Chat Transcript: Diving in on Heisman calculus, and Notre Dame's pass rush
Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat brought to you by J&R Solutions.
Some quick programming notes:
► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, it keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation. I think it’ll be worth your while to play catch-up. We’ve moved into our Monday night 7 ET. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube. Tyler James and I are also doing a live postgame show of our takeaways after every game. Here’s what last week’s show looked like.
► On this week’s Inside ND Sports Podcast, we caught up with Bob Morton, a former Notre Dame offensive lineman (2002-06) and one of the best O-line play connoisseurs around. In probably my favorite podcast of 2023, Morton discussed his grade for the Irish offensive line through three games, the downside of potential personnel switches on the line, how much time the line should be allowed to iron out its issues, how quarterback Sam Hartman compares to Jimmy Clausen and Brady Quinn, the advantage of an unbalanced line, what he's liked about offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, ND's defensive pass rush, his confidence about the Irish going into the Ohio State game and more. The podcast can be listened to via SoundCloud or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Pocket Casts.
► And, finally, thanks to all who have been listening during my return to WSBT radio as a co-host with Darin Pritchett on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com) on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the 2023 Notre Dame Football season. I'm also co-hosting the pregame shows with Darin and Tyler Horka (which is not a clever stage name for Tyler James). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. This week’s pregame show starts at 9 a.m. ET. You can download episodes as podcasts.
As far as this week's chat goes …
Please remember to include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s).
Here are the rules:
Eric Hansen: And off we go ...
Manny from San Pedro: Eric!!!!!!!!! Hopefully we will win this week and fight OSU as two undefeateds!!! It’s too early for bronze statue love for Hartman but for him to be in NY come December. Will we have to make the playoffs!?!?!?!?
Eric Hansen: Manny!!!!!!!!! I think for Sam Hartman to be in the group of finalists for the Heisman Trophy, Notre Dame would have to win two of the three (Ohio State, USC and Clemson) and not trip up against anyone else. That, to me, is also a résumé that should be good enough to get the Irish into the playoff, at 11-1. Insightful of you to realize team success and an unexpected storyline play into Heisman voting. You nailed it.
Tim Thompson from Nantucket, Mass.: Hello all, awaiting Hurricane Lee’s visit. Hope the cable tv holds up. So going back to the Tennessee State game and the blocked field goal. No one on either team attempted to recover and advance the ball. I believe it is legal to do so. The same thing happened in the Clemson game the same day. Am I missing something? Is it ND philosophy to not attempt, in case of fumble? Back during the Holtz era we blocked a kick against Michigan and they picked it up and scored a TD.
Eric Hansen: Hi Tim. Here's hoping the hurricane cuts to the right, like Audric Estimé, and heads out into the Atlantic without making landfall. ... So the answer to your question is sometimes you can advance a blocked field goal and sometimes you can't. Here's the rule: If the kick if blocked and lands in the neutral zone or behind the line of scrimmage, it is treated like a live ball/fumble. So, either team can advance it. That didn't happen in the Tennessee State game. The ball landed beyond the line of scrimmage/neutral zone and therefore is treated like a missed field goal. In that case, the ball comes out to the 20 or the original line of scrimmage, whichever is further down the field for the team taking possession.
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Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric, I thought the NC State game was the perfect game for ND. Every player made a coachable mistake. I even saw Joe Alt get beat on a running play. ND needed a game like this for the coaches to emphasize the need to get better. And despite all those errors ND won by 21 points. My question. In football coaches develop these detailed game plans. NC State D has a way of making teams go away from their game plan. Teams cannot sequence plays as they had planned. At this point in the season with Spring Football, preseason practices and three games completed, do the coaches have the faith in Sam Hartman to allow him to check a play at the line if he sees a situation where that play will not work as expected?
Eric Hansen: Hi Len. Sam Hartman has been doing it since the Navy game, and some of those plays have turned into touchdowns. That's the luxury of having a very experienced QB versus a first-time starter, in Drew Pyne, last season, who didn't have that skill set or at least to the point that former offensive coordinator Tommy Rees trusted it.
Marty from San Antonio, Texas: Hi Eric. The pass rush this year seems to be lacking. The injury to Rubio notwithstanding, it seems we do not have a dominant/great/good pass rush, which normally is needed to win a national championship. Why isn’t Freeman concerned more?
Eric Hansen: Marty, really good question and one I asked both Marcus Freeman at the Monday press conference and defensive coordinator Al Golden at his Tuesday night meeting with the media. I wrote about this in my Sunday analysis as well. Notre Dame is 103rd out of 132 FBS teams in sacks. But their pressures are showing up in the fact that they're fourth nationally in pass-efficiency defense and 14th in takeaways, both marked improvements over last season. I'll share with you what Golden told me last night, then finish my thoughts.
Q: You played a triple-option team that threw six passes. You had a game that was out of hand by halftime and you had a unique quarterback with his running ability last week. So, do you really have a sense of what your pass rush can do in a game?
Marcus Freeman: “Yeah, I'm excited about our pass rush. I mean, there was no pass rush against Navy. Again, most of our starters are out by halftime. And our play count wasn't very high against Tennessee State. And then last week, it was really gameplan-oriented. So, I thought our guys executed the gameplan really, really well. Somebody said his [Brennan Armstrong’s] yards per attempt before that last drive were like 4.7 or something on 40-something throws. That's collective defense, and that's what we're preaching. The only thing that matters is the score. So, we're better at situational football. The sudden-change stop was awesome. We have a good mentality with that. We’ve got to keep improving in the red [zone]. Two more stops on third down, and it's a good day, that kind of thing. But I think we're playing fast. We're tackling. We're attacking the ball. So that's where we’re at.”
Notre Dame has a lot of dual-threat QBs on the schedule. Ohio State's Kyle McCord isn't one of them. That game the pass rush will have to show up in sacks as well as the other areas. But when they play Duke and Riley Leonard and USC and Caleb Williams, the strategy may be different. Because those QBs are in different offenses with different strengths around them, you can't just cut and paste the NC State template into those other game plans without adjusting it. Bottom line is, the defense has done its job to this point, but the pass rush, in terms of sacks, will have to show up in certain games ahead.
Scott from Augusta, Ga.: Eric, it's great reading every week, all the insights you provide on the team. Class, dignity (even though I'm a bare feet kind of guy), and humor intertwined in your columns. You are a great read!!! Big question; when ND plays their first real test the preceding week - NC State - and plays possibly their game of the year in two weeks, how do the coaches get the players up and fully prepared for a game that they are favored by multiple TDs? I think this tests a coach as much as tOSU game. Well, maybe not.
Eric Hansen: Hi Scott. Appreciate that, and go right ahead and kick your shoes off. As long as ND is unbeaten, we'll suspend the "no bare feet" rule. Marcus Freeman and the staff have done a good job with two overmatched opponents of messaging "play to a standard." And I think, despite the final margin, there were enough flaws in the NC State game to get their attention, that this needs to be a week of improvement. I also think QB Sam Hartman's demeanor helps. And also, that they play so many guys on both offense and defense helps. Lots of hungry rotational players and reserves want to play well. Are the Irish immune to overconfidence/complacency? No, but I think these factors will help guard against that.
Patrick Dallas Hamilton,Ohio: Why is the schedule so weak this year? Do you think this will hurt Notre Dame at the end of the year?
Eric Hansen: Hi Patrick. I'm not sure I'd call a schedule with two teams in the top 6, and Clemson and Duke on the road weak. But I'll answer your second question. If ND goes 12-0 against it, they're in the playoff. If they go 11-1 against it they're very likely in the playoff. If they go 10-2 against it, they'd likely be in a New Year's 6 game.
Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, a couple of questions for you: 1) with the win at NCST, did Sam Hartman feel like a monkey had been lifted off his back? 2) I need your valued insight on this one: Team A has a very good experienced QB and a talented but very inexperienced WR corps versus Team B who has a great WR corps but an unproven, but talented, QB...who has the advantage and wins the game and why??? Both teams have similar running games so the difference in the game will probably come down to the passing offense. Thanks for the Wednesday Chats. They are very insightful and also signal game day is only 3 days away. Go Irish!!!!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, thanks, and thanks for being a part of the chats. 1) I don't think he processed the game that way. He's a very mature, even-keel kind of guy who's come through a lot of adversity in his life and probably doesn't get hung up on those kind of details. 2) I know who Team A and Team B are, so I'll give you the take of the tape and late you pick ... then I'll weigh in
Rush Offense: Team A 39th/Team B 87th
Pass Offense: 35/30
Total Offense: 20/52
Scoring Offense: 12/70
Pass Efficiency: 2/60
Sacks Allowed: 54/26
Third-down efficiency: 7/113
Red-zone: 41/64
Turnovers lost: 36/10
Rush defense: Team A 41/Team B 30
Pass-eff. defense: 4/13
Total defense: 7/4
Scoring defense: 14/2
Sacks: 103/84
TFL: 114/100
Red-zone defense: 9/93
Turnovers gained: 14/110
Team A is Notre Dame and Team B is Ohio State. As you can see, pass rush, coverage skills and turnover margin are going to greatly affect the formula that you laid out. ND has played Navy, Tennessee State and NC State. OSU has played Indiana and Youngstown State. NC State would wax all those other teams. Tennessee State would likely lose to all, so fairly even competition. So, I think ND has a fighting chance in this game.
Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: Hey Eric. Excellent coverage continues. Bob Morton with the A+ again. I think I mentioned how much he would be a great color guy in this chat before, and glad you told him the same on the podcast. When chatting Gerad Parker and his in-game adjustments, I feel like having Gino and Joe Rudolph on the field has been a tremendous advantage for him (and having an experienced QB). There were several times where the camera would show the sidelines after the first few drives and both Gino and Joe were over with Sam and the OL. Do you have a sense that allowing Gerad to focus on setting up the next drive without having to spend as much time coaching a QB in game and insight from the other coaches has been a huge factor. Any experience with separation if QB coach from OC being an advantage?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tony. Thanks for the compliments. With a full-time job, a wife and four kids, I don't know how much time Bob Morton would have to do analyst work, but man, he's good at it. I think there can be huge advantages to having the QBs coach and the offensive coordinator be the same person, but you just laid out HOW the opposite can be true. And it's the way that the coaching staff is working together. Gerad Parker is OPEN to suggestions from two former OCs (Gino Guidugli and Joe Rudolph) and he's not a bit territorial, and it just works well. Not every non-QB coach has a willing ego to do that, but Parker does.
Pat from St. Paul: Thanks for the chats Eric!!! It seems like 2025 QB recruiting is heating up, have a percent chance on either Deuce or Bear pledging to ND? It seems like Bear has some momentum. Thanks!
Eric Hansen: Hi Pat. So both, Deuce Knight and Bear Bachmeier are four-star prospects, with Knight being ranked a bit higher within that four-star category. Knight is a lefty and more of a dual threat. Bachmeier is a righty with a thicker build, but who also runs well. I would say both of them have ND as their No. 1 lean right now. Bachmeier is visiting this weekend. Charleston Bowles and Tyler James from our staff are WAY more plugged into the percentages.
I have spoken to Bear, because both of those guys were on vacation when he got his offer. Impressive young man on the phone and his tape is impressive. So is Deuce's. My educated guess is that if Bear is ready to make a commitment after visiting this weekend and Deuce is still torn, ND would go ahead and take Bear. How does that work into percentages? Long ago I had two teenagers living in my house and they constantly confounded the percentages of what I thought they'd do.
Lorne from Reno, Nev.: As always, thanks for the best ND football column of the week. Winning by an average of 47-10, Estime running away from DBs, Morrison with a textbook pick (blocking memories of screaming at the TV when DB's didn't look back for the ball), but what I want to ask about is YAC. Hartman has done a great job of softly leading receivers (think Estime's first-game flair on 3rd and long and countless blitz-beaters to TE's and RB's), allowing them to catch the ball in stride and pile on yards after the catch. Do our stats this year reflect a large increase over prior years? How about national rankings -- if you've shown that stat I apologize for missing it. It seems that this is a big part of our offense that has been missing in the past.
Eric Hansen: Hi Lorne. Thank YOU. And thanks for keeping the math within my capabilities. NO TRIGONOMETRY QUESTIONS! ... Here's what I can share with regards to yards after the catch. I 2022, ND averaged 7.0 yards-after-catch per reception and 112.9 per game. So far in 2023, it's 9.1 per reception and 176.3 per game, so good eye. As far as where that ranks nationally, I think I have that info that I can access but not quickly enough to make it work in this chat today. However, as we get deeper into this season and the numbers become more and more relevant and less distorted, I will get you the national standing.
Newt in Midlothian, Va: 6'0" 400 pounds...10 flat 40. lol. I was at the NC State game. No question, just wanted to publicly gripe about weather.com. The weather was supposed to hold up till 4 pm. At kickoff it was beautiful...until it wasn’t. My son and I left during the lightning delay to come back to Virginia because I didn’t think it was going to get better...but indeed it did. Watched the rest of the game on the road. As usual, thank you for your continued work and ND coverage! Go Irish!
Eric Hansen: Hi Newt, we're going to have a beverage one of these days when we're in the same spot. ... Yeah some of the national weather sources were WAY off on the timing of the storms. And it sounded like NC State bungled some things as well in stories from our subscribers that they shared. Hopefully, you were able to share a lightning-delay hot dog with your son?
Bob from Bermuda: With Nebraska starting off poorly, do you think that we should go after the TE that committed to them vs us?
Eric Hansen: Bob, speaking of hurricanes, I hope you're not in the path of Lee. ... You are talking about Carter Nelson from Ainsworth, Neb., in the 2024 class who Notre Dame would like to flip and with whom the coaches are still communicating. He would be a second tight end in the class to go along with four-star prospect Jack Larsen from Charlotte, N.C. So yes, there's interest on ND's part, but that will still be a tough flip no matter how Nebraska performs this year. Coach Matt Rhule is selling the future, not necessarily the present.
Curt from Warsaw, Ind.: Eric, what is your opinion of Holden Staes?
Eric Hansen: The arrow is pointing up.
Patrick from Boulder: Hi Eric!!! Thanks for these great chats - I love reading them. Based on what you've seen through 3 games, do you believe we will have a legitimate WR No. 1 by end of season, or do you think that the WR targets will continue to be spread over a committee?
Eric Hansen: Patrick. Marcus Freeman was asked this Monday, so I'll give you his answer first and then chime in. For the record, 16 different players have caught at least one pass and eight have scored receiving touchdowns.
MF: “I love what we're doing, the ability to spread the ball out. You know, last year if you look at it, it was almost the Michael Mayer effect. It was if Michael Mayer’s in single coverage, you’re going to Michael Mayer. I think the ability for us to really go through a progression, it really puts the defense at a disadvantage, because you can't just double-cover one guy. And that's the great thing about the weapons we have at tight end, at wide receiver, in the backfield. We throw to our backs too in the pass game.
“We're able to go through a progression and not just say, ‘This is the go-to guy.’ And I think that's a reflection of how you see the ball being spread around. And so, you're going to be the guy when the ball comes your way. But you always have to anticipate the ball’s coming your way. And I think that's the beautiful part about how we're playing offensively right now, is that everybody and anybody on any play has a chance to have the ball going their way.”
Eric Hansen: I agree largely with Marcus here. That was not a word salad. ... Now do you want guys who you know can get open and catch the ball on critical third downs? Yep. And at this point, the guys trending in that direction, I believe, are Jayden Thomas, Holden Staes and Jaden Greathouse.
Don in Scottsdale: Eric the season is definitely going in the right direction. CMF appears to comfortably taken over his role. He is impressive in all he does. You see him far more than we do. Is there anything you see that's different than the interviews and soundbites? I was a Kelly fan, but Freeman seems like the right guy at the right time. Your thoughts? The Inside ND Sports team is doing a great job. Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hi Don, and thank you. In spite of a really icky exit and his persistent narrative of why he left ND, I do think he was the right man at the right time. But I really like how Marcus Freeman is evolving as head coach. I thought very highly of him before he was on ND's radar as Clark Lea's successor at defensive coordinator. He continues to impress. What we see away from the cameras and the mikes is a guy who's every bit as authentic when nobody's watching.
Charley from Jackson Metro: Deuce didn't last 6 weeks in Nashville before moving back to George County. Doesn't augur well for a move to Indiana.
Eric Hansen: Charley, you may be right, or they could be completely different situations. But if he's torn and Bear Bachmeier is not, and ready to commit, then it won't matter. Ole Miss is in Deuce's final four, but so are Tennessee and Auburn, as you probably already know.
Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: How much of a lead would we need to have at halftime against Central to play the 3rd and 4th quarters almost entirely with back-ups if you guys were the coaches?
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. I think that's position-specific. It's hard to justify not getting reps for the QBs in the second half if the lead is 35 points or more. Not predicting it will be, just giving you a for instance. But some groups, like wide receivers and linebackers have deep rotations, so you may be playing 2s and 3s rather than 3s and 4s for a while. And I think the No. 1 offensive line needs reps together, so I'd likely keep them in together longer than Sam Hartman, for instance, before bringing the whole next wave of them in.
Michael from Costa Mesa, Calif.: Luv your CHATS! What are the chances of ND going back to a Grass Field ?. Do you think ELI RARIDON will play against Ohio st ? What are the chances of C. Jagusaugh playing this yr. Thank You
Eric Hansen: Thanks Michael for the CAPS and the exclamation point! I'm not sure the rationale of going from grass to turf has expired, so no, I don't think that's in the plans. I'm guessing Eli Raridon won't play against Ohio State, but I do think he'll be back at some point this year. We do ask about him regularly. ... With Charles Jagusah maybe late in the season. They were trying to go easy on him coming off knee surgery. He's very talented and had a promising future, but not much of a present. ND likes to keep the units together, so the 2s -- Aamil Wagner, Andrew Kristofic, Ashton Craig, Billy Schrauth and Tosh Baker -- come in as one unit. Those guys have played in every game but a total of only 21 snaps. If the O-line 3s don't play this week, I'm not sure there's an obvious situation/game to fit them in.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you are having a fantastic week. It’s hard to believe we are already 1/4 of the way through the season. I know you’re not a huge fan of assigning grades, but so far what grades would you give coaches Rudolph, Biagi, O’Leary, and Washington, and what do each of them need to improve for the Ohio State game in order to raise their grade?There seem to be some lingering questions about Notre Dame speed, a receiver, particularly for moving the ball vertically, do you think the Irish would consider using Tyree snd his speed to go deep? As always, thanks for all hosting the chat and great insights.
The second part of that question went something like this: there seems to be some lingering concerned about Speed for the wide receivers particularly when trying to push the ball vertically. Do you think ND would consider using Tyree to go deep? As always thanks for hosting the chat, and your great insights.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. My biggest hesitancy in grading after three games is that a football season is evolutionary, at least for the good teams. Let me give you can example. Let's take Ben Morrison as a freshman cornerback last year. CBs coach Mike Mickens, DC Al Golden and Marcus Freeman kind of knew what they had in him and were willing to live with his growing pains until there was a payoff. So a guy who finished as ND's second-highest-graded defender (77.3) looked like this the first seven games in his PFF grades: 62.8, 48.9, 61.6, 60.6, 60.4, 57.3 and 59.5 ... and then Clemson game and BAM 91.0.
So if you had asked me to grade Mike Mickens through three or four games last year, the grade would not have properly reflected that wise investment in Morrison. Joe Rudolph is playing that same game this year with offensive linemen Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan, It may or may not pay off. So to me, I'm not timid about grading, but it would kind of be like basing my Super 16 poll vote on partial scores, not final ones.
But here goes ... Rudolph: Incomplete/B, Biagi: Incomplete/B, O'Leary Incomplete/A (on field, at least), Washington Incomplete/B. To your WR question, I think the plan is to get the ball deep to Chris Tyree, Tobias Merriweather and Rico Flores Jr. deep in particular when the opportunity presents itself. Thanks for your challenging questions. Much appreciated.
John from Sacramento, Calif.: Thanks Eric and Tyler. Enjoy your coverage for some time now. Best of luck with this venture. Can the trenches become elite? Both have depth. “D” line. Can it get violent“? O” line realizing it needs continuity. It also has depth. Would like to see them become nasty. In recent history, I don’t believe I’ve seen the depth this team has on all the layers of position groups. Long time faithful fan. I can remember Terry Hanratty. Also the Michigan State tie. My Father enlightened me that they just won the NC. I was still mad. It was on TV out here. Black and white. Never broadcasted games. We are from the Midwest. My Dad let us know about the hatred for ND back when he was young. This would have been the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. I myself enjoyed Lyndsey Nelson replays Sunday mornings at 6:30 am. Last, do you feel this team is the most physical in a long while? Thanks again.
Eric Hansen: Hi John, and thanks for sharing your memories. Can the O-Line and D-Line be elite? If ND wants to get to the playoff, they really have to be ... eventually, and sooner than later. There is the talent on the offensive line to get there. The defensive line continues to surprise and they need to. But the other components of the defense make that unit better. I think we'll have our answer on both of those position groups in 10 days. I am more convinced after the NC State game that not only is Sam Hartman special, but the team around him could turn out to be that. And yes, this is one of the more physical ND teams I've covered in recent years.
Matt from Kansas City: Back with some rapid fire questions. 1. Marisat L. has been all over the field, how important is his spot against OSU and is he a legit NFL prospect? 2. On the two deep, if Z. Correll went down, is the backup center truly who would come in or would they slide a guard over and a #2 guard would step up, not sure how the OL two deeps really work? 3. I didn't play football, but am I crazy, even when NC St. completed passes against our CBs, it seems like they were in the right position and it took a perfect pass where sometimes we jsut tip our cap, are our CBs actually elite? 4. Can you tell me in a couple words, what is the actual football culture under M. Freeman like in the building and locker room (serious, all business, loose and fun, etc.)? 5. What is one question you wish someone would ask you? Consider it asked...please answer. Thanks as always, your chats are awesome.
Eric Hansen: OK Matt, thanks ... rapid fire is what you'll get. 1) Extremely important and he's working his way onto their radar. Needs to keep coming. 2) Short term the No. 2 center is Ashton Craig, maybe with a longer-term absence at this point as well. But in 2024, it could be Pat Coogan, with Billy Schrauth joining the starting lineup. 3) Good observation on the cornerbacks, and yes, I believe they are. They'll soon have their chance to prove it on the field. 4) Culture in two words? Real life (and all that it entails). 5) Definitely not would you like fries with that?
Frank from Royse City, Texas: Do you think Rubio and Reardon will be ready for OSU?
Eric Hansen: No and no. Check out our website on Mondays and Thursdays. We go through all the injuries on those days and update our depth chart projections if needed.
J ricc from Chester, N.J.: What specifically if physically ailing Blake Fisher?
Eric Hansen: Maybe the inexperience of Rocco Spindler playing next to him. I expect Blake's play to take a turn for the better soon.
Shaun from Boston: Hello- after 3 games what is your evaluation of the offensive line? What tweak(s) would you make? Thank you.
Eric Hansen: Work in progress Learn from the NC State game, which provided a lot of lessons. Great learning opportunity.
Steve M. from Tucson, Ariz.: Eric, thank you for your dedication to these chats I have enjoyed forever. Are we concerned about the amount of penalties the Irish racked up last Saturday? Hopefully learning from their mistakes? Thanks again.
Eric Hansen: Hi Steve, and thank you. If those penalties had been because of a lack of poise or if they'd done it in each game, yeah I would be. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.
Rich D from Melbourne, Fla.: Eric, I feel like we haven’t heard that much from Rylie Mills. Thought we had a truly disruptive force … Am I wrong ? Are his “PFF” figures really good?
Eric Hansen: Hey Rich. I think most observers would agree with you. His 71.2 season grade from Pro Football Focus is OK but not great. His pass-rush grade is pretty good, but his tackling grade is pulling him down. Had his best tackling grade of the season vs. NC State, though. I'm expecting better days ahead for him.
Tim from Kansas City: Eric, thanks for your always thoughtful analysis. I was impressed by the coaching adjustments both offensively and defensively in the NC State game. I had never before seen an unbalanced line used and it appeared to be very effective. What are your thoughts on the use of the unbalanced line, and possible advantages/ drawbacks of its use?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tim, and thank you. I really like the unbalanced line against certain defensive looks. Once it's rolled out, there's not a lot of surprise to it. It's more like we're going to run you over. But ND did have some variations with it. I think it's a good thing to have in your toolkit if you're Gerad Parker.
Ced Walker from Saginaw, Mich.: I really believe our tight ends and wide receiver have been the biggest surprise this season jaden greathouse turning to a prime time player holden staes too Im happy for tobias merriweather too he will have a huge game for us really soon trust the process god bless the golden standard rally we are nd go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us.
Eric Hansen: Ced, your predictions are duly noted.
Coach from Colorado: Eric thank you for answering my question on Aiden K. last week. I love to see Colorado players! I watched the ND game this past weekend and saw Aiden on a close back side tackle on the goal line. That was his only play. Kid looks hungry (Did not know he blew ACL last year) and It really seems as if the D coordinator is holding him back from any break out. As I suggested last week, with limited plays and the production he gives with limited plays, why not let this kid play this weekend and prove either way if he has it or not? It just looks from the few plays this kid gets, that he does not make many mistakes and handles his position strong. Dynamic? #56 interior only. The other players can't get off blocks. Not sure if reporters have asked these questions to the D coordinator or line coach about him, but the kid has 2 full seasons left. Appreciate all you do, thank you CC.
Eric Hansen: Thanks, CC. It looks like he may be in short-yardage and goal-line packages against certain offenses, but not for long stretches. I'm eager to see what he does this week if he gets an opportunity. I could have asked Al Golden about him Tuesday night with my last question and I opted instead to ask about Donovan Hinish, because he's playing more than Aidan Keanaaina at this point and I was more curious about that. If I get a chance, with our limited time, I will keep in mind to go down that road at some point this season.
Tom from Grand Rapids via Dowagiac: Eric, Happy Winning Wednesday!!! When Joe Alt was a freshman wasn’t he used as a pseudo blocking TE, until he stepped into the starting LT role? with that being said could you see either of the #2 guards or T.Baker assume that same role to assist with run/pass blocking, especially if teams want to load the box. If Estimé returns next year, I have to believe one of the rb’s (not named Ford) will leave the team. Do you agree or has McCullough sold his plan with complete buy in? Finally, beans or no beans in your chili? Go IRISH ☘️🏈☘️
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. They used Tosh Baker for a goal-line play against Navy in kind of a jumbo package. Maybe we'll see that against at some point. ... Having done a 1-on-1 with Audric this summer, he didn't come right out and say this will be his last year at ND, but gathered that from our conversation if things go according to plan. So let's assume Audric does go to the NFL. ND is adding two running backs, but at least they can see multiple backs are used and a freshman is getting his chances. Not sure if Devyn Ford would leave even if Audric came back. Had a chance to talk to him at length and he LOVES ND and the people here, etc. He wasn't even sure he was ever going to play football again after last fall at Penn State. Being at ND has rejuvenated him, so I don't see him as unhappy. … And beans in my chili. Unless it’s Skyline (Cincinnati chili).
Ed from Sayville LI: Hello Eric. Not sure if Eli Raridon will be ready any time soon, but what skills might we see when his time arrives? I admire his fortitude in trying to overcome a second knee injury, and am rooting that his efforts will pay off. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Eric Hansen: Home of Jack Coan, If I remember correctly on your hometown ... Eli Raridon has an impressive skill set ... runs well, you can flex him out, but he's already a willing and advanced blocker, so you can play him inline. Really excited about his potential when he's ready. And since ND isn't shy about multiple tight ends, Holden Staes' rise is a plus, not a concern.
Patrick from Los Angeles: It appears Gerad Parker is doing very well as ND's new OC. Not sure Tommy Rees would be doing as well. A shot of a frustrated Rees on Saturday and one of Tyler Buchner on the sideline made one question their decisions to leave the Irish behind. Working and playing for Saban is no walk in the park. Do you believe Parker will prove to be a better OC than Rees. Thank you.
Eric Hansen: Bob Morton had a great answer about that on our podcast. I'd suggest you listen, because I'll likely butcher it. But Parker's ability to adjust IN GAME in his first three games have been an impressive start.
Jessie, from Spring Tx: Last year Notre Dame had 7 punts blocked, best in NCAA. After 3 games this year I have not seen the intention to continue blocking punts. Why ? Most of the players in the special team are from last year.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jessie. When you win your first two games by a combined 98-6, blocking punts might seem like a misplaced priority, In the NC State game, though, it looked like they were bringing some good pressure on the punts. I don't think ND will lead the nation, but I do think we'll see some this year down the line.
Dave Ponte Vedra, FL: I always learn something from these chats, so thanks. Without the ability on tv to see all 22 players on the field, I got the impression that our receivers struggled to separate last week. Is that a concern shared by the staff?
Eric Hansen: Keep in mind NC State, among ND's 2023 opponents, was by far the best pass defense among them in 2022 and figures to be formidable again this year. That 3-3-5, with the way they use it and their personnel's proficiency in it is no picnic. I don't think the separation is a problem at this point shared by the coaching staff.
Jeff from Phoenix: Hey Eric, can you give us some of the back story to the cancellation of the Miami game in 2024? How unexpected was this and where does ND look now to add back a game? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: I'm not sure how Miami ended up with five non-conference games, but they did and they had to lose one of them. The ND game wasn't canceled, just deferred. ... And I have been hearing that Army is the likely replacement, but nothing is official.
Mark Kincardine Ontario: Eric thanks for chats and keeping us informed concerning our team. Have a great week and go Irish!!!
Eric Hansen: Well thanks, Mark, You guys in Canada are awesome (I assume awesome is also a superlative in Canada?) Speaking of Canada, Tom from Toronto, if you email me, I can answer your question. This might be more of a back and forth to get you the right answer than one simple question and one simple answer.
Eric Hansen: OK, despite my efforts to go uptempo with my typing, I had to settle for a field goal and was not able to get to all this week. Thanks for all the great questions (answered and unanswered). We'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.
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