Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat for the first game week of the season!
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 are back in our normal Monday at 7 ET time slot. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube. Also ahead this week on our YouTube channel, will be two postgame shows, the first immediately after the game as we debut Into the eNDzone with former Notre Dame offensive lineman Bob Morton. He and I will have our instant reactions from the game and then take a lightning round of questions live from viewers. Our Postgame Takeaways show, with Tyler James and me, will drop later, after we’ve done interviews and pushed out our written content.
► The Inside ND Sports Podcast will drop on Thursday afternoon. On the most recent Inside ND Sports Podcast, we asked Carter Karels of GigEm247, their former coworker at the South Bend Tribune, to come on and serve as a Texas A&M expert. Karels discussed the biggest preseason developments for the Aggies, the fit of quarterback Conner Weigman with offensive coordinator Collin Klein, if A&M has enough running back talent without Rueben Owens, how good A&M's defense is, the biggest question mark on offense for the Aggies, special teams concerns, Kyle Field's atmosphere, how quickly head coach Mike Elko can get things turned around 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.
► Finally, we’re all bearing down on Notre Dame’s Aug. 31 opener at Texas A&M. And Darin Pritchett and I are together each week on Wednesday and Thursday on Weekday SportsBeat (96.1 FM, 960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The re-emergence of the show on 96.1 FM is relatively new. The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. I’m also part of the Gameday SportsBeat, and that pregame show runs Saturday from 4-6:30 p.m. ET. You can download all episodes, including the pregame shows, as podcasts.
As far as this week's chat …
PLEASE include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s).
Here are the rules:
Eric Hansen: Off we go ...
Brendan from Pittsburgh: Are we overrating Riley Leonard? Which stats or games give you confidence that he can be a good enough passer to win in College Station?
Eric Hansen: Hi Brendan, It's fair to wonder, but keep in mind some of the best quarterbacks in Notre Dame history improved into that status over time. Jimmy Clausen and Brady Quinn, for instance, were near the bottom of the national pass-efficiency ratings as first-year starters. And yet not every quarterback gets better from a passing standpoint. Brandon Wimbush is an example of one who did not. Why Leonard projects as a good bet to improve beyond his past performance are his physical tools, his mental toughness, his work ethic and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock's history of designing offenses to bring the best out in QBs. Jayden Daniels' stats at Arizona State were below average. Two years later at LSU, he set an NCAA record for pass efficiency and won the Heisman Trophy. So again, I like Leonard's chance of being the best version of himself this season, whatever that looks like.
Jonathan from Addison, Texas: Hey there, Hansen! (Forgive the informality. Just trying to change things up a little.) I’ve been wondering about Coach Denbrock’s tendency to run the QB coupled with his apparent lack of tendency for getting his QBs injured. First, do you know, am I right to think Malik Zaire’s fractured ankle at Virginia is the last significant blow Denbrock’s QBs have taken despite running the ball with regularity? And second, do you know of any secret to that sauce? I’d expect some correlation between the number of QB rushes and the number of QB injuries just as a matter of common sense. But it seems that Denbrock’s offense has been largely immune to this with Kiser (ND), Ridder (Cincy), and Daniels (LSU) all running the ball a good bit without many (perhaps any?) games missed due to injury. On the other hand, if you think my question might jinx the good luck, please don’t post it in the chat!!!
Eric Hansen: Hey there whatever your last name is! I do forgive the informality and thank you for not trying to create a nickname instead of using my last name. ... Your memory is very good regarding injury history with Denbrock's dual-threat QBs. We had Brandon Wimbush (a backup during Denbrock's last run as offensive play-caller at ND) on our Inside ND Sports Podcast a couple of weeks ago. And he talked about the art and science of staying healthy and how to take hits and when to avoid them. It may be worth the listen to you. It's definitely coached ... and then the player needs to have some awareness and the right mindset as well.
Steve from Kenosha, Wis.: Hi. Eric. If last year’s receivers and this year’s receivers were all part of this year’s position group (forgetting a hypothetical glut of players) how would they be ranked together in terms of 1st team, second team etc.? Second question: while I admire the talent/competitive spirit of the freshmen and sophomores that have taken over the starting OL, a team should never have that extreme chasm of a lack of experience from one year to the next. Was this a case of poor prior talent evaluation and development, scheme fit, etc?
Eric Hansen: Hi Steve, two really good unrelated questions, so let me break these up. Let's start with the wide receivers first. So essentially we're adding back in Rico Flores Jr., Tobias Merriweather, Chris Tyree and Braylon James. And let's say ND is still committed to a six-man rotation. Not having seen the four departees this offseason, I'm going to keep them at the same skill level as when they left. So who makes the six-man rotation that now comprises Jordan Faison, Kris Mitchell, Beaux Collins, Jayden Thomas, Jaden Greathouse and Jayden Harrison. I think Flores and Tyree are in and Harrison and Mitchell are out. Tobias has a very high ceiling and perhaps a change of scenery will bring that out. But he wasn't reliable enough to crack this rotation.
As far as the offensive line, I think you are maybe underrating how much Anthonie Knapp and Sam Pendleton factored into their own ascents. Perhaps it's because neither was close to being a five-star prospect. Three other things factored in ... there wasn't an attractive tackle prospect in the portal that ND felt was worth pursuing. 2) Charles Jagusah's injury. 3) Since the NFL opened its doors to true juniors in 1989, never had an offensive lineman from ND come out as a true junior. Then suddenly in one draft cycle, this past April, two of them do. So if even just Blake Fisher comes back, it changes the whole conversation about the offensive line, no?
CD from Cleveland: With 2 OL under 300 pounds, are you concerned? Will their size be more advantageous to the running or passing game? Has Dembrock ever faced an Elko Defense? Thanks for hosting again this year, Eric, looking forward to 12-0 if the O-Line pleasantly surprises!
Eric Hansen: Hey CD, and thank you. I think I'm as skeptical as you are about how that might work out, but I'm open to that skepticism fading. The interesting thing is several of the O-Linemen lost weight purposely over the summer, including Spindler and Coogan. And I asked Mike Denbrock about that last night. Maybe mobility is more valued in what Denbrock wants to do offensively? Here's his answer, which wasn't particularly illuminating and perhaps by design:
“I think if you're going to lose weight and gain strength — those guys are all stronger across the board with their lifts and in the big-muscle groups that they need to perform at a high level. So, a little less weight, at least in my case, would do me a lot of good, and hopefully it does them some good as well.”
And to your question about whether Denbrock and Elko squared off ... yes to that. In 2015, Notre Dame, with Denbrock calling the offense, beat Wake Forest and Elko, 28-7, but it was a labor and Denbrock said as much after that game.
Related Content
► Notre Dame OC Mike Denbrock's press conference transcript after Tuesday's practice
► Transcript: Notre Dame DC Al Golden on Tuesday prior to Texas A&M game
► Tracking the transfer trails, backstories of Notre Dame football's expats
► Notre Dame football depth chart projection for season opener at Texas A&M
► The Heat Index update (8/26): Notre Dame lines up new options at wide receiver
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Robert from Dunedin, Fla.: Eric- As the season progresses, would you think it wise to get the backup QBs some reps beyond the last drive or two? Say ND is up big early in the 3rd, could we see one or two of our backup QBs in for some action? Could be a wise move in case of injury and help develop by getting game reps. Thanks for your insight!
Eric Hansen: Hi Robert. Thank you! It seems like this should be a simple answer, but it's really not. And here's the biggest reason why. The ND offense is far from a finished product, and contributing is the fact Riley Leonard is not only new to the offense, he missed spring football except for mental reps. So the need to maximize his on-field opportunities trumps everything else. This is not about setting the stage for 2025. This is about evolving Leonard's game and having him ready for a playoff run, above all. Now, other factors do come into play, though further down the importance scale.
Yes, you'd like at least one backup, Steve Angeli, to gain some in-game experience in case something happens to Leonard. You'd also like to be smart from an injury-risk standpoint in a one-sided game. What does Leonard taking reps in that situation benefit him? Perhaps somewhat revealing is how LSU managed QB reps last season with a Heisman winner as a starter, in Jayden Daniels, and Denbrock as that team's OC. Backup Garrett Nussmeier got 155 game snaps and third-stringer Rickie Collins played 13. About a third of Nussmeier's reps came in the bowl game against Wisconsin after Daniels opted out for the NFL Draft. Another third came in two combined games -- blowout wins over Grambling and Army. The rest were scattered over four games.
Notre Dame's schedule may lend itself to more opportunities for backups to play, and maybe it won't. And ND really has three deserving backups, but the team goals come first.
John from Villa Park, Calif.: Thanks for the great insight you provide. Appears that you nailed it when you mentioned Georgia Tech as a trap game. Are there any other teams on the schedule that you think could prove to be better than they are currently perceived?
Eric Hansen: Hi John. Thank for being part of the chat. Miami (Ohio) was picked to win the MAC, and its head coach, Chuck Martin, and Denbrock have some history together. So, I think Miami could be better than people think. I'm curious about Virginia. The Cavs were picked near the bottom of the ACC, but I'm wondering if they could be better than advertised, at least by the time they get to November and come to Notre Dame Stadium.
Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: If A&M plays smashmouth football running the ball, do you think our defenders are big enough to stop them given the enormous size/weights of the A&M offensive line?
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. The area the defense had the most room for improvement from a very good run last year was in the area of rush defense. I do think ND has the right combination of size, quickness and depth to potentially wear down the A&M offensive line over the course of the game. My expectation is rush defense is the area where the Irish defense will surprise and make a leap this season, and I think it's also a big part of the game plan. Putting the Aggies in third-and-longs and then coming after QB Conner Weigman with all kinds of pressures.
Ced Walker from Saginaw Mich. aka sagnasty saginaw pride: ok are we down to 85 players I assume they gave chance tucker the medical redshirt we are at 85 also qb coach Gino will be in the press box it was mention mike mickens will be on the field so analyst and graduate assistant will be in the press box for defense ok my prediction sat night Nd 24 A&M 20 here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us
Eric Hansen: Hey Ced. I took care of you from last week in getting the upstairs/downstairs assignments of the assistant coaches and publishing that first. So thanks for poking me about it. And QBs coach Gino Guidugli will be the only full-time assistant coach up in the box. My prediction is Notre Dame 24, Texas A&M 17.
And Chance Tucker has already taken a regular redshirt year, so if he wanted a sixth year, he would have to petition the NCAA for it. He already had eligibility in 2025 for his initial redshirt year. We are getting to the end of the COVID exemptions. There are only three players on the current roster who could exercise that extra year in 2025 through a COVID exemption, and it's unlikely all three would take it, and maybe none of them — S Xavier Watts, OT Tosh Baker and TE Kevin Bauman.
Matt from Austin: Hi Eric, I hope this finds you well. Just an FYI from last week's chat. Without question, Kyle Field is the loudest stadium in which I have ever seen a game and nothing else is close. Question, do you think in game substitutions will be made on the OL, ie. Spindler, Lambert, etc.? Do you see meaningful snaps for KVA? Lastly, what position can we least afford an injury/breakdown aside from the OL? After a busy summer, I hope you have a GREAT weekend Eric. Thank you.
Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. Glad to get your perspective. I do not anticipate a rotation of offensive line players in the game on Saturday night short of an injury or heat exhaustion. I DO EXPECT rotation at about every other position group except O-line and quarterback. I think continuity on the offensive line is going to be very important. ... Yes I very much see meaningful snaps in the game for freshman linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, both as part of ND's five-linebacker rotation and in sub packages. The position that could least afford an injury, generically, beyond the offensive line is cornerback. Not because of quality, but because the numbers are pretty thin there. You have a great weekend too.
Paddy in Chicago: Eric, thank you for sharing your time and wisdom, with all of us who can only wish we had your job. Do you expect to see A&M's D in an Elko 4-2-5 alignment for most of the game? I ask as it seems ND, given its OL inexperience esp. on the left, may have to utilize a lot of tactics like shifts and slants etc. etc., which could result in fewer drop back opportunities. In such case wouldn't 5 back be a bit overkill? And if A&M is wedded to that alignment, what Denbrock scheme tendencies in your view could leverage A&M exposure at the linebacker level? Plug in that crystal ball if you would please -- what might we keep an eye out for? Also: who's the most famous (or infamous!) non-sports celebrity you've ever crossed path with? Slainte! --Paddy in Chicago
Eric Hansen: Hi Paddy, thanks for your creative questions and for assuming I have an electric crystal ball instead of one powered by a hamster on a wheel. ... I would guess A&M will play a lot of nickel, but one of the beauties of this game is the high-level of chess playing you're going to get pre-snap with different personnel groups shuttling in and out of games trying to get mismatches. ... I can see where you were going with the question, but Riley Leonard's skill set and Mike Denbrock's aversion to go overly conservative, I think, will get us quickly into the chess match mentality.
Ideally, ND would like to play with the lead and keep a balance in its offense. Being predictable and getting in third-and-longs is what ND can't afford a steady diet of. ... I think Denbrock will spend the early part of the game getting A&M to show its hand. Then he'll go to work trying to attack it and find matchup advantages. ... As to the most famous or infamous celebrity non-sports-related ... we have a couple of subscribers insideNDsports.com subscribers who fit that profile but would rather keep a low profile. I also went to the same high school as a famous country singer, who was a few years ahead of me, and a famous sitcom star briefly lived next door to me in college before they both became famous. Meeting Joey Ramone of The Ramones and former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor were two which came to mind quickly.
But I have actually interviewed two -- Garth Brooks was on our podcast when I was at the South Bend Tribune, and was great. And I interviewed Deepak Chopra for a news story when I was at the Trib.
Kagan From Angola: Hello Eric, we made it Irish Nation it's game week! I was wondering if you could give me a cold take, lukewarm take and a hot take for the game? My cold take would be both qb's struggle early throwing the ball and neither goes for more than 225 yds passing. Lukewarm take, Riley Leonard and Love have three rushing TDs between the two of them. Hot take, Christian Gray is defensive MVP and has a multi pick game. GO IRISH BEAT AGGIES!
Eric Hansen: Hi Kagan, I'm so old I get confused whether a hot take is a good thing or a bad thing. I like your examples. But I'm going to give you a bold take. Sophomore safety Adon Shuler will rise to the occasion in his first college start and factor into the outcome of the game.
Lorne from Reno, Nev. Happy opening week, Eric, and thank you for sharing your time and expertise on these chats. One of the (many) things I love about college football is how strengths and weaknesses change from year to year. Our defensive line looks great, but next year we have four new starters: it should still be good, but it will be one of next year's question marks. On the other side of the line, all of our starting offensive linemen can return, and that doesn't even count Lambert and Jaguseh (who may/should start next year) -- that's one reason CJ Carr has a huge smile on his face. Are the "Jr./So." trio of Craig, Schrauth and Wagner theoretically eligible to go pro after this year and, if so, do you think any will? If not, our line should go from question mark to awesome next year, though I suppose we'll lose some to the portal. Also (unrelated), any word on how the team is getting down to 85 scholarships (by asking I am guaranteeing that the news will break any time now).
Eric Hansen: Hi Lorne and thanks for the great questions and fun perspective. ... Let me get to your questions. Yes, Aamil Wagner, Billy Schrauth and Ashton Craig would all be draft-eligible after the season. I think it's close to zero chance any of them will. Tackles are much more in demand than interior players at the next level, and Wagner does not yet have an NFL body. He might be a five-year college guy. ... Schrauth does have an NFL body but three career starts. I'm not sure even with a great year he'll be eager to bolt. Ashton Craig can build his equity with another year or likely two.
So, let's talk about the 85-scholarship thing. If the NCAA gets all its ducks in a row with what's already been proposed, this will be the last year for it. You'll then have roster limits and likely up to 105 players on scholarship. But ND and others still have to deal with 85 this year. But there's a workaround. Because of NIL money, ND can technically take a player off scholarship and make up the difference in NIL money. So let's say he was previously getting a scholarship and 50K. Now he's getting 120K and no scholarship. Life will not change for that player. It's really about the accounting and not the status. And even other walk-ons can get NIL money. So, that is how ND dealt with it. No one got cut or demoted. The Irish adapted for the one year of gray area. I'm sure other schools did the same.
Jonathan Wright from Kansas City, Mo.: Love your podcast and articles Eric. Finally game week! So excited and anxious. After watching Coach Freeman’s press conference I decided to listen to Mike Elko’s press conference as well. I was really intrigued with what he chose to share. The most interesting thing to me was his belief that Riley Leonard held a stronger advantage in his familiarity with Coach Elko’s defense for the last few years over his own familiarity with Riley Leonard’s game. Do you agree with this and where do you think this will show itself the most on Saturday night?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jonathan ... thanks for the compliments. ... I think Mike Elko couched that right. For him to say the opposite would have come off as arrogant and overconfident. I think it's pretty even actually. And with so much player and coach movement, it's getting more and more common. Here, for the record, is what Riley Leonard had to say about it last night:
“Yeah, that sounds like something he’d say,” Leonard said with a laugh when read the Elko quote. “He might just be sugarcoating for y’all. I don’t know. I think we’ve both got advantages. ,,,
“He knows what plays I like, what plays I don’t like,” Leonard said of Elko. “Everybody calls him a defensive coach. He’s really an everything coach, to be honest with you.
“He was in all the offensive meetings. He knew every play that was going in. He knew what I liked, what I didn’t like. So yeah, from top to bottom.”
Joe from Baltimore: Hey Eric. Two part question. How much do you think the tandem of Knapp and Pendleton played into them both being named starters? And what is the best spot for pizza in the South Bend area? Thanks as always!
Eric Hansen: Hi Joe, thank you and here's your two-part answer. I think it was a factor, not an overwhelming one but O-Line coach Rudolph does take into account strong combinations when he's setting a starting lineup. ... To part 2, I enjoy Rocco's, both going there and the taste of the pizza. I also like Barnaby's a lot, but for takeout Starlite is my favorite.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric!!!!!! CMF and his coaches all stress how each position room is tight, full of competition, but tight. In your opinion would the players agree? This is important since CMF has also stressed competition stressing about the number of starting lineups ND has had during his tenure. How will these rooms handle player mistakes among the chosen starters? How will these rooms handle playing time & roll changes within a position as the season progresses? And how do you foster continuity with these potential changes? Along those lines of thought does Eric think ND will rotate O linemen in the Texas heat? I had said this year that coaching was a top three of issues for this season along with O line play and young LB's coming along. Coaching went from number 2 to the clear number 1. Coaches need to get it right and manage it well going forward. Your thoughts as always are greatly appreciated.
Eric Hansen: Hi Len. Thanks for the multiple exclamation points!!!! I asked OC Mike Denbrock that question in last night's press conference as it pertained to the offensive line room, specifically. Here is what he had to say:
“I think it's, obviously, something that if you do a good job of making sure you're communicating everything that's going on, that the process is transparent, that alleviates a lot of the things that can come up down the road. And also the type of young man that's attracted to be part of the University of Notre Dame and the football program are guys that are here for the right reasons. They're in it for the University of Notre Dame football program, and they trust the coaches in the decisions that were made.”
I do think Notre Dame sets the tone well with its culture and in its choices for who it recruits. But winning and losing factors into the equation. Winning always makes it easier to accept the competition and perhaps waiting for your turn, because it's easier to buy in then. As I mentioned earlier, I don't think O-line rotation would either be an advantage or likely in this game short of an injury/heat exhaustion. I wouldn't argue coaching is important. That's why Notre Dame was willing to pay to keep Al Golden and willing to do the same to go get Mike Denbrock from LSU.
Paddy in Chicago: Ok. You've rubbed shoulders with some big names. Beyond impressive.............
Eric Hansen: Paddy, I like rubbing shoulders with good, genuine people, who have integrity and good hearts. Whether they're famous or not, that is the kind of person I enjoy spending time with.
Sean from Schaumburg, Ill.: Hello, Eric. I signed up due to the great discount and your/Tyler's great insight and professionalism. The 2 Tim's at the other site and you two are top pros. Thank you. How will Denbrock/Rudolph mitigate the overwhelming feelings of Knapp/Pendleton on the first couple series? College Station is gonna be crazy. I have a good friend who was thrust into a WAC/Mountain West game as a sophomore MLB. He said the intensity of his teammates(one being Bryce Fisher) was intimidating enough. Add the natural intensity of the game, getting the play-call in from the DC and figuring out what the offense was running and it makes for an overwhelming situation. I have supreme faith in Denbrock recognizing this before the game starts. Will his early play-calling show that to acclimate them? I hope Knapp/Pendleton have had the opportunity to go against the 1s on D to help them acclimate to the speed of the game. 20-13 win for our Irish. Go Irish!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Sean, and really appreciate you jumping on board with us! I think the focus for those two and the whole offense in general is more about communication than being intimidated. At least Pendleton has been to loud/big stadiums even as a bystander. I think those guys had to battle so hard and against big odds to get to the top of the depth chart, some of the jitters have already been knocked out of them. Their poise was a big part of their ascent. I think the players on the other side of the ball are a bigger factor, really good ones.
Yes, the offensive line, including Pendleton and Knapp, went against the Irish No. 1 defense, which helped determine whether they were the best options for the job. It's also helps guard against culture shock, because ND's whole front, its whole defense, should be top level.
Chris from Bloomingdale, Ill.: Enough of all this football silliness, and on to more important questions. Do you feel, as I do, that Tyler James oftentimes has "resting annoyed face" on Football Never Sleeps? He seems like a pleasant enough person, so I don't know if he is perpetually tired or harried, or if that is just his default face. I am just a little concerned, particularly because he seems largely unmoved by the humor of one Eric Hansen. Also, are you and Tyler BFF'S? Also, also, would you and Tyler ever consider adopting a 50-something-year-old boy? Not me, I'm just asking for a friend. Whatever happened to Charleston Bowles, and are you all still best friends?
Oops, I forgot these, I know that you like them...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric Hansen: Oh that was great, with or without the 87 exclamation points!! I think the "resting annoyed face" is probably the result of Tyler trying to sift through the questions we take live from viewers while he's also trying to listen to what I have to say. But I will tell him to at least develop a fake laugh for my jokes. ... In all honesty, I am really glad to be business partners/co-workers with him. He is almost the exact age of my oldest son, maybe 10 days apart. But somehow I think he's the parent in our dynamic LOL. Yes, we would adopt, especially if you can write, edit, do graphics, etc. Charleston opted to go to law school at Arizona State. So we miss him, but we absolutely support his decision. Look for some new faces to pop up this fall who will be helping us. And yes, Charleston will always be one of our favorite people.
Ryan from Mars, Pa: Good afternoon Eric how do you think the offense will look under Mike denbrock i think he will get Mitchell and Collins involved a lot my score prediction is 35-28 Irish what is yours GO IRISH 🏈🏈🏈☘️☘️☘️
Eric Hansen: Wow Ryan, You and I have the same margin but you have a much higher scoring game than me. If you're right, I'll let you brag next week. I see Collins being a factor in week 1 and Mitchell more so later in the season. ... And for how the offense will look, maybe a bit like the 2015 Irish but without the offensive line that team had. But in concept, yes.
Pete from Erie, Pa.: Eric, always enjoy the chats, thanks for your hard work! Is there a Collin Klein size chip on ND's shoulder? Should there be? I think yes, but without knowing more, maybe not a big one. … Collin Klein follow-up: No offense to anyone but with Klein the OC, does ND make the playoff last yr? The 3 losses were all close, one score late. Seems like a play vs Ohio St and 1-2 plays @Clemson were the difference. @Louisville needed more help but ND was only down 17-13 in the 4th Q. A better gameplan and who knows, ND could've blown them out early.
Eric Hansen: Hi Pete and thanks for hopping on the chat. Let me start with your second part first. I'm not sure ND makes the playoff, but they get a lot closer than 9-3 with Klein as the coordinator. And with Denbrock, maybe closer. As far as bad feelings with either Klein or ND, I don't think there are. He came, he interviewed and it didn't end up being a match. I think it's mutual admiration that it was that close, but not a match. And I also think it worked out in the end for ND getting Mike Denbrock this year, and contractually for three more years after this one.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. I can’t believe game day is Saturday. Very exciting. If I were to tell you that Notre Dame wins the game Saturday by more than seven points what three things would you tell me had to happen? If I were to tell you that Notre Dame loses the game Saturday what three things would you tell me probably happened? On a different topic there’s a lot of positive talk about the Notre Dame coaching staff. Amongst the OCs in college football, where would you rank Denbrock and where would you rank Golden versus other DCs ? Finally, can you pick a breakout player on offense and defense for the game on Saturday? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and the great insights.
Eric Hansen: Oh Marie, I can tell you're fired up. That's like 18 questions rolled into one, and thanks for all 18 of those. Let me try to be succinct here since we're running out of time ... Winning by more than 7, .. won the turnover battle, O-line played well, defense lived up to its rep. Loses the game, A&M's QB played really well, its D-line lived up to its rep, ND did not play with the lead and had to play catch-up. ... I haven't researched all the coordinators enough to make a clear order, but if you had said when Gerad Parker left, who would you go out and get for OC, Denbrock would have been -- actually It was -- my first choice. And if you said you could trade Golden for someone else in college as a DC, I'd have a hard time naming more than 1 or 2 ... and even than that might be a stretch, (more)Eric Hansen: Breakout offense ... Beaux Collins. Defense ... Adon Shuler.
Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hey Eric, well, with your help, it looks like we made it through another offseason. I'm probably going to have to double my blood pressure meds on Saturday night. I have several questions before Saturday: 1) What does Knapp do so much better than the other tackles to get the start against A&M? Same for Pendleton? I am presuming that the coaches confidence in the guards allowed them to move Coogan to center?? Is Coogan completely out of the guard rotation? 2) Does Denbrock like to use a hurry up offense at times? If so, generally when?? 3) Over/under 2.5 False Starts Saturday?? 4) With all of our experience that we have on both sides of the ball, is 2024 our best chance to have a good playoff run or win a National Championship in the next 2-4 years?? Thanks again for getting us to this point again this year!!! Go Irish!!! ND 20 A&M 16...... very low-scoring and tough for both teams inside the 20.
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, thank you for being along for the ride! 1) His toughness, his learning curve, his chemistry with the other linemen. Pendleton similar traits and strengths. Coogan would be considered if Pendleton were injured, so not out of the rotation. You're still looking for your best five, and he'd be in contention if Pendleton were out. 2) He will use tempo at times, yes. Flow of the game-dependent. 3) Under. 4) Not sure, I want to say yes because of the defense, but I think ND will reload there, so maybe not. How's that for waffling?
Steve from Findlay Ohio: Hi Eric, Thanks for these chats! Do you think these AP ranking should start later in the year, say the 3rd week? I know you voted Utah 5th after an 8-5 2023 season and getting embarrassed by Northwestern to end the season similar to Ohio State being humbled by Missouri. Just curious how these two programs don't beat their rivals the past 5 years yet appear in your top 5?
Eric Hansen: Because rating teams based on 2023 doesn't make sense. They don't have the same schedule, the same players and sometimes not the same coaches. And remember Ohio State got humbled by Missouri with its third-string quarterback. To base a next year's ranking on a bowl game with so many opt-outs doesn't make sense. And keep in mind polls are not static. Every week you get new info. It's a snapshot. And so it will change and evolve. So no, waiting ‘til the third week doesn't make sense to me. It's not a prediction contest. It’s a snapshot that will change … and hopefully become more reflective of the teams’ actual prowess.
Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: Hey Eric, with nearly all the focus on the OLine this late summer, I feel like there has to be some guys that carried on in the proverbial shadows that would have received more attention. Namely Adon Shuler, Christian Gray, Jeremiyah Love. Then guys like Jadarian Price like I would now call a sleeper. Even with the inexperienced in games OLine, there are going to be some weapons. Do you feel like the OLine attention has allowed other guys to just carry on without the noise and actually be better had more attention been on them publicly?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tony. Yes, I do feel like the O-line drama kind of sucked up a lot of the oxygen and there are some great storylines that hopefully we shared. And you mentioned some of the good ones.
Jack from Strongsville,Ohio: Hi Eric. What are the keys to a ND victory this Saturday. Also, what do you think of ESPN's commentator, Pat Macafee? Thanks for all you and Tyler's great work.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jack. I'm in overtime and kind of the lightning round format at this point, so this will be maybe oversimplified ... keys, win the turnover battle, play with the lead and keep the offense balanced. Stifle A&M's run game and put the pressure on their passing game. ... Only have glimpses of Pat McAfee and not a full body of work, so I don't know if I'd be able to offer a fair assessment. When I've seen him he's been loud and funny. But again, I don't see him much. Conflicts with the times I'm working on my own stuff. ... and thank YOU!
Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: Also, it was super exciting watching the Lake Mary Little League win the LLWS. Parade on Saturday.
Eric Hansen: Congrats!
Chris from Bloomingdale, Ill.: That is why I thought that you two would make such good co-parents for me err, I mean my friend. Tyler could be the organized one who disciplines us and brushes our hair (Mom) and you could be the kindly, good-natured one who occasionally imparts some wisdom along with some Dad jokes. I love you Mom & Dad! Here's some more of those things !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric Hansen: Oh wow. I think I need to bring this to an end for this week. I would call Tyler Mom the rest of today, but I think he's in a bad mood already, Love it ... I have an interview coming up, so overtime is over. Thanks for all the great questions and sorry for not getting to all of them. We'll be back to do this all over again next Wednesday at noon ET.
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