Chat Transcript: Is Notre Dame football 'Clemsoning?' Keys to moving on
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. We’ve settled into our Monday night 7 ET time slot. 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. We’re also partnering with WSBT-TV this season, including collaborating on highlights and analysis. Here’s sports director Pete Byrne and me doing a quick run-through of this week’s game.
► On this week’s Inside ND Sports Podcast, we caught up with ACC Network college football analyst Eric Mac Lain. Mac Lain, a former Clemson football captain, discussed how Notre Dame's players are likely processing the loss to Ohio State, why they need to bounce back to prepare for Duke, what Duke's weaknesses may be, the offensive firepower for the Blue Devils starting with quarterback Riley Leonard, how good Clemson is this season, the surprise of Louisville's start 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 to WSBT radio this season, as I have rejoined Darin Pritchett as a co-host 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.
Eric Hansen: As to this week's chat ....
Please remember to include your name and hometown with your question(s) ... in writing, preferably, as opposed to telepathically.
Here are the rules.
Eric Hansen: Remember, the “no bare feet” rule is back in play. The unwritten no-whining rule will be relaxed but not rescinded this week.
OK, off we go.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric and thanks for hosting. I saw MF's face after he realized it was going to be 4 night games in a row. Looks like you, Tyler and Charleston will be working graveyard shift on the weekends. The podcast was tremendous. You took the time and answered many questions from fans. That is greatly appreciated. Coach Freeman mentioned players’ execution. He also mentioned owning what the team did. Here I felt he meant coaches. Do you feel MF sees that the staff needs to grow as well as the players? On ND last drive the botched run play, can QB change play if he sees there will be an unblocked DE on a slow developing run play? On the OSU final drive 3rd and 19 #11 and #5 were both behind the play in the end zone? Was their drop too deep? It left JD with a lot of ground to cover underneath. Is Sneed ready to be LB in 3rd & long? Final question. Is ND Clemsoning?
Eric Hansen: Len, I appreciate your compliments, game observations and questions. You're on top of your game today. ... I especially like taking on the question of "Clemsoning." Let's get to the others first ... I absolutely believe Marcus Freeman expects and fosters growth from his staff as well as himself. That's one of the reasons one of his favorite mantras is: Question everything. He believes that pushed the growth process faster and without having to experience losses to coax the process. ... Yes, Sam Hartman can change the play at the line of scrimmage or slide protections. Perhaps the play wasn't supposed to be so slow in developing, and maybe that's why he did not. ... On the third-and-19 from talking to DC Al Golden Tuesday night, I got the sense that Ramon Henderson was not supposed to drop that deep. ... Is Jaylen Sneed ready to be a linebacker on third and long? It depends on his role and what package you want to play.
Is he ready to be a rover on third down and the Irish scrap the nickel package and let him cover someone like Emeka Egbuka? Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah did that in the Irish defense. I think Sneed has improved his coverage skills, but not to the extent of doing what JOK did. Not at this point. He does have some JOK traits. Now if he's going to either rush the passer, play the run or have coverage on a running back or tight end, he could play one of the inside spots. Then you're making the choice of him over Marist Liufau and Jack Kiser in that situation. Not sure YET if that's the best option. I could see him very much being that guy next year.
To your final question, let's define Clemsoning first. Here are a couple of definitions if you Google it: 1) An act of delivering an inexplicably disappointing performance. 2) The act of failing miserably on a grand athletic stage, or when the stakes are high. I would lean to definition two as more universal. For those who haven't followed it, before Clemson was a national power, the evolutionary stage that preceded it was rife with Clemsoning.
I don't think ND is Clemsoning per se. I think they're evolving to where they can win those games. Marcus is now 1-4 vs. the top 10, but with each successive matchup, Notre Dame looks more and more like it at least belongs on that stage with a good chance to win. Brian Kelly was 4-12 with eight of the 12 losses, ones in which the Irish outright fell off the big stage and got blown out. However, that was an improvement upon his predecessors. ND has a top 20 matchup this week, an undefeated Louisville team the next week and a top 10 matchup the week after that. So we'll get a definitive answer on Clemsoning in the next few weeks. If ND wins Saturday, it would not shock me to see them go 3-0 in that stretch. This week is critical to getting in the right mindset.
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Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, I am submitting this early so maybe you have the chance to get an answer. Did the OSU coaches see ND only had 10 men for the last play and call a run right at the weakness??? I can see the OSU coaches in the press box noticing we only had 10 men on the incomplete pass play and then when they realized that we did not substitute anyone called down to "Run the damn ball!!!" With all your OSU connections I think this would be interesting to know. Thanks. Go Irish beat Duke !!
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. From what I have been able to gather (and I've spent more time on the ND end of things), Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord did NOT know, based on a postgame interview with him. He did not know whether the OSU coaching staff knew, as it was not relayed to him, but he surmised they probably saw something upstairs and related it to the sideline.
Rich, Phoenixville PA: You indicated that one of the yardsticks you would use in assessing Gerad Parker's job performance would be whether his play call/strategy would influence the outcome of the marquee games on our schedule. After the first such game, what is your assessment? Thanks!
Eric Hansen: Hi Rich. I think there's room for growth, but I thought Gerad Parker came out of this game holding his own against an Ohio State team that is playing historically good defense to start the season. More tests await, including another top 10 defense this week.
John from Palmyra, Pa.: Can I get a little insight on Jason Onye and Tyson Ford in particular as it relates to a lack of pass rush from the front? These are not true freshman, they have spent years in the weight program, and especially in Ford’s case, he was a highly touted prep player. What gives? Should Mills and Botelho be playing if they’re not making plays in the games when they are needed most? With the lack of snaps, given to non-starters on defense vs O$U it seems like there wasn’t even a back up plan. Your thoughts?
Eric Hansen: Hi John. My first thought is that I love this question for a few reasons, including who you'd swap out to make your initial scenario happen. So let's start with Tyson Ford and Jason Onye, then talk about the other two. I asked Marcus Freeman on Monday about the player rotations on defense being shallower for Ohio State, which meant Onye didn't play a snap. I don't think he wanted to throw Al Golden under the bus, and gave kind of a generic answer. But Tuesday night, I had a chance to ask Al Golden himself, and he said it was a mistake. They wanted to play the starters more, but not so much that some key reserves were severely limited. So, I would expect to see Jason Onye this week, more of Jack Kiser and Jaylen Sneed at linebacker, for instance.
Tyson Ford is in another category. I understand why you would be curious about why a player who was that highly rated and recruited isn't playing more as a sophomore. I think moving back and forth between defensive tackle and field end hasn't worked well in his development. Once he's on one track or the other, I think he has a chance to blossom. I think 2024 will be the year that happens, if it happens, and I do expect it too. Talented kid with a great attitude and great support system. I think Jordan Botelho has probably played better than most people are realizing and I know Rylie Mills is.
Pro Football Focus grades are not the end-all, be-all. One of my friends who evaluates college football and who played in the NFL thinks they're garbage. Others swear by it. But let's throw it out there as one measure to consider. Out of all the defensive tackles in the Power 5 who played this past weekend, Rylie Mills graded out No. 1. And his pass rush grade, even though he has only one sack on the season, is No. 1 in the nation for all positions. Interior defensive line play can be nuanced, and doesn't always show up in the conventional stats. ... So bottom line, Onye should play more ... and Ford eventually will, but not likely this season.
Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, first a question then a mini-rant. I understand MF and AG can't throw Marist under the bus in public, but with your expertise can you please explain how he plays 60 snaps in a defense geared towards LB's making tackles and he has None?!?! Also, I would like to see Jason Onye on the field more. He seems to make plays. Finally, I was upset that Saturday's broadcast that NBS was treating it like one of their Big 10 Saturday Night broadcasts and NOT a Notre Dame home game. We only get so many prime time home games and I feel like we got shortchanged even though I usually enjoy Todd Blackledge. I'm not criticizing the broadcasters just the fact that intros, etc. that usually feature ND were not. Thanks and Go Irish!!!
Eric Hansen: There were several questions about Marist Liufau (I see you Jeff from Elkhart among others), so I thought I'd kind of bundle them up in one question. Marcus Freeman was asked about Marist, and he hinted at an injury (stinger). In that case, Jaylen Sneed and Jack Kiser should have played more, and DC Al Golden acknowledged as much on Tuesday night. Sneed played 11 snaps and Kiser 10. And I think he was implying those two should have played more regardless of whether Liufau was 100 percent. Marist played great, the best football of his career, in the first three games, then fell off against Central Michigan to some extent against CMU and even more against Ohio State. There are alternatives -- very good alternatives-- if he doesn't show it in practice this week. And they need production at the WLB spot with Duke QB Riley Leonard's running ability.
I touched on Onye and will let your NBC comment stand. I only rewatched some critical parts of the game, not all the things you had issues with.
Ryan Mars Pa: good afternoon Eric What is the key to stopping Leonard and Duke Bring Pressure with Mills And Jean-Baptiste? Go Irish ☘️☘️🏈🏈
Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan. If you want a little more depth on that topic, I'd take a listen to our Inside ND Sports Podcast from this week with ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain. He's covered several of Leonard's games the past couple of years, including Duke-Clemson this year. There are some principles ND can apply from the NC State game earlier this season in defending Brennan Armstrong in that you're playing more of a "contain" strategy than pressure, though you'd like to be able to mix that in too. Leonard is more dangerous than Armstrong, because he is a more accurate passer, a faster runner and has a better traditional running game to go along with him.
Irish Mike, Altoona, PA: Hi Eric! As always, thanks for the chatM Was there any discussion with Coach Golden about why the Irish stayed in nickel on the goal line after OSU subbed in their fullback, Trayanum? Also, do you think this is the final season for Golden before he moves on and do you think Marcus would entertain the idea of calling the defense?
Eric Hansen: Thanks Irish Mike. Here's the exchange about the nickel defense:
Q: On the last two defensive plays of the game at the goal line, you guys came out and nickel. What was the reasoning behind that? And what happened there?
“So I chose nickel, because, without saying too much, I wanted a specific look. And obviously I guessed right on [second] down [the first of the two goal-line plays]. But I really thought that this call would be the call that would handle all the options that they could have. Move the pocket. Some kind of read-option or zone-read component, so that’s the choice I made there.”
As to your question about Al Golden's future, the quality and quantity of his opportunities will reflect how the rest of the season goes for him. I would not be surprised if he moved on after this season, but it's not a slam dunk either. If he did, I do NOT think Marcus Freeman would take over and call the defense. He is trying to grow into being a head coach, and has invested a lot in not having to simply delegate on offense. He wants to be involved and knowledgeable in all phases. He would go after the best DC he could find and let him do his job, with a head coach's input of course.
Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: Eric, my heart got ripped out of my body last Saturday, but I remain conscious and wonder whether I’m having a near-death experience. Do you think the team and staff will emotionally bounce back OK for Duke? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. My concern is that YOU bounce back. I always wait until Tuesday night to gauge that. I'd rather get the lay of the land from a handful of players and the coordinators than try to get that solely from sources, who may or may not reflect the more prevailing sentiments. My sense is that Notre Dame is not going to let Ohio State beat them twice -- last weekend and this weekend. Duke will have to do the job if they're going to putt the upset.
James from Columbus: Hi Eric. Did you have a chance to see what happened on the 61 yard OSU run? Not a lot of talk about it. Did they outflank us like we did to NC St.? Or did someone get too aggressive and not set the edge? Thanks. Go Irish!
Eric Hansen: Hi James. If you're a subscriber, check out Tyler James' five defining plays. He does that for every game, and it's really insightful. We also cover that ground on our Football Never Sleeps YouTube show, which you can watch anytime, but it's live on Monday nights, and we take questions. The abbreviated answer is that it was well-conceived and well-blocked, and really Xavier Watts was the only ND player who put himself in a position to make a tackle, and he was not able to bring Henderson down.
DomerReef70 from Montgomery, Ala. via Dowagiac, Mich.: Eric, great job you and Tyler are doing with this gig (I have run out of exclamation points) No questions, just some observations from a guy who remembers watching ND and Paul Hornung get hosed by Oklahoma on WNDU in 1956. First, hope the coaching staff is doing some remedial math this week, second-after such a well played game on defense, inexplicable the inability to execute on OSU possession downs on the last drive (3rd and 19 -(shades of USC in 2005, 4th and 9, 1'30" to go, ball on USC 30) , and third-this is the first game I can recall in a very very long time where we had the athletes, speed, talent, athleticism etc so the cupboard is getting very well stocked. Have to come together and beat the Dookies. Go Irish
Eric Hansen: Eric, thanks. Appreciate the feedback, and I wanted to use your comments, not just because you've got a cool first name but because I think one important takeaway that got understandably lost in the ending is how Notre Dame is accruing and developing talent for games against teams that have been recruiting consistently as an elite level.
Shane from White Deer, Texas: Hey Eric. Still kind of bummed out after the loss. This brings me to my question. As bad or sad as fans feel, I’m sure the players have to be emotionally drained. Do you think this team will come out flat, or with a chip on their shoulder? In the movie Tin Cup Kevin Costner says “That shot was a defining moment, and when a defining moment comes along, you define the moment… Or the moment defines you”. Do you think this team will define the moment on Saturday? Thanks
Eric Hansen: Hi Shane. Given what so many of these players have been through, collectively and individually, and bounced back before, I would be surprised to see a flat team at Duke. And your point is exactly why I wrote the column that I did after the loss. What matters more than the ugly what-ifs are Marcus Freeman's next steps ,,, I have seen teams use a loss like this as a rallying point and change the trajectory of their season for the better. I've also seen games like this snowball (think 2014) in the wrong direction and a few points in between. The point is, this team has the talent and the leadership to do something positive about it. And that's why this week is so critical ... and had ND held on and one, they would have been dealing with a different kind of OSU hangover.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you have recovered from what I am sure was a very exhausting weekend. I know Notre Dame wants to run the ball but do you feel they ran too much on first down in the Ohio State game. Many times they did not get a lot of yardage on the first down, how about an occasional pass on first down just to keep the defense off balance? I know we have a great amount of depth in the running back room, but do you feel we are rotating the running backs too much? When they keep coming in and out so frequently, it seems like it might be hard to settle in and get a rhythm for the game. This far into the season how would you grade special teams? It seems like the Biagi is fairly conservative, I in particular don’t care for how they don’t seem to field as many punts as they used to, last year, Brandon Joseph would field , most punts and get seven or 8 yards on a punt return, we aren’t getting those yards this year. Finally, tackling is a problem for this Notre Dame team and every year I can remember in the recent past.
Although there’s not much they can do in season about the tackling issue, what do you think they can do in the off-season about this issue? I would assume the athletes at Notre Dame are good enough to tackle efficiently, I would assume the coaches are attempting to teach them, at some point do you realize that maybe the way they are being taught is not working and look outside to bring in a consultant, or some kind of expert on tackling to help upgrade that part of the game? As always, thanks for hosting the chat even the week after a heartbreaking loss, and thanks for all your great insights.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. Thanks for the insightful questions. Let's start with running plays/first-down plays. Especially early in the season and against a defense that is that talented, there's some dancing going on early in the game. What I mean is Gerad Parker is trying to get a feel for what OSU is going to do in certain situations that they HAVE NOT shown on film against overmatched Indiana, Youngstown State and Western Kentucky. Thus a first-down run that might not look particularly creative does have some purpose in setting up plays later in the game or even later in a given drive. Not saying the play-calling was perfect.
Tyler James made the case that Audric Estimé should have stayed in the game during ND's last offensive drive. Given the result, that's hard to disagree with. But I have liked what ND has gotten out of its rotation. I'm not sure Jeremiyah Love would have gotten this much play, for instance, under previous running backs coaches. As far as tackling, the end result and the flaws will be remembered, but it was actually ND's top team tackling grade from PFF this season and against its best opponent. Now, for the season, the Irish are kind of middle-of-the-pack in the FBS tacklers. I'm not sure a consultant fixes that, but I do think recruiting better athletes helps. And that's what's happening on the defensive side of the ball. I'd expect to see better tackling next season.
I made notes, so I wouldn't forget part of your question and I almost forgot. I like Marty Biagi, like his philosophy, am disappointed overall with the results five games in,
ced walker from saginaw michigan: rico flores and jaden greathouse will be huge saturday for us at duke we need to chris tyree the ball more in the passing game al golden defensive calls were too much zone coverage and our safeties playing way too deep the middle was open the whole game vs ohio this must get better playing duke 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, thanks for checking in and for your prediction. I want to buy you a CAPS key for Christmas.
Aaron, Washington DC: Eric, hope your week is going well. I don’t have the stats to support this statement but it seems to me that the defense was a much better tackling unit during the Clark Lea era and it has declined significantly since his departure. Would you agree with that assessment? Do you think there’s acknowledgement by the coaching staff that they need to holistically coach tackling better given the abysmal national ranking in missed tackles? Part II: I think Duke could be a harder matchup for the defense (as compared to Ohio State) due to the mobility of their quarterback. With tackling and lack of d-line penetration being weaknesses of ND’s defense, would you agree that a good runner at the quarterback position for Duke combined with his passing skills could be a more difficult matchup this week? It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff has answers.
Eric Hansen: Hi Aaron. I'll give you at least the PFF numbers from year to year in a future chat. Don't have time to do that on the run today. But to the eye test, yes. Again, some of it may relate to the limited tackling (taking the runner to the ground) that goes on in practice these days in trying to mitigate practice injuries. Some of it is having Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on your team. He erases a lot of mistakes. But Clark was a great teacher and you touched on one of his strengths. ... Duke is better at QB than Ohio State, not in raw efficiency numbers, but in savvy and overall ways he can hurt you. What Duke doesn't have is Ohio State's wide receivers. Nobody does. So it's a significant challenge, and a very different one.
Manny from San Pedro: Eric!!! Thank you for doing these chats. They really help after losses. How does ND respond against Duke? Last year after Ohio st they dropped a dud against Marshall. What are they doing differently to not be embarrassed at Duke.
Eric Hansen: Hi Manny!!! I know it's not a big week for exclamation points. Thanks for mustering the three that you did. I don't think the Marshall loss happened necessarily because of what took place at Ohio State the week before. Bad, bad defensive game plan, that Al Golden would never roll out there in 2023. Not a great day for Tommy Rees either or Marcus. And Duke 2023 is WAY better than Marshall 2022. The Irish are getting back to business, and putting the math problems and the rest behind them. I still believe there's a lot to play for and chase this season, and more importantly, I think they do.
Matt (KC): I am sure this chat will be filled with OSU stuff. Hindsight is always 20/20 and it won't help us moving forward to dwell in it now. All my quick questions are future themed: 1. Joe Alt leaves for the NFL, do you think Blake Fischer comes back? 2. I hear the hype on CJ Carr, is he good enough to overtake Steve Angeli or K. Minchey next season? 3. Scale of 1-10, how would you rate the recruiting right now in high end talent we are getting and competing with crazy NIL from other schools? 4. Any perspective on how the player leadership looked Monday after the hard loss and how it speaks to the character of the team? 5. Not a question, but a plug for volleyball, ND volleyball plays #5 Louisville tonight and the Irish have started out great, watch it on ACC network or go if you can. Let's go Irish!
Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. I will give you the rapid-fire answers you're looking for, Just make sure this never gets up to the dreaded and forbidden 17-part question. ... 1) At this point, yes, whether Joe Alt leaves or not. And there will be discussion about him moving to LT. 2) Yes, but that doesn't mean it WILL happen, and they could all three be playing behind a portal QB. MAYBE. That's to be determined. 3) I'd give it a 9. 4) Good vibes on Tuesday night. 5) I appreciate your TV-watching suggestive agenda for tonight. I will not have the TV on. Until maybe bed time.
mike .k costa mesa: What time did YOU get to bed ? SUN AM ? .Why are WE NOT HEARING the ND fight song during the game as much?. Somebody asked Freeman a few mo's ago if he would take another qb transfer next yr & he said we will see. My take is yes & Riley Lenord would be a good one.
Eric Hansen: Mike, What an interesting array of questions. Here are my answers: 1) 6:30 a.m. (Had to do my research and vote in the Super 16 poll after we got done with writing, editing, posting, talking people off ledges and doing our Postgame Takeaways show pm YouTube, 2) That's way out of my purview. 3) He did say that, and the answer today would be the same. 3B) Good thought, but Riley Leonard's next stop is the NFL.
Tim - St Louis: Great job as always. Hope your business got a bump from the Ohio State game. Had a question about pass interference verse holding a pass receiver. Pass interference use to be 10 yards from the line of scrimmage. Now seeing 15 yards on pass holding. Am I out of touch with rule changes ? Thanks for clarifying and keep up the great work
Eric Hansen: Tim, thank you. The officiating crew had a tough time communicating with the TV audience. They mistakenly referred to a pass interference call as defensive holding (later amended). So defensive holding is still 10 yards and an automatic first down. Pass interference is still 15 yards (or a spot foul if the pass was shorter than 15) and an automatic first down. They also charged Iowa State with a timeout, which had to be disappointing for the Cyclones, who were playing Oklahoma State at the time.
Tom from Toronto: Hi Eric, seems to me that in one respect Saturday night's game was "deja vu" all over again. Last season against Stanford when Notre Dame went for the first down on fourth down, forgoing the field goal attempt, they did not get the first down and eventually lost the game by two points. It seemed that Coach Freeman learned from that experience, as my recollection is that in the later games he took the points, choosing to go for a field goal rather than going for the first down, and it served him well. Maybe in the heat of the moment on Saturday, he forgot this experience.If they had gone for the field goal and made it, the complexion of the game would have changed. All things being equal (and I know that they are not), OSU's final touchdown would have been for a tie game, or a two point conversion for the win. Anyhow, my unrelated question is, with the effort against OSU, do you expect that the team will be ready psychologically and physically for the Duke game? I appreciate your wisdom. Take The Points Tom
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. I appreciate your wisdom and for thinking I have it. Marcus Freeman reiterated Monday there was no buyer's remorse and that he's likely to go for it on fourth-and-1 at certain spots on the field. Obviously that would change if you're down 2 in the closing minute of a game. His inclination is to be better on fourth down, not reconsider and kick. The same scenario you presented could have been flipped. If ND makes the fourth-and-1 and eventually scores, then Ohio State needs two scores in the final 86 seconds. The thing is, it's difficult to say the game would have played out the same way. If the score is different, the calls are likely different in the points leading up to the final plays. I don't have a problem with Marcus going for it, but I agree, they have to be better at it if they are.
Richard from Rochester, N.Y.: Eric, Love what you bring to the table on ND football!! Question----HCMF stated that his solution to the 10 man issue is to create a signal that could be relayed in to get a defender to deliberately go offsides, touching an offensive player thus stopping play and allowing us to get the 11th man in. First, though, don't we have to know we're short a man? The problem is not knowing---Tennessee State---we did not know; penultimate OSU snap, we did not know; final OSU snap, we only find out "too late." Don't we need a dedicated counter, whether in the booth on high or on the sidelines, to count our defenders so that we're in the know and then can do something about it? I mean, if we had implemented a dedicated counter system after Tennessee State, Saturday night's nightmare most probably would never have happened.
Eric Hansen: Hi Richard and thank you. And thanks for the reminder. I'm trying to mix in the 10-defender questions, so we don't get a run of them. This one is different and interesting. Wish I had a more interesting answer. It's quite possible there was such a person and they got lost in the moment. And yes, certainly you could have a GA or analyst do that up in the coaches box, which would be the easiest way to spot it. There should have been other safeguards. Marcus Freeman is ultimately responsible And he owned it, and then he did what he should have and not revealed so much about the process that he gave away who was responsible. You publicly blame a coach or a player or a GA and then you do have a morale problem heading into Duke.
Jason, Lexington KY: Did Notre Dame limit itself to 7 possessions offensively with playcalling/gameplanning or was that more Ohio State playing a bend but don't break defense? ND had 10 possessions vs Ohio St last year and Coach Freeman said he wanted to e more aggressive this year but it didn't work out that way. When going against big time opponents ND seems to want to play "stall ball" but that's not what those teams do - 6 of 9 CFP champions scored 42 or more, and 8 of 9 scored 33 or more, in the championship game. Does this staff seem like it will ever evolve away from that?
Eric Hansen: Jason, really good questions here. So you're right in calling it seven possessions, because the two that would bring it to nine were 26 seconds at the end of the first half and 1 second at the end of the game. But Ohio State's defensive game plan played into this as much as anything. Their hope wasn't necessarily to shorten the game, but maybe Hartman gets impatient and tries to force something into coverage. So let's compare it to the 2022 OSU game when ND has 10 possessions. This is important ND was patient and had ZERO three-and-outs Saturday and three drives or 11 plays or more, with one being a 96-yard TD drive in the fourth quarter. In 2021, ND had four three-and-outs, zero drives of 11 plays or more and only one longer than six plays.
Absolutely ND has to be able to play in a track meet type game, and those could very well be coming up. But they have to be able to play in this type of game as well. In 2022, Georgia scored 65 in the title game and beat Ohio State 42-41 in the semis, but they also won a 26-22 game with Missouri, a 27-13 game with Tennessee, and a 16-6 game with Kentucky. So doing both well matters.
Jeff from Phoenix: Good morning Eric! I hope that the chat is civil today - this week kind of reminds me of that famous quip from George on Cheers when he said "Its a dog-eat-dog world out there and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear". Onward to Duke. My question is about the linebacker play, now that we have 4 games post the unique defense used vs Navy. Do you believe that there is a significant disconnect between snap counts for Bertrand/Kiser/Liafau/Sneed that doesn’t sync with their productivity (tackles/hurries/sacks)? I didn’t see the PFF scores for this week but where did those land? And, what I find as a related disconnect is that in his news conference yesterday Al Golden didn’t really cite any stats or analytics for the linebacker group, but rather, spoke in generalities. Do you know to what extent Golden and Bullough rely on analytics? Thanks dude!
Eric Hansen: Ha Jeff. I remember that episode of Cheers. Just watched a Cheers reunion recently on YouTube. ... To your question, the quandary is that Marist Liufau played too many snaps in 2022 without the production to match. Then Jack Kiser zoomed past him in the spring and the start of fall camp. Then Marist surged and played very well in the first three games. And then Al Golden had a first-world problem. But JD Bertrand missed the Central Michigan game and Kiser filled in and was Marcus Freeman's defensive player of the game ... and then plays 10 snaps vs. OSU. Al Golden was emphatic that Kiser needs to play more. So Saturday it will be interesting to see if that's the case. I will ask Al when I get the chance one of these Tuesdays re analytics. It's an interesting question. Not sure if it changes the rotation, but it is interesting.
Mike, Phoenix: Eric, I will say this. Not sure how many big games ND will win scoring 14 points or less. Doesn’t matter if it is Kelly/Rees or Freeman/Parker. You need to score more than 14. Period. And leave Estime in the game! We are on to Duke. How do you think this team responds? Last year lost to Marshall. This year on the road at Duke. I still believe 11-1 is possible. Thanks for the chats and Go Irish!
Eric Hansen: Mike, I've hit on most of your points earlier, but let me grab the last one and answer that, yes I do believe 11-1 is possible.
Roger from Peoria: Hi Eric: My "two cents" on the Notre Dame Stadium Saturday atmosphere is it was worth well more than the price of admission which was a wee bit more than "two cents". I was concerned the "Greenout" goal would fail with the Stadium resembling a Green and Red Christmas venue. Nebraska game pictures might suggest some might count it in the Nebraska consecutive home game sellout streak. I attended the Georgia game which resembled a neutral site game. Ohio State Scarlet was substantially limited to the top of the upper bowl in the South End zone. I recognize Irish fans travel well, but do you recall any non-neutral site Irish road game when Irish blue & gold so dominated that the host's fans complained about the situation? During the official review of the winning TD, the video board replay showed to my "unbiased eye", the ball short of the goal line when the runner's knee touched. A nearby fan must have heard a similar broadcast comment as he said "I think we won!" What did you see in that replay?
Eric Hansen: Hi Roger, thanks for your observations along with your questions. Let's start with Chip Trayanum's TD. My oldest son called me as I was driving home from the stadium to ask me about that. He thought Trayanum was down before he scored. When I saw the replay at home on Monday, I thought Trayanum was in. My son has six kids, so maybe by that time in the evening his vision was blurrier than mine, I don't recall a football game at a true road game where then ND fans took over. Neutral site, yes, very much so. However, in the two years I covered ND men's basketball in the '90s, the Irish fans in the Northeast corridor often took over the opponents' arenas, and that's when ND wasn't really very good.
Tim Thompson: Nantucket, Ma. Hi Eric and everyone. Thanks for previous week’s clarification on blocked field-goal rules. Obviously everyone is yakking about goal-line stand/ only 10 players. So my specific procedural question is, when the referee stands over ball for equal substitution by defense is a referee allowed/disallowed from telling players or coaches they are short one player. Think I know the answer.
Eric Hansen: Tim, I think you know the answer, too.
Frank from Royse City, Texas: Do you think ND will run the ball more and use the short passing game against Duke? Duke secondary is one of the best in the nation so far.
Eric Hansen: I think Notre Dame will want to be balanced, but teams have had far more success running it than throwing it against Duke. At the same time, the pass-efficiency national rank for their opponents has been 54, 81 (FCS), 84 and 126 out of 130. Notre Dame is third.
Jim, Oakwood, OH: Hey Eric … No !!! today, still in a state of despair. I thought the team played OSU very well until the last OSU drive and GL plays. Kudos to Coach Free for his ownership of the mistakes w/o throwing players or coaches under the bus. A master class in excellent leadership. After a full week by the team and coaches of tempered comments about OSU avoiding giving them bulletin board materiaL I thought Lou threw a grenade at OSU with his inflammatory comments late in the week. Some comments were his usual showmanship, but then he was mean spirited and personal to Coach Day and undoubtedly fired up Day and OSU. Has Lou lost his filter in his old age? Your thoughts about the wisdom & timing of his personal comments?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jim. The whole thing was a bit odd/surreal. It happened on the Pat McAfee Show, with someone pretending to be Lou Holtz interviewing the real Lou Holtz. I know it fired up Ryan Day, and I understand to an extent why he's sensitive to those kinds of remarks. BUT I have a hard time believing the Ohio State players know who Lou Holtz is or that they played harder and executed better in those critical junctures because they wanted him to eat crow. Ryan Day had his moment after the game and Lou Holtz basically doubled down thereafter.
Scott: From Augusta, Ga. We'll Eric, what can you say that has not already been said. I'm sure there is a lot of self reflection happening, both players and coaches. This is where coaches really earn their pay. Who do you see, players and coaches, really taking the team on their shoulders in Durham? My thought is Marcus and the captains. I'll be in Durham. Hopefully enjoying a beverage in celebration after the game! Maybe more! Cheers Eric for the fine work you do every week. All the best from sunny, warm Georgia!
Eric Hansen: Scott, thanks. Hope you have a great time at the game. This is going to be a fun few weeks.
Sean, Schaumburg IL: Eric, I wanna be measured in what I say. The narrative continues-Notre Dame can't/hasn't won the big game. 2005-USC, 2011-Ann Arbor, 2012-Bama, FSU in Tallahassee, 2015-Clemson/Stanford, 2017/2019 UGA, getting rolled by Miami in Miami and our CFP Semi games. I've been at a couple of those games. DJ Brown HAS TO CATCH that ball. He was thinking of taking that ball to the house instead of catching it. The plethora of mistakes at the end of the game. 10-men. The screen pass call. Allowing the 3rd/19 first down. Just brutal. Al Golden is not a young coach. He's got decades of experience. He's gotta catch the 10-men. Shoutout to Tyler James catching it in real time. Had a couple OSU fans be extremely rude. What makes you think MF can change this narrative? It's not all on MF. It's on the admins as well. NIL is playing a factor. We're those 1 or 2 players short. Would a Peyton Bowen/Keon Keeley type make a difference? Maybe. I'd, sure, like those guys on my team to find out. Crushing game. Go Irish.
Eric Hansen: Sean, sorry I didn't get to this earlier when I wasn't up against the clock. I am from Ohio and went to school there, so if only two fans were rude to you, you get off easy. There are many good folks there as well. I don't deny how NIL can influence recruiting. I think you are overstating how much it will hurt ND in the future. I think your narrative is flawed, because ND has won big games in the stretch you mentioned. They don't get to two playoffs without doing that. I guess we throw out the wins over Clemson as well? Why I think Marcus Freeman has a chance to evolve the program is because of his recruiting and because of the strengths I see in him as a young head coach. Is it an inevitability? No, but I like his chances.
Tim from Kansas City: Sorry, I hit send before my questions because I’m still blinded by tears. 3 questions: 1. Do you think the team was caught looking ahead to Duke?😉. 2. What do you think is most important for the team to learn as a result of the OSU game? 3. What areas of improvement are most necessary to negotiate the gauntlet of the next 3 challenging games?
Eric Hansen: Tim, I love it. ... So let me skip to No. 2. Finish. Learn to finish. For coaches and players. 3. The O-line takes another step forward (played pretty well vs. OSU), contain some very difficult dual-threat QBs, and make special teams special again.
Eric Hansen: OK, that's going to do it for this week. Out of time. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.
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