Chat Transcript: How Freeman 'fixed' the process; healthy ND roster churn
Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, Navy Edition.
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 Terry Hanratty. Lots of great insight from the former Notre Dame All-American and two-time Super Bowl champ with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Among the topics discussed are his thoughts on coach Marcus Freeman’s career trajectory, on current QB Drew Pyne (who he has known since Pyne’s high school days), his two bouts with COVID — including one life-threatening episode, offensive line coach Harry Hiestand's impact and what made coach Ara Parseghian great.
► Tyler James and I were back with our YouTube show, Monday Night Live, this week with the week’s headlines, a full review of the upset of Clemson, viewer questions and a Navy preview — all with minimal glitches. 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.
Eric Hansen: As far as the chat goes, PLEASE remember to include your name and hometown along with your question. And ...
Eric Hansen: All right, let's get started.
Chet, Chicago: Drew Pyne, gotta give the kid some credit as far as continuing to battle despite heavy national criticism and general adversity. Now that the offensive line is a cohesive, physically dominant unit and the run game has hit its stride, do we see Pyne possibly being the next flower to bloom? He shows "traits" (wink, wink @ BK) as a resilient competitor and I wonder just how much he can grow and accomplish now that he's not being asked to do the most offensively. I'd love to see wind continue to fill the kid's sails and wonder what your expectations are (if any) regarding his continued development and growth as a player. I still believe in the heart and moxy but maybe I'm just high off this win! Thoughts?
Eric Hansen: The coaching staff's mission is to maximize what Drew Pyne can give you THIS season. His growth in the Clemson game was taking a step forward in being a better game manager. The Irish will need more than a game manager in 2023, so either Pyne must evolve beyond that or he will not be a viable option to be QB1. But again, this is about 2022 right now. So, I asked offensive coordinator Tommy Rees Tuesday night about what Pyne's next steps should look like. Here is his response:
“There’s some footwork stuff that’s technical that we really need to improve on. The pre-snap recognition of ‘Hey, we got the look, We know where we want this ball. Let’s find a way to get it done.’
“There have been some plays this year where maybe he’s late on it with his eyes or he doesn’t see it with his eyes. It’s, ‘Hey, this is the look we want. This is what it looks like.’ I have to make sure we see it during the week. ‘This is why we like it. Let’s find a way to get it done.’
“If we do some of those things, we’ll continue to evolve offensively. He’s taking those steps. Just have to continue to get him those looks to make sure he can.”
Tom from Sister Lakes, MI: Hi Eric, After the Stanford game I challenged your assertion that “this one’s on Freeman” and said it’s on the players as well. The players were the ones who weren’t executing and said that the leaders on the team needed to get it fixed. Of course Freeman now deserves credit for the change in how they’ve played since then—but the players do too. I’m just curious if you have any sources who can tell you what, if anything, transpired inside the locker room to ignite this change in attitude, passion and performance? This turnaround didn’t just happen because they “followed the process”, blah, blah, blah.
Eric Hansen: Tom, there were no magic words. And it wasn't about following the process blah, blah, blah. Or trusting it. It was about questioning the process and finding ways to make it better every week. After wins. After losses. To Marcus Freeman's credit, I've seen a lot of young coaches dig their heels in and get defensive when things don't go right. He channeled the adversity into better practices, better gameday operations, better game plans. And the leaders among the players set great examples in terms of resiliency, in setting a standard when it comes to work ethic and unselfishness. This team is not a finished product, but now it's got momentum to go along with everything else.
Tanker Lutz, Dulce NM: Hi Eric, great win by the Irish and a huge momentum builder for recruiting and the program as a whole. Curious what the recruiting rumblings are following such a dominant and electric win. Any positive surprises brewing? And with the former Texas Tech wr commit Kaleb Smith on campus for the game along with Khalil Barnes, does that mean that Taeshaun Lyons is drifting away or could all 3 be potentially in play?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tanker. If you're a subscriber, I recommend Kyle Kelly's Friday recruiting chat. He can give you much more nuanced answers with regard to recruiting than I can, because he's talking to those prospects and sources daily. As you probably know by now, 2024 CB Karson Hobbs decommitted from South Carolina Tuesday and committed to the Irish Wednesday morning. There are some Rivals FutureCasts out there regarding Kaleb Smith. I think ND feels good about where they are with Khalil Barnes. The Irish aren't going to put all their eggs in one basket. But from talking to Kyle, I don't think Taeshaun Lyons is expected to end up at ND.
Most of the uncommitted prospects at the game are 2024s (juniors), so with many of them it was a chance to establish the Irish as their leader. It was also about playing defense. There are a lot of schools that would like to flip some of ND's best prospects into their classes. There couldn't have been a better scenario for Notre Dame to make a strong impression on those players.
Mike, Gilbert,AZ: Eric!!, Don’t know if you have rescinded the no drinking rule for today but I’m drinking the IRISH Kool-aid, non-alcoholic version for today. What a win! In the 4th Quarter I started looking to see if Coach Holtz was back on the sideline! No question for today, just a request. Can someone ask Estime to change to #6? The bus is back in town! ND win 2 top 15 wins this year. Beat SC! Cheers!
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. Drink away. ... Audric Estimé actually did change numbers this offseason, from 24 to 7. Abd 6 on offense was available (Clarence Lewis has it on defense). ... By the way, the original bus, Jerome Bettis, actually was in town and at the game. He told me on our podcast last week that if the students stormed the field, he would do it too. His son, Jerome Bettis Jr., was also at the game. The 2025 WR prospect from Atlanta was on an unofficial recruiting visit.
Tony, Lake Mary, FL: Hey Eric. Happy triple option week. I was a WR on a high school that ran the triple option. Learned some bad acting skills. Anyway, the confidence in Audric Estime and Logan Diggs was awesome to see. Photo of the year to Matt Cashore of Estime on players shoulders after the game. On to question: how are former assistants who are now coordinators doing at their respective places? I know BC is having a rough year, but what about the others?
Eric Hansen: The two from last year's staff who moved on to be coordinators are tight ends coach John McNulty, who will be back at Notre Dame Stadium in about a week and a half with Boston College, and running backs coach Lance Taylor, now the OC at Louisville. McNulty's Eagles are 117th out of 131 FBS teams in total offense, 131st in rush offense, 59th in passing offense and 120th in scoring offense. ... Louisville under Taylor in those same respective categories is: 45/25/89/56. ... And just for the fun of it .. the last two ND offensive coordinators ... Chip Long at Georgia Tech: 115th in total offense. And Mike Denbrock at LSU 33rd in total offense. ... I'd imagine I'll get pushback on this, but Denbrock is the most underrated assistant coach I've covered in my career.
John -Palmyra, PA: Keon Keeley will come back to the class. Where do you expect the transfers to come from this off-season, and in what numbers? Joe Wilkins is just the beginning in my opinion. Many have to see a diminished path to playing time, and with the incoming classes it’s only going to get worse for some.
Eric Hansen: John, I said Mike from Arizona could break the no-drinking rule, not EVERYBODY. Recruiting is a funny thing and I've seen some interesting and unlikely U-turns, but as it stands, I think I have a better chance of winning Dancing with the Stars than Notre Dame has of reeling Keon Keeley back in. As far as transfer numbers coming in, it depends on the outgoing numbers and how this recruiting class finishes up. QB and WR are in play no matter what, but defensive end could be if your Keeley prediction doesn't come true and if Justin Ademilola opts to head to the NFL Draft. Maybe a nickel corner, but there is a lot of young talent at CB. As far as outgoing transfers, that's business as usual these days, and a certain amount of roster churn is healthy for both the players and the program.
Jeff from Phoenix: Hey Eric! With Joseph questionable for this week, who do you expect to field punts if he cannot play? And at his safety spot, who would get the extra snaps? It feels like a significant case of ‘opportunity knocking’ for another player that wants to make a statement for the rest of the season and gain momentum into 2023. Thanks-
Eric Hansen: Hi Jeff. That's a great question for me to put to Marcus Freeman on Thursday's Zoom. Thanks for the reminder. At the start of the season, the clear No. 2 option on punt returns was Matt Salerno. Tobias Merriweather and Gi'Bran Payne were also in that mix. So it bears revisiting, because it's been a while and the "official" ND depth chart can sometimes be stagnant. If this were a normal week, with a conventional offense on the other side, I'd say a blend of Ramon Henderson and Xavier Watts stepping into the safety void. With it being triple option, I give the nod to Watts.
Jayquan, Queens NY: Hey Eric, when it comes to recruiting this cycle, how many WRs do you envision signing Irish when it's all said and done? How many would be ideal and how many do you feel is realistic? Freeman Era officially on and poppin', look out!
Eric Hansen: Hi Jayquan. Here's the wide receiver math. The Irish would like to have 10 total. Joe Wilkins Jr. and Avery Davis won't return. Braden Lenzy and Matt Salerno aren't likely to use a COVID year to return either. So that gives you four: Tobias Merriweather, Deion Colzie, Lorenzo Styles and Jayden Thomas. There are three receivers in the 2023 class .. so that gives you seven. Let's say the Irish get one more ... that's eight (though they could take two more). There's going to be a glut of running backs -- eight if everybody sticks. So Chris Tyree, if he's open to it, could move full time to the slot. That gives you nine. I think you then need a veteran receiver from the transfer portal for No. 10.
Aaron, Washington D.C.: Hi Eric, hope your week is going well and you're ready for some snow. How much of a matchup challenge do you think Navy poses? The spread for this game is about the same as Stanford yet if Navy can challenge the run like Stanford did, which Navy is very good at, this could be another very difficult situation for the Notre Dame offense. While Notre Dame overcame Clemson's run defense, you have to think Navy will have a good game plan. Do you see any avenue for Notre Dame to deploy a better passing attack? If I remember correctly, Jack Coan had a big day passing against the Navy defense last year. It seems that Notre Dame might need to be able to mix it up on Saturday. Thank you for your time.
Eric Hansen: Aaron, thanks for the question and for your politeness. Navy really sells out to stop the run and takes its chances in the passing game. Thus, the Mids are 7th nationally in rush defense and 122nd in pass-efficiency defense. That's the worst PED on the ND schedule (BYU was 114th). So there will be some good matchup opportunities, both for TE Michael Mayer and for the wide receivers. I don't think ND goes away from its strength and just wings it 50 times. I think there's a happy medium, because if ND can get up two scores, it's going to want to start controlling clock. It also should have the edge in the run game, because that's how good it's getting. So look at the BYU game plan maybe in terms of what's possible.
Tom Kennesaw, GA: Hi Eric, great show Monday night. Really enjoyed listening to my classmate/teammate Terry Hanratty and his insight on ND football. I was very impressed with the changes the OC and DC made in how they communicated their signals. Shows that they are working on all phases of game day prep. With the success of the huddle offense do you think that we will see a lot less of the Scan offense? I sure hope so. With our OL dominance it just seems to make sense to get to the line and attack. I was very impressed with the game that Jayden Thomas had. Great blocks and a tough key 3rd down catch. Also kudos to Liufau not only for his play but a KEY block on the pick six return. Your thoughts??? Finally, you asked the best questions to MF on Monday. Batted passes are finally being addressed. Please tell me why they don't call more rollout plays? I have been yelling for this even when TB was QB. Thanks and Go Irish!!!
Eric Hansen: Hey Tom. Thanks for the feedback. I really enjoyed having Terry Hanratty on the podcast. Lots of great info there. ... As far as why ND went to more of a quick huddle game, here's what Tommy Rees said about that Tuesday night ... then I'll get to your other questions:
“We kind of had two different ones; one we’ve used, one was new. There’s a certain amount of gamesmanship when you play Clemson, to say it lightly. A couple years ago we huddled pretty much the whole game. We used some of the quick stuff then. We wanted to be able to change the picture on them as much as we could. They’re formation-ally based.
“The quick huddle stuff: the Rams did it a couple of years ago and they threw something to the receiver out of the backfield, and Ohio State did it to Clemson after we played them in ’20. That was a little bit of the influence. Then trying to find how it fits us and who we are. Trying to break it late and not allow them to get a beat on what tempo we’re playing with and some of the formation-based stuff of that nature.”
Yeah, I noticed Jayden Thomas' blocking. Really a big asset in that game. ... So why don't they roll Drew Pyne out more? I think they need to do it more than they do, but it can't be the bread and butter with him. Why? 1) He doesn't throw well going to his left. 2) In the practice drills I've seen when he's rolling out, he's much more accurate in the pocket than he is on the move. (Tyler Buchner is really good on the move in practices). 3) You roll him right, then the defense just has to watch the misdirection. Otherwise, they're only defending half the field. But again, I'd like to see him on the move more. He's an adequate enough runner, where he can tuck it and go if there's a seam.
Frank, W Roxbury MA: Eric, good day to you sir! I love Freeman and love the physicality and toughness he demands from his football team. Seeing the physical dominance, sideline juice, and refusal to back down (halftime dust up leading to entire ND team bouncing up the tunnel back to the locker room getting the crowd into a frenzy) is just an energy shift that feels different than what we have seen from ND in a very long time. What is your reaction to this energy shift and how good do you feel this team really is? Secondly, how does any big name recruit not want to be a part of this group of marauders that's forming in South Bend and who is next on that front? HERE COME THE IRISH.
Eric Hansen: Hi Frank. It sounds like you're ready to run through a wall. I think the energetic shift is that hope/belief that there really is a higher level out there for the ND program to realistically chase than the one Brian Kelly got them to from 2017-21. That's not a knock on Brian. He was looking for those pathways to do so, and that's one of the reasons he hired Marcus Freeman as his defensive coordinator. ... How good is this team? Not a finished product yet, so there's room to grow. But progress isn't always a straight line, so ... the next two weeks will be telling. And yes, Saturday night was a great selling point for recruiting.
Greg, Stockton California: Eric, this special teams unit is ELITE and unlike anything I have ever seen in my many years of watching/playing the game. Just monsters who attack and threaten to drastically change the landscape of a ball game on literally every opposing punt attempt, which is truly unbelievable and exciting. Can we retain this special teams coach for several years and can we keep Jordan Botelho, a complete Hawaiian warrior, on the field more frequently moving forward? Love to see the kid make plays, have success, and come into his own, one of my favorites.
Eric Hansen: Hi Greg. One incentive for Brian Mason to stay is how well he and Marcus Freeman work together, at ND and prior to ND, and how much Freeman emphasizes special teams. It's a special teams coach's dream. Here's Mason from Tuesday night talking about that:
"It starts really with the head coach. I always say there's a lot of head coaches, it's easier to be a special teams coordinator based on their philosophy and how important special teams is. Obviously, I get to use frontline guys on certain units and that allows us to be more successful or do different things. Some head coaches would never allow that or make special teams that important. Coach Freeman sits in on the special teams meetings and lets everybody know how important it is and how he wants to be successful at it. Well, those are the kind of head coaches that I certainly obviously want to work for. It makes it a lot easier."
I've mentioned it before. Jordan Botelho has a chance to be special. And he had to overcome a lot to get to this point, some of which was self-inflicted. But in talking with defensive coordinator Al Golden Tuesday night, he sounds sold on an expanded role for Botelho. With Justin Ademilola moving away from backup vyper to start at the other defensive end spot and Rylie Mills playing mostly inside now, Golden considers Botelho the top backup option at both end spots.
Jackson - Norcross, GA: Eric, The most exciting unit on the ND team…PUNT BLOCK. No longer will I leave the room early for the anticipated commercial. Question: Barring a Pyne injury, is it worth burning a redshirt year on Angeli? Should the staff consider holding 1 game (for Angeli) for USC and/or bowl game if Pyne gets injured in one of those games?
Eric Hansen: Hey Jackson. So the math for the redshirt year looks like this. You can not play in more than four and still redshirt. Backup QB Steve Angeli has played in two with four more to go, including a bowl game. As a coach, your No. 1 priority is always the season you're in. If a freshman can help you, you play them. Thus I'd use Angeli as if the redshirt year didn't matter. If that means he plays in two games? Fine. If he plays in six? That's good too.
Mark from Orange County, CA: Hi Eric!!! I've never been so happy to be wrong. I thought ND made a mistake hiring a head coach with no previous head coaching experience. I now think Marcus Freeman is the exception and will have a very successful tenure at ND. With Navy being a good team defensively against the run, do you see ND attempting more passes against Navy than they have been this season or continue to mostly run the ball because that is their strength? Also with our strong offensive line do you think Pyne might have more passing success against batted down throws if he throws from outside the pocket? As always your stellar coverage of ND football is very much appreciated
Eric Hansen: Hey Mark. I've addressed a couple parts of your question, but wanted to get to your assertion about Marcus Freeman. I do feel good about Marcus' long-term future. Jerome Bettis did a great job of kind of voicing those on the podcast last week, and Terry Hanratty hit on some this week. But that doesn't mean there won't be any hiccups. Think back to Brian Kelly's first year. He was 4-5 going into a game against a ranked Utah team and had to give freshman Tommy Rees his first start because of an injury to starter Dayne Crist. The Irish go 4-0 to finish the season, including a beatdown of Miami in the Sun Bowl. But in 2011, the Irish lost the season opener to South Florida and Skip Holtz — at home. They lost their final two games of that season and finished 8-5 again. The telling season in just about every ND head coach's career has been year three.
That doesn't mean ND can't finish the season 9-3 this year or make a playoff run next year. It also doesn't mean Freeman can stop evolving and settle into a pattern. But I like Marcus Freeman's chances of growing into a very good head coach.
Chuck /Cleveland, O: Hi Eric, as Sam Pendleton said Saturday, as a Recruit, what else do you want? ( About ND commitment) You & Tyler set the bar even higher on Monday - kudos. A few thoughts & a few questions: When was the last time you saw the D flying around for 60 minutes? They looked FEROCIOUS! Also, I felt bad for Buchner when the hugs were going around on the sideline... he is so much better than the gutsy but very average Pyne! Questions: 1) Will we keep the W/R commits? Knowing how HS guys crack on each other, they had to be getting cracks about how lonely these W/R's feel each game. 2) Polian gave us years of mediocrity. What makes Mason so special? 3) True test coming Saturday after a mega HIGH. Will TR be stubborn and run the ball against super loaded fronts or will he allow Drew to throw downfield vs a weak Navy secondary? IMHO this might be YOUR best year --- great insight into a BIZARRO year - thank you.
Eric Hansen: Chuck, if I could afford or needed an agent, you'd be it. Thank you. To your questions, teams are coming after Braylon James and Jaden Greathouse, notably, among the WR commits. The ND coaches tell them: this is our offense now. It'll be more dynamic when you get here. But when you recruit the best, this is the price you pay -- having to play defense down the stretch to keep them. 2) I think what makes Brian Mason special is he's smart and fearless. He also knows defense very well, and some of those concepts help him schematically on special teams. 3) If ND can run the ball on Clemson, I'm not sure I'd call it stubbornness doing that against other teams. But I know what you're saying. Still, you have to play to Drew Pyne's strengths ... and gradually expand those strengths.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, what an amazing game on Saturday night who knew the Irish had that in them? With 2 1/2 weeks until the USC game, what could ND do to help improve Drew Pine’s play and to add to the passing game repertoire in a way which would help beat USC? With Brandon Joseph possibly out this week, who do you think will get a look for punt returns? Would you consider putting Tyree back there? What can you do this week in practice and the game to get Lorenzo Styles going? Thanks for all your great insights and hosting the chat.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. Always nice to have your questions and passion in the chat. I've hit on the punt return question earlier, so let me get to the other parts of your question, starting with Lorenzo Styles. This year, I'm sure, hasn't gone the way Styles envisioned. And I think that's gotten into his head. So he needs to forget about the big picture and just focus on one week at a time. Tommy Rees mentioned the other week he needs to get the ball to Styles earlier in the game to get him going, and I think this is a good week to do that. As far as Drew Pyne vs. USC, it's a little early, but I know you're thinking about building toward that game.
USC's defense is different. They sack the quarterback at a higher rate than anyone ND has played this year. They're also very good at forcing turnovers. Aside from that, though, in their last three games, they've been shredded through the air by Cam Rising of Utah, Jayden de Laura of Arizona and Jack Plummer of Cal. What Pyne must learn to do at a high level when playing USC is take advantage of their pressures to find holes in the defense. But still he must play to his strengths. So don't expect Joe Montana to show up.
Joe H Williams Bay Wi Hey Eric Thanks again for all your great analysis I’m still on cloud 9 after that awesome performance by the Irish Saturday night The only thing that bothered me about the game was the same thing that has bothered me most of the season, namely the officiating. The two pass interference penalties on Clemson first td drive were egregious especially the call against DJ Brown Our defensive line gets consistently held week after week with nothing called and I can’t recall any replays going our way I know I’m biased but am I being crazy or if not is there anything we can do to level the playing field
Eric Hansen: Joe. Thank you and sorry. Sorry, because unless it's a key play/call, I don't fixate on the officiating. Nothing wrong with people who do. I just can't cover the game the way I want to if that's my focus. If you want a level playing field, Notre Dame has been penalized for 394 yards and its opponents 389. Can't get more even than that. Now that doesn't mean ND committed the same amount of penalties. The only part about being crazy is if you think you, me or Marcus Freeman can do much about it. College football officiating needs to get better. But until it does, the Irish are going to have to rise above it.
Mike, Phoenix, AZ: Eric, frequent reader and occasional chatter (first time since you’ve moved). I’ve not been more excited about a big win since Oklahoma back in 2012, but I’m also nervous about being letdown like after BYU. However, tell me why I’m wrong to think that the Irish can’t just do the exact same thing to USC in 3 weeks. I know SC has superior QB talent to Clemson, but in both lines and the D they are far weaker. Can ND simply impose its will once again and leave LA with a convincing victory?
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. Thanks for coming over and finding us again. ... I, like the coaches, take these one game at a time. And how ND handles success will tell us a lot about their mindset going into USC. So the next two weeks matter. Same with USC, they've given up 43, 37 and 35 points the past three weeks. How the Trojans handle UCLA will also play into the ND-USC dynamic. Offensively, USC is tough to deal with. ND does have experience facing the No. 1 and No. 2 QBs in passing efficiency (Ohio State's CJ Stroud and North Carolina's Drake Maye). Ben Morrison's progress is significant when it applies to USC. .. Keep your eye on turnovers. They were big in the Clemson game, and USC is the No. 1 team nationally in turnover margin.
Sean-Schaumburg, Il: Eric, I watched the show on Monday. Great insight. The green screen/changing shirts D-Was this a moment, according to You/Tyler reporting that Freeman didn't know about, where Freeman is being the "CEO" of his team and giving Golden freedom/autonomy? Also, I doubt you remember, I had asked about Freeman challenging Rees(2weeks ago/You asked what that may look like)to make adjustments In-Game/During Practice. I had mentioned 13 personnel and other, similar, changes. 13 personnel and modified 22 personnel were utilized. Dominant O-line play! Other observant members of the chat had mentioned running plays quicker without the stop/check/sideline-check offense. It created a far better rhythm to the offense. What type of evolution, in your view, occurred from beginning of season to now? I believe Freeman needed to adjust to Home Game Week(lots of obligations outside of coaching et al). I'm on record as acknowledging some early pain in Freeman's tenure(Marshall hurt/Stanford=ugly/painful). Is Clemson a watershed?
Eric Hansen: Sean, I do remember your question about wanting Marcus Freeman to challenge Tommy Rees, and I asked you back what would that look like? It wasn't a bad question. I just wanted to get a feel for whether you wanted Marcus to veto him, yell at him, or work together with him? ... One thing that is really helpful to the media in terms of telling the story of this team better is our access to the coordinators on Tuesday night. Because there are times you're watching the game and thinking that's a bad idea. And then you come to find out why they did something, and it makes sense.
So let me now get to your two core questions: 1) What type of evolution has occurred. It's literally everything. Game-day communication, the way they practice, how much more knowledgeable and invested Marcus is with regard to the offense. Rest and recovery. Pregame routines. Marcus has gone over all of those things and improved them. 2) There is nothing insignificant about what happened Saturday night. But after a big win or a big loss, it's so important to keep building. And so Navy week becomes a key piece to Marcus Freeman's evolution too.
Jim Tal, Valley Center, CA.: Hi Eric, thanks for all your fine work on the various platforms. Believe me, your efforts are very much appreciated. Do you see any scenario by which the Irish don't bring in a transfer portal quarterback ala Jack Coan to challenge for the starting job in 2023? Though Pyne has been a serviceable game manager and has had his moments, it's hard to believe that he is anywhere near being the answer. And though Buchner has real upside, his injury issues and style of play make him somewhat suspect. Therefore, it seems almost imperative that a viable outsider is brought in compete for the job. And if either Pyne or Buchner are scared off by that prospect and chose to move on, then so be it. What say you?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jim. I understand why I get asked about this so often, and it's in part because my answer has changed. Yes, bring in a grad transfer, someone who will be here a year. And if that scares someone off who doesn't want to compete, so be it is right.
Bill from St Joe: Eric, thanks as always for these excellent chats. I don’t think I’ve shared my frustrations with running Tyree between the tackles, but I have call out Tyree for his willingness to block in pass protection. He stuck his nose into oncoming rushers at least twice protecting Drew Pyne, once late in the second Qtr (about the 1:15 mark of the 2nd Qtr and another more impressive block during the game which I cannot remember that point in the game. Perhaps his willingness to pass protect has earned him touches which perhaps otherwise would not be deserved. Any thoughts?
Eric Hansen: I think RBs coach Deland McCullough has done a great job of juggling those three RBs and getting them all to buy into being complete backs and being OK sharing the ball.
Doug from Cloudy/Hurricaney Florida: Eric, a story I'd be interested in seeing sometime (if there is enough content for a story) is how coaches feel and prepare to coach against their alma mater. Last weekend was Chansi Stuckey's time against his alma mater. Marcus Freeman and Lauranaitis against OSU, Mickens against Cincinnati, Elston against Michigan, etc. What goes thru their heart? Do they prepare their players differently? Do they have any added incentive to beat their old school? How impassioned are their speeches to their players pre-game? I remember reading how fired up Mike Trgovic was when he was coaching ND against Michigan and wondered how other coaches approach this. No question here for the chat but something that is intriguing. Thanks!
Eric Hansen: I will take it under consideration. What I've found is that the experience is not universal. And even among the same individual, it's not always the same. I'm sure facing Ohio State in South Bend next year will play differently for Freeman than coaching his first regular-season game in that stadium.
Jeff Wong: Hi, Eric. Jeff here in Honolulu. Absolutely love the analysis and practical insight that you provide about the Irish. I have a question about coach Tom Rees. Somehow, I don't see him yet being offered a job as a head coach at the collegiate level at this time. He's still very young. Yet I also don't see him moving on to another university. So how coveted is Rees by the NFL? Earlier this season, parting ways seemed to be almost inevitable. Now that the offense has not only become productive, but in some regards, feared, the odds that Rees will remain for another year appears to be favorable. By the way, when I use the term, "feared," teams know that the Irish will run the ball and control the clock, and yet haven't presented many answers for it, Stanford notwithstanding. Mahalo
Eric Hansen: Hi Jeff and Mahalo to you for the kind words. In terms of Tommy Rees' coaching future, I felt this year was going to be a defining season. He no longer had Brian Kelly as either a handbrake or a safety net. The picture has changed a lot in the last three weeks and could change again in the next three. My sense is he'll eventually end up in the NFL. I think it suits him better at this stage of his career than being a college head coach. No recruiting, for one. If Rees is here in 2024, I will be surprised, based on his career ambitions. 2023? I'm not sure.
Sean-Schaumburg, Il: Eric, your response to my question was great. What would challenging Rees look like? I think it looked like what happened on Saturday night. Better O rhythm. More 13 personnel. Now, we don't know what Freeman said/did to challenge Rees. But, it appears he's becoming more involved(CEO managing)in what/how Rees develops gameplan for the week. You are correct-Navy becomes a pivotal game after a fantastic win. Struggle and barely defeat Navy-questions remain. Dominate and that BELIEF becomes more apparent/instilled in TEAM. As always great insight from you. Thank you for your time.
Eric Hansen: Thank you, Sean. In talking to Tommy Rees last night, I definitely got the impression that there's a lot more chatter going on between Rees and Marcus during the games than there was earlier in the year. The pass to Michael Mayer later in the game against Clemson? That was Marcus Freeman's idea.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Again Eric, The CFP rankings came out last night. Afterwards I checked the losses on every ranked team. IMO ND has the worst two losses of all the teams. As a humorous aside one commentator reviewing the highlights of the ND-Clemson game let them run without comments. As the highlight reel ran he continued to re state' "How did this team lose to Marshall? Perhaps after the season you can run a story on how ND ended up losing to Stanford and Marshall. Injuries? Playersout? Players playing hurt? Inexpereince ? Whatever! I know the ND coaches will have that exercise. I would look forward to your takes on it after the season. Thanks for all the great work.
Eric Hansen: Hi Len. The reason for the Marshall and Stanford losses were not the same. And again, Brian Kelly had clunkers like that later in his time at ND, but he managed to pull them out a the end. Yes, at the end of the season, it might be fun to go back and cover that in more detail.
Irish Rob, Scranton PA: Eric, the joy of a Clemson beatdown has not dissipated, as of yet, for this fan. I don't know Clemson's personnel from the next team but the announcer said their front 7 was very talented, with many of them having the potential to play on Sunday. Is that accurate, because if so, the job the ND OL did was phenomenal. The holes were there and Diggs and Estime did their parts as well. My questions are these....1. If ND can do what they did to Clemson, is there any reason to think they shouldn't be able to do it to remaining opponents as well, minus the adjustments teams make of course. 2. Is that formula one that can win at the highest levels of college football (i.e. playoffs) against elite teams? I just don't see it in today's day and age of wide open offenses....thanks
Eric Hansen: In ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest rankings, Clemson DE Myles Murphy is the No. 11 prospect in the draft, and DT Bryan Bresee is another future first-rounder at No. 12. The other two D-line starters are ranked among the top 10 draft prospects at their respective positions. ... ND's run game should play well against their three remaining regular-season opponents, but as you mentioned, teams will adjust what they try. ... No, we learned in 2020 that can get you to the playoff. Without a dynamic passing game with dynamic playmakers to go with it, it is not enough to WIN playoff games.
Eric Hansen: OK, off to my next commitment. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll do this again next Wednesday at noon ET.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND, @TJamesND and @ByKyleKelly.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports