. And I'm spitballing here, because I haven't given this much thought (but I should). You could argue for a redshirt year for both Dylan Edwards and Jayden Limar. So that knocks you down to six. You could move Chris Tyree to slot receiver full time and that solves two issues, Down to five. Then Jeremiyah Love becomes a hybrid player with Audric Estimé, Logan Diggs, Gi'Bran Payne and Jadarian Price battling it out. You could also look at one of those guys as a potential defensive flip (safety), I suppose. But you are right. No way to keep eight running backs happy.
Craig from Massachusetts: Hi Eric, Love the weekly chats…thank you! One of the more pressing issues for ND moving forward is the play at the quarterback position. I have not given up on Tyler Buchner, and CJ Carr has tremendous upside, but don’t see him reclassifying. Would the Irish be interested in Cade McNamara if he suddenly appeared in the portal?
Eric Hansen: Thanks Craig. Assuming there's mutual interest and he has a degree in hand, I think they'd consider him, but I think there will be better options if ND opts to add through the portal.
JRicc from Chester, N.J.: Please explain the misalignment that resulted in a penalty that negated the touchdown pass to Mayer in the Stanford game. Who was at fault and why? How could this happen? And is this a perfect example of lack of “execution?”
Eric Hansen: Tyler James wrote about this Saturday night in his Six defining plays from Notre Dame's unsettling loss to Stanford. Here's a snippet:
Sophomore tight end Mitchell Evans, playing in his first game of the season after recovering from an offseason foot injury, was flagged for running a pass route as an ineligible receiver downfield. However, the mistake likely wasn’t on Evans. He lined up on the left side of the offensive formation on the line of scrimmage in the traditional tight end spot, with Mayer lined up outside to his left and behind the line.
That became a problem, because running back Chris Tyree was lined up out wide to the left and also on the line of scrimmage. That made Evans ineligible. Tyree was likely supposed to be lined up off the ball.
Don in Phoenix: Eric, missed the last couple of chats; anything new I need to catch up on? I've come to grips with this one. Was driving to Las Vegas Saturday and heard the 'Bama faithful screaming in the desert when Tennessee kicked the winner. Turned to ND and decided not to turn the TV on or go to a sports book when we arrived. Dinner instead and held some hope watching the twitter feed, but alas a really bad loss. Saw John Legend, great show, and didn't read anything until Monday morning. My thoughts: Were all of our expectations inflated? Every coach except Balis, Rees, Mickens and O'Leary are new. Many of the key grad assistants are gone. Injuries in places that are thin. Should ND lose to Marshall and Stanford? No. Now a question: Is this simply a matter of a first-time coach with a new staff learning on the job the hard way? And if so, what should we look for that indicates progress? Thanks, and you and Tyler made me chuckle watching a replay of Monday Night Live.
Eric Hansen: Wait a sec, Don. You watched John Legend instead of reading our stories? Come to think of it, good call — and thanks for watching the YouTube show. Yes, expectations did get inflated. Mine too. And for a lot of the reasons you listed. But I think you hit on a very important point. Looking for signs over the last six games that these growing pains are not terminal. They'll show up in a lot of areas, but statistically the markers to look at are national ranks in rush offense, rush defense, pass efficiency, total defense and turnover margin. Once those are on the rise, you can wish/dream for/aspire to have offensive pyrotechnics.
Beyond numbers, I think it's really important to see how Freeman leads, learns and reacts when things don't go his way.
Curt from Warsaw, Ind.: Eric, with all things considered, what is the chance the Irish take a quarterback in the transfer portal??
Eric Hansen: Curt, that percentage is going to change by the day until we get to December. The point is the Irish need to be 100 percent prepared and researched to make that move is warranted. And I am confident they will be prepared.
Rich from Key West, Fla.: I have two issues I'd like your take on. The first is continuing to play Liufau at the weakside linebacker. Our production from that position has fallen off the cliff when you look at last year’s numbers. It closely resembles the Simon/Liufau lack of production in 2020. Bertrand may have had some pass-coverage issues playing there, but he made tackles all over the field. How about moving him back and moving Kiser to the middle and giving Watts a try at rover? Freeman may not have been left with much quarterback depth, but where is the scrutiny on passing on a very talented quarterback transfer list to choose from? Buchner, as everyone else on the roster, was one play away from injury and not pursuing at least an experienced backup was a huge blunder on the coaching staff's part. Do you agree?
Eric Hansen: Hi Rich. I like your observations. I have different solutions. I think MLB is JD Bertrand's best position. Jack Kiser can play all three well. I'd keep him at rover and let him back up at the other two. Now to WLB, Marist Liufau missing a year set him back more than I thought, then he thought, than the coaching staff thought. I'm not ready to give up on him. I do like Prince Kollie getting more reps there. He has earned them. I'd leave Watts at safety. He's likely to be a starter there in 2023. I would continue to push for Jaylen Sneed to get on the field as a backup rover, now that he's made a surge in the practices.
This is from my one-on-one interview with Marcus this summer re the QBs:
“I think Buchner has everything you need – both of them do,” Freeman said. “They have exactly what you need. That was one of the biggest questions I asked (offensive coordinator) Tommy Rees.
“I said, ‘Do we have quarterbacks in our system, in our program right now that can help us win a national championship?’ He said, ‘Absolutely.’ So that kind of affected the way that we looked at the (transfer) portal.
“We said, ‘We don’t need to do anything with the portal, because we have those guys in our program. They're just unproven.’ I know Pyne’s played in the Wisconsin game, a little bit more against Cincinnati. Buchner had a very limited package last year.
“Until they show it in a game, there’s always that little bit of doubt. Until you can do it on a consistent basis in a game, that’s what everybody’s waiting for. I believe they both have it. I’m just excited to see them do it in a game, where they can create the belief in their teammates and everybody else.”
So my question back to you is, had ND grabbed a portal QB, would that have been worth the risk or losing Buchner or Pyne to the portal?
Bob Gorman from Oak Park, Ill.: As I watched the game Saturday night and after living in Columbus for 40 years, I was struck that our offense looked like it was playing Tressel ball. (Tressel's infamous quote is that the punt is the most important play in football). Then I heard a brief reference almost in passing in the postgame press conference by our young head coach that he tells Tom Rees to run the ball. I immediately texted ND friends in Columbus with my suspicions. This hunch was reinforced further in Monday's presser when our young head coach says he talks to Tressel on the phone every week. Is it possible that our OC has less freedom than we all think? Perhaps fans are scapegoating the OC unfairly when he may have less freedom than a year ago? While Tressel ball worked 15 years ago, can it work today when we had games like Tenn/Ala and Utah/USC last weekend? Lastly, can you say if you have started writing the authoritative well-balanced biography of the winningest coach in ND history?
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. My mom will be thrilled to know I heard from you (and yes she is back to teaching yoga). The Jim Tressel formula works for ascending teams, incomplete teams, for the 2020 Irish even. But it does not work at the highest level. Not the entire formula anyway. The part about strong defense and special teams certainly does. But looking at ND's personnel, doesn't it fit the Tressel model more than the Josh Heupel model? That is where ND should be recruiting to, and they are. And Tommy Rees may or may not be in a difficult spot, but unless he's the head coach, he has to make what the head coach wants work.
As for a book of any kind, that would be way off in the future. Not enough time and too many grandkids who love close enough to enjoy.
Eric Hansen: OK, that's going to do it for today. Thanks for all the great questions. And believe me, there were way too many I couldn't get to. I won't blame it on execution, just slow fat fingers and a mind to match. We'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.
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