Chat Transcript: Does Notre Dame have the makings to be a line-driven team?
Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, Louisville week edition.
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. This week on our YouTube channel, we’ll bring you our Postgame Takeaways show late Saturday night after we’ve done interviews and pushed out our written content.
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Related Content
► Film Analysis: Is Riley Leonard finding rhythm in Notre Dame's offense?
► Coordinator Transcripts: OC Mike Denbrock | DC Al Golden
► Notebook: Can Notre Dame O-line pass its history test against Louisville?
► Notre Dame football depth chart projection for home game with Louisville
► The Inside ND Sports Podcast will drop on Thursday afternoon. On the most recent Inside ND Sports Podcast, we invited former Notre Dame AND Miami (Ohio) quarterback Andrew Hendrix to join Tyler James and me. Hendrix played quarterback for four seasons at Notre Dame (2010-13) and one at Miami (2014). He discussed his perspective on Notre Dame's start to the season, who he was rooting for Saturday, coach Chuck Martin's longevity at Miami, the career of ND offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, balancing patience and running as a quarterback, the future of the MAC, why finishing his career at Miami was the right choice, why he wasn't the right choice early in his ND career 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 bearing down on Notre Dame’s showdown with Louisville on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. And Darin Pritchett and I are together each week this season on Wednesday and Thursday on Weekday SportsBeat (96.1 FM, 960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. I’m also part of the Gameday SportsBeat crew, and that pregame show runs Saturday from noon-2:30 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). If you're doing it telepathically, you are overestimating my skill set.
Here are the rules:
Eric Hansen: The "no drinking" rule has been rolled back for this week. Don't make me regret it.
OK off we go ...
Drue in Springfield, Ill.: Wanting a sincere answer to my question, I am seeking it from the most elite source on ND football. First, let me say there are some truly encouraging things going on with this team. The wide receiver production has increased dramatically, the RB play has been stellar, and some of the younger talent has stepped into the spotlight and shown up big time. But historically, football games are won and lost by the play in the trenches. It seems our RBs have been stuffed for the standard 1-yard loss too many times when trying to force the power runs at the heart of the opposing defenses. Of course, I may be jaded by the "automatic "estimatic" success we enjoyed compliments of Audric Estime and stellar OL play the past three years. My one question, in two parts, is what is your take on the success of the running game over the course of the next 8 games and do both lines have the depth and talent to play at a level to win out...meaning do they have a high enough ceiling? Thanks...you're the best!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Drue and thanks for the kind words. Let's start with where Notre Dame stands nationally in rushing offense and rushing defense, two of the five key metrics that championship-contending teams in college football tend to do well. With rushing offense, Notre Dame hits a lot of home runs in the run game, so these numbers may surprise you. The Irish are 18th in rush offense, (236.3 ypg), fifth in yards per carry (6.71) and tied for eight in rushing TDs (13). The rushing defense numbers have improved a lot the last two weeks but ... 51st in rush defense (121.0) and 51st in yards per carry allowed (3.56). They've allowed just one rushing TD, so their tied for eighth as seven school haven't allowed any.
So let's put some context behind those numbers. HC Marcus Freeman likes to pride himself on ND being an O-line/D-line driven program. Louisville is going to put both of those concepts to the test on Saturday, perhaps as well or better than any other team on the ND regular-season schedule in those regards. I think Riley Leonard's skill set and the home-run ability of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are going to keep the ND run game in a good place for the balance of the season. Louisville was able to shut down the Irish run last year, including Estimé. But the O-line, especially the left side with the two young players, must start to take a consistent step forward.
On defense, Al Golden is more concerned about preventing explosive plays than stuffing the run on every down. That means at times playing lighter in the box than some teams do, but you could see in the Miami game how that worked out. It's very, very difficult to get the passing game going against this defense. I do think there needs to be more of a balance. The 3.56 yards per carry won't cut it if ND is going to get to the playoff, and it won't cut it when the Irish play a team that is balanced in its offense. I do think the Irish have the personnel to improve that. When Gabe Rubio comes back, that gives them another big body in the middle to rotate in.
Todd from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada: Eric, can you ask Peter Bevacqua when Peacock will be available in Canada and internationally … getting sick and tired of missing the Peacock game every year.
Eric Hansen: Todd. I have good news for you. Notre Dame offers a free streaming service for international Irish fans! It's available at fightingirishtv.live. This covers all the NBC games over the course of the season, including the Shamrock Series game in New York. They also post most games on their YouTube channel the following week.
Mike from Phoenix: Eric, It seems like many fans were very disappointed by a Notre Dame 25-point win. ND won by 25 (could have easily scored again), spread was 27.5 and didn’t play their best. The defense gave up only 229 yards and 3 points. Do you think the disappointment comes from Miami being up 3-0 early 2nd and fans thinking here we go again? ND dominated the 3rd. Defense has played extremely well but do you think they can play even better? I say this as they have only given up less than 10 points a game and are Top 20 in yards per game. I saw somewhere that the D has had 18 consecutive games of giving up less than 400 yards. Cheers! Go IRISH!
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. I think there are a lot of layers to it, and it's not necessarily universal, but here's what I think: The whiplash after the Texas A&M game isn't going to go away for a lot of people anytime soon, no matter what happens. One minute, they're looking up hotels for a playoff game, the next, they're being asked to be excited about the prospect of attending the Pop-Tarts Bowl (which is in Orlando). And so, they don't want to be fooled again and are going to look at games with a more skeptical, sometimes defeatist eye. And this week's game will either challenge that outlook continuing or validate it for them.
I also think people are concerned whether Riley Leonard is the best option at QB. And last thing I'll mention, ND needs to revamp the way it formats the in-between time in timeouts and other breaks. In my opinion, it literally sucks the energy and oxygen out of the stadium. They had it right a few years ago. Go back to that. I don't blame people for resorting to the golf clap.
Mike aka "Mo" from Maumee, Ohio: Long-time reader, first-time question. Looking over Riley Leonard's stats with Duke, he threw for almost 3,000 yards with 20 TD's against 6 INT's his sophomore year. Reading his comments after NIU and Miami, Riley pointed to his footwork & technique. I'm wondering if ND, in an effort to make him a Pro-worthy QB, has messed with his head through making him learn (significantly) different ways from his Duke days. There is something called "unconscious competence", and it looks like Leonard may have to think too much about (a change in) technique at this late stage of his college career. Your take on this idea? Do I need to grab an adult beverage & relax?
Eric Hansen: Hey Mike/Mo. There are a lot of QBs both recent and in the pre-portal days of grad transfers in which they've gone from being average passers at their old school, then thrived at their new one. Looking at just dual-threat guys, think about Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Jalen Hurts, Russell Wilson and to a lesser extent Michael Penix -- who did make a big jump in passing prowess but also in health and he didn't run a ton at Washington. There is a long list of guys in which it doesn't happen. So what's the secret sauce there. At the coordinator interviews last night, I asked Mike Denbrock that very question.
I'm going to paraphrase his answer. Now he designed the offense around Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels at LSU after a blah three seasons at Arizona State. Yes, those QBs have to see the game differently, play the game differently, process things differently -- under pressure and very rapidly. Riley Leonard missing spring slowed that timetable. BUT THE KEY is marrying what they need to get better at without taking away what made them good in their familiar way of playing football. So Riley needs to go through progressions better and extend plays with his legs BUT he also needs to feel free to tuck it and make something out of nothing.
This week is an inflection point for Riley, the offensive line and Mike Denbrock. Louisville is the team that ended ND's playoff hopes last year by attacking ND's offense and its QB and making it one dimensional. The Irish had no counterpunch. This is the kind of game in which the "new" Riley Leonard should thrive. Are we there yet? We'll all find out together on Saturday.
Brian K from South Bend: Hi Eric! So what's going on with Jaden Greathouse? Going into this season I expected him to be the biggest contributor at WR or one of them. Is he caught in a situation where he gets pulled from the Slot in 2 TE sets, is it part of the normal WR rotation, or other issues leading to him being on the field much less. Also I think he is a KEY player to keep on the field this week vs. Louisville and get him kick-started for the remainder of the season. Thanks for your weekly chats, and I look forward to your analysis.
Eric Hansen: Brian, thank you. And I think you and I would be having good conversations during the game if we were to watch it together. I think before the season I picked Jaden Greathouse to lead ND this season in receptions and TD catches, though I thought there would be some parity there. I still think he'll be near the top of those lists, but I understand your concerns about his usage. But here are the numbers. He has 129 snaps this season. Among WRs, only Beaux Collins has more (181). And Jayden Thomas is a distant third (77). But his usage isn't as much as it was in the first two games (48 and 43) and then 12 and 26.
The Purdue game was an outlier, because of how much 12 personnel (multiple tight ends) that ND wanted to play in that game. And then the game became one-sided so fast, playing Jaden didn't make sense with injury risk at that point. I also think Jayden Harrison's emergence has tamped down some opportunities. Still, with all that Jaden is ND's second-leading receiver. And I think you'll see some situations in games coming up where he's going to be valuable in the red zone.
Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: If you were setting the betting line, what would the odds be on the following matchup: Louisville 2023 team versus Louisville 2024 team.
Eric Hansen: Bob, wow what a great question, but you are WAY overestimating my math skills. I like the Louisville 2023 team better. I think they had more game-breakers on offense, were healthier on offense and had more consistent QB play. I think both defenses are really good. Louisville did well in the transfer portal that way. So, now that I've stalled to buy myself some time to do the math. I'd say Louisville 2023 by nine.
Denny from Beaverton, Ore.: Hi Eric; Well doggone it one of the most important games of the year and they put it on Peacock. Hope to pick it up on radio. I could be off base, but I just have a feeling that players now have a better chance to push themselves up the depth chart and see playing time as compared to the days of the Kelly and Weis tenures. Obviously injuries are a major factor but that is always the case about playing time. I know that Coach Freeman is recruiting better talent and this is a big factor. Perhaps the threat of the portal and making sure that young players get a fair chance also is a factor. Yet I do believe that you have to be 1. Assignment correct 2. 100% effort in Practice and 3 Consistent day to day in approach in order to get your chance. I really enjoy seeing the names of these new players pop up in games. Do you have any thoughts about this Eric? I have also wondered during the season what might be you lightest workload day of the week. Sunday afternoon? Appreciate your hard work and insight.
Eric Hansen: Hi Denny. And thank you. And I realize it's taking a stance for some people with Peacock, but you might be able to find a special or at least cancel after a month. But if you're listening on the radio, I hope you tune into our pregame show (shameless plug) WSBT's Gameday SportsBeat (from noon to 2:30 ET at wsbtradio.com). ... To your observations/questions. No doubt on the upwardly mobile thing. I think once BK got into the season, he didn't want to mess around with the "earning trust" process unless there was an injury or ineffectiveness that forced him. Not always, but by and large. I think Marcus is always looking for guys earning their playing time and even checks out scout team players who deserve to move up.
To your second question, Sunday is not a light day for me at all. And really for anyone on the beat. I think universally if there is a lighter day, it's Friday. Not complaining. Just answering your question. I love what I do.
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Rick from Ohio: Always enjoy your reporting. You sure got coach upset with your question post game. My two questions are: why are our backup quarterbacks still signaling in plays when helmets have a microphone? And has Faison been excommunicated from the offense?
Eric Hansen: Hi Rick. I guess I didn't take it as such with regard to my question. And I knew getting an answer that would help tell the story of the game was a bit of a risk, since Riley Leonard questions had been asked already. But I thought it was worth it, because I thought there was insight to be gained by coming at it from the angle I took. And I did get an answer I was able to use. I think Marcus and I get each other and understand each other's job and have a healthy respect for each other. Moving on ... the helmet communication system cuts with 15 seconds left on the play clock. So the defense still can move around and prompt a change in play or protection, and that's the only way to get that done -- the signals from the sideline.
I must be too dense to get your Jordan Faison question. He was limited to 20 snaps in the Texas A&M game because he suffered an ankle injury. Didn't play the next two games while he healed, then played 32 snaps against Miami, which is just three fewer than the team-leading 35 Beaux Collins played among ND's wide receivers.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week and are looking forward to the Louisville game. What are the key matchups that Notre Dame has to win this weekend in order to win the game? Why do you think Jaden Greathouse has been less visible the last several weeks? Do you think as a fan base we overestimated Mike Debrock’s abilities? I know he says this offense is a work in progress and there’s been some progress but I think most would agree. It has not been enough? Finally on a slightly different topic. Throughout Marcus Freeman’s tenure, there has been a pattern where this team just shows up not mentally ready to play. I know you mentioned last week they have rehired a full-time sports psychologist, but my question is how much do you think Coach Freeman is really buying into this and utilizing it? I know he’s all about sports science for the strength and conditioning program, but do you think his enthusiasm carries over to the mental side of Sports? Both his and Leonard’s body language was appallingly bad, during the first part of the game last week. Through my work, I have come across professional athletes who have used many different sports psychology techniques to help them through slumps, the yips, etc. Do you really feel that Notre Dame is maximizing the team’s mental potential? As most great athletes will tell you sports is at least 95% mental and most would say 99%. As always, thanks for hosting the chat and all the great insights. Hopefully, we will be discussing a Notre Dame win next week.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie, and thank you for the questions and for being such a generous person. So, we hit the Greathouse part of your question earlier, so let's address the other parts. Starting with the key matchups. As was the case in the Texas A&M game, I think the part that ND's defense can and will play is kind of under the radar. Now Louisville may step up with its passing game, but the three teams they've played rank 123rd and 115th in pass-efficiency defense in the FBS and 66th in the FCS. ND is 6th. The best total defense ranking so far is Georgia Tech at No. 52. So being solid against the run and smothering Louisville's pass game and getting them to commit their first turnover (and more) this season is key.
On offense, ND is going to need Riley Leonard's legs in this game to keep the Cardinals from loading up on ND's traditional running attack. But Leonard's going to have to be at his best throwing the ball as well. ND's O-Line is back in the spotlight. Louisville is light years ahead in TFLs and sacks than where Texas A&M currently sits. And no special teams gaffes. ... With regard to the mental performance specialist, it really does seem to be more front and center this year. And Loren Landow is part of that too in his dealing with the players. And I think there's great value in that. I don't disagree. Perhaps at the end of the season we can have a broader set of data to draw from and to ask Marcus Freeman about at that point.
Oh, there was one more part of it. Mike Denbrock. He's got a really good track record at a lot of different places. And I have NEVER spoken to a former Irish player who had a single negative comment about him or who has lost faith in what they think he can get done. It's not easy, and Mike knew that walking in the door. But sometimes these snapshots are very telling and sometimes they are anything but. And having known him for almost a quarter of a century, I'm willing to take the heat on my opinion that I think this will prove out, over the long haul, to be a great hire.
Chaunce from Toledo: Eric - big fan and appreciate all you do. Serious question - does ND need to consider only playing night games at home, or moving all home games to Shamrock Series type venues in order to have any sort of edge/excitement to “play to its standard”? It seems like day games at home lull the team to sleep. Something isn’t working, maybe we need to start selling beer in the stadium? Again, serious about that. There just is a lame vibe at home day games.
Eric Hansen: Chaunce, I get why you asked this question. I had a friend in town who experienced his first ND game and had other experiences to compare it to, and the atmosphere was hardly electric. I don't think the moving games out of South Bend plays well at any level, and the night game thing makes more sense as a remedy. But I think ND needs to do a better job of building the energy with music, with the video board and less of the quiet time and interviews during timeouts. Less PSAs on the video board and more fun stuff.
Manny from San Pedro: Eric!!!!!! It’s almost Halloween time! Will it be trick or treat from Leonard on Saturday!?!? Will he take some shots deep or is he strictly a rpo guy at this phase of his career?
Eric Hansen: Manny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The original exclamation point man. You're the punctuation OG. The plan is for Riley Leonard to evolve INCREMENTALLY each week toward a guy with a wide skill set that would include taking deep shots, but not just to show he can, but as a function of he offense. And this would be a perfect week for SOME of that to happen. Of the two options you gave me, I'll go with treat.
Joe Cap from Massapequa, N.Y.: HI Eric . With all of talk surrounding the poor passing attack , rank in order who you think is most responsible for the shortcomings. 1- RL lack of ability the throw consistently. 2 - Denbrock trying to make RL do too much passing. 3- The WRs are simply not getting open . Or 4- The OL is just not protecting him long enough to stay in the pocket. Hope we run for 350 this week . Lou Holtz style was good enough to win a ton of games. I think this team could do the same with a little creativity. I hope to make the cut this week lol. Regardless, you are the best in the biz in my book!
Eric Hansen: Hey Joe. Every week there are scads of questions I don't get to. And I'm only bringing it up, so people understand. So here goes. (and yes, I will answer your question). 1) Way more questions during the season that I can answer in 3 hours. And that's with not going over my answers to fix typos until I'm doing the transcript. Sometimes I can go a little over, but I have a hard out today at 3 for another assignment. 2) If I've already answered the question, I'm going to pass and get to different subject matter. 3) If someone leaves off their name and hometown, they go to the back of the queue. It's really not a lot of me to ask, I don't think. 4) If it's a question that's too broad or that I'd have to halt the chat for 15 minutes to do research for it. There are some good questions that make for good story ideas, but don't necessarily fit in the chat format.
Now to your question (and thanks for the kind words). Of the multiple choices you gave me, only No. 1 kind of hits. As I mentioned earlier, Riley Leonard is learning to play football a different way, and others have done it this late in their careers and others have fallen short. But think of it as learning a new language (Dayne Crist offered me that one). Now first you can say a few phrases like "What's up?" And "Where's the bathroom?" And then you can be more conversational over time. And then you think in that language and don't have to translate it into English first. And then you dream in that language. That's where the process starts.
The challenge with the WRs is not whether or not they're getting open, it's building trust and timing and chemistry with them, all of which was slowed by missing spring practice. The offensive line's inexperience is a challenge, but it's reasonable to expect that to get better with each week. I can understand why from the outside looking in at this point of the season, some people would like to see someone else get a shot. I get it, and again this week will tell a lot about where all this is headed with both Riley Leonard and the rest of the offense.
Larry from Topton, Pa.: Hi Eric! I am looking forward to attending my first ND game since pre-pandemic, and I am excited. but nervous. Like many, I really want to see Marcus succeed, but I am not convinced he will do so. The upcoming game is huge, because I think from a perception standpoint, he and the team have more to lose by a loss, than they have to gain with a win. Anyway, I do have a question: Many of us are trying to understand the apparent underutilization of Jaden Greathouse, and I am wondering. I am certainly not an expert, which is why I am bringing my question to the person who is. It seems to me that Greathouse would be more effective on the outside, and Jordan Faison’s shiftiness makes him a natural slot receiver. Why does the coaching staff feel Greathouse belongs inside, and Faison outside? Thank you to you and Tyler for the great written content, but even better radio and podcast hits!! I will hang up and listen.
Eric Hansen: Hi Larry, we've hit Greathouse earlier, but I love this twist on the question. So let's roll with it. I can definitely see why you asked your question the way you did. Faison WAS really strong in the slot last season. And the reason he was tried outside this season was because there were a lot more advanced/polished options at slot than there were at the outside receiver (field). Greathouse on the outside has the body that can defeat press coverage, but he does not have the speed of say Mitchell, KK Smith, Faison, etc. So if he were going to play on the outside, he'd be a better fit in the boundary. HOWEVER, ND has Beaux Collins, Jayden Thomas, Deion Colzie and Miach Gilbert stacked there. So, this is the move that made the most sense.
What I like about Greathouse in the slot is how precise his routes are and how he can muscle most nickels and really take advantage of that in tight spaces, like the red zone. He and Hartman had a lot better chemistry than he and Riley do at this point, but maybe that'll change. And thanks so much for the compliments ... and for listening.
Shane from White Deer, Texas: Hey Eric. After four games, what is your take on this defense? Is it as good as the stats suggest, or am I looking through rose colored glasses? Do you think this team will rival the 2012 defensive squad? Thanks for the chat.
Eric Hansen: Hi Shane. Barring injury, I think this defense still has a chance to be better statistically than last year's and the 2012 version. Right now, they're 51st in rush defense, 6th in pass-efficiency defense, 16th in total defense and 10th in scoring defense. NIU is the best team in total offense they've faced so far at No. 17. Louisville is 14th .. and upcoming Ga Tech, Navy, Virginia and USC are all ranked above Texas A&M (53). So where do they need to improve to get there: 1. Run defense. 2. Run defense. 3. Run defense. 4. Turnovers gained (they're 51st) and 5. Sacks (46th). And run defense improvement will help 4 and 5. The good news is Al Golden's defense typically get better over the course of the season, so there's that.
Cowboy Mike from Jefferson, Ga.: Eric -Long time follower with a question on RT Wagner. He was limping at the end of the Miami game. What is his status? Who would replace him in the lineup? Thanks!
Eric Hansen: Hi C-Mike. I did not notice that, but he was not listed as being unavailable or even questionable on the new weekly Monday injury report. If something had happened, the coaching staff would have to decide whether elevating freshman Guerby Lambert or slide Tosh Baker over from the left side. My sense is at this point, they'd stick with Lambert.
DomerReef70 from from Montgomery, Ala. via Dowagiac, Mich.: Eric, kudos to you and Tyler for helping us keep the faith during this angst ridden season for the offense. One comment first before my question-can we be done with Deuce Knight melodrama already? I acknowledge we are in a different era of crass commercialization etc and that he has done some "recruiting" but hebut the "will he or won't he" is tiresome. Now, I feel better. Now, on to Mr Leonard. I concede he is a very talented qb and a unicorn running the ball, however, the narrative is that he will "develop" as a passer. My quibble isn't with him and his "development" per se, but with going that route with a one and done transfer to begin with. When this is mentioned the narrative is that look at other "great" transfers, Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, Caleb Williams etc. They all played two years at their respective schools and achieved the greatness in the second season. ND's transfer qb's have all been one year and I have seen/heard anything that RL would play at ND in 2025. It just seems that the talent was set up for this to be a special year, great rb's, Evans back, pretty good and experienced wide outs and an elite defense but where were are the offense's ceiling seems somewhat limited with our inability to stretch the field consistently. At any rate, Fairhope is a beautiful place. Hope to see you in Atlanta, Go Irish!!!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Domer Reef. Some of the players in that transfer category were better in year 2 than in year 1 after the transfer, but Caleb Williams was actually better in year 1 and won the Heisman that year. Russell Wilson was a one-year guy. Jalen Hurts too. There's scads of them ... and others who didn't succeed, so there's not a template of what WILL work and what doesn't. What I can say about Jayden Daniels and Mike working together. LSU was No. 1 with both last year, but in 2022, their first year together LSU was 28th. The year before they arrived, the Tigers were 91st. And within that first year of Denbrock/Daniels it was October when that offense really started to hit its stride. After getting held to 13 points vs. Tennessee, LSU went on a run of beating Florida (45-35), Ole Miss (45-20) and Alabama (32-31 OT) in consecutive games.
But what I will give you (besides you're justified with having Deuce Knight fatigue) is that it doesn't mean it will happen at ND in 2024 and it doesn't mean it won't happen. There are examples both ways. And yes, I think ND can cobble together enough offense to get through the rest of the regular season, but if they are going to get into the playoff and not be tourists, they do need the ability to stretch the field along with the things they do well now.
Ron from Dover: Hi Eric, hope you are having a good week. I joined FNS this week late so I missed most of your and Tyler’s comments on J Mickey’s decision to leave after this year. Do you have any insight on what has motivated him to transfer! How does this affect the secondary, as you have freshmen backups and depth if one of the starters gets hurt?
Eric Hansen: Hi Ron. The great thing about YouTube is if you miss us live or join in progress, you can catch up anytime later on (as long as you can stand to look at us that long). Thanks for watching. To your question, I think there are a lot of layers there, and some might have to do with freshman Leonard Moore's progress and perhaps Jaden not seeing a clear path to starting as a senior next year. But man, the kid's been through a lot, and maybe he'll pick somewhere close to home to be closer to family ... and maybe not. ... Moore is ready to be that third CB, but losing Mickey hurts. Karson Hobbs needs more time in the oven, but Mike Mickens will get him fast-tracked. Plan B if ND needs bodies, would be to move Rod Heard II to corner from safety with him having played CB during his career at Northwestern.
Dan from Granger, Ind.: It seems R. Leonard's pretty good at running is enhanced because he uses the lost art of the straight arm, do you agree or disagree?
Eric Hansen: I do. Marcus Freeman was talking the other day about how that combination of size, speed and strength is what makes him so difficult to contain in the run. He's averaging 7.0 yards a carry. Only two QBs in the FBS have better averages and only Navy's Blake Horvath among FBS QBs has more rushing TDs than Leonard's six.
Jim from Oakwood, Ohio: Hey Eric, No question today just 2 comments: I loved Tyler’s lede for his recent story about “ND’s defense diffuses Miami’s comeback” - “The slipper doesn’t fit Miami” and the excellent content reflected a detailed and factual story about both the Miami and NIL games…really well done. 2) Thank you for your calm and measured approach in the face of all the whining and booing from the fans who lack manners. Caring deeply about a team doesn’t, IMHO, justify the criticism of RL or CMF. Take good care.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jim. Thanks for the praise, and I'll pass it along to Tyler. And I was glad you reached out about the printer question. I'm glad I was able to figure that one out without consulting one of my grandkids!
Mitch from Topeka: I’ve seen where Knapp is one of the lowest rated left tackles in all of college football by PFF. Is it the long term potential that keeps him playing ahead of Baker? Or is Baker just not that good as a senior? Interested in your opinion on this.
Eric Hansen: You guys are really on top of your game today. Wish I didn't have a hard out at 3. ... Baker has been injured for a couple of weeks and just got cleared last week and played at little toward the end of the game, along with the rest of the 2s on the O-line. I think the coaching staff felt Knapp was the better short- and long-term solution and proved it in practice. If Baker can show improvement in his opportunities (practice and game mop-up) I would consider opening that up during the first bye week and seeing who is the best option moving forward.
Patrick from Boulder: Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for these chats and the adrenaline rush they provide weekly. Do you expect ND to be able to run the ball effectively against Louisville? Also, do you expect to see the TE's play a big role in the game plan against Louisville? Thus far this season they do not seem to carry the typical importance for the ND offense. Thanks!
Eric Hansen: Patrick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love that you have an adrenaline rush and wondering if it's because I relaxed the "no drinking" rule ... Oh well, to your question. ND has to, and that includes Leonard. The ability to thwart ND in the run game last year (44 yards, 1.6 per carry) snowballed into sacks, into five turnovers, into putting the defense in tough positions over and over. So do I think they will be able to run the ball this time? Much better than last year, but I think it's still going to be a challenge, especially early. But I think by the second half, they'll hit their stride with it.
Sean from Portland Ore.: I will refrain from my RL / HCMF / Sleepy home environment manifestos. Can you share your opinion or insight on the following? 1) Did Deion Colzie get abducted by aliens? Where is he? I guess he got some snaps at the end of last weeks game. 2) Why is J.Love only getting like 12 touches a game? I'm no NFL scout, but this guy is a gamebreaker. Period. In a "must win" type of game, he should be touching the ball 20-25+ times a game (or until game is out of reach). 3) Along the same line as previous question, we are we playing 4 or 5 deep at RB if J.Love and JD Price are only getting like 10 touches a game? 4) Aneyas is really our best blitz blocker as a RB? One last closing thought. Do you agree with me? Comparing stats to Louisville stats is a fool’s errand at this point in the season. They've literally played one game against a mediocre/decent Georgia Tech team, and it was close and competitive. Austin Peay and Jacksonville State are their other two opponents and are both worse than anyone else on ND's schedule, yes including Miami of Ohio.
Eric Hansen: Sean, running short on time, so I'm going to compress my answers. Colzie got beaten out by Collins and Jayden Thomas. He's at a very deep position. Got 26 snaps vs. Purdue and nine vs. Miami. Zero the first two games. I understand your curiosity. Talented kid. 2) Some of it is dictated by how defenses play .. give or keep. And some of it is the rotation. Yes, he needs more touches. I think they'll come. 3. Probably too much of the 3-4 given the talent of 1-2, agreed. 4. He actually is excellent. Watched him in practice. I was impressed. 5. Of course national stats are skewed early in the season, and each week they get a little more valuable/contextual. But I think you can still get a sense of where a team is trending even if it distorts some of their strengths. I think Georgia Tech was really an interesting game to break down because of what you spoke about ... got to see more of the true Louisville.
Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, I noticed in the GT game that Louisville has some very good athletes with good speed. They hit for two long pass players with a drag route across the middle. Do our linebackers have the speed and experience to defend this route??
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. Speed yes. Experience, it depends who is on the game. But speed is not an issue with that group.
Don from Scottsdale: Joined late and haven't read the questions. I like CMF and am hoping he can be "the guy" for ND. What does he have to do or watch out for to take the next step. If you've already answered I find it when I read the chat posting. Thanks for the coverage and your realistic and steady coverage on ND FB.
Eric Hansen: Hi Don. I think he's best at some of the things outside of the game itself. Managing a roster, scouting, recruiting, dealing with NIL and the transfer portal -- some of the things that drive more experienced coaches nuts. But in-game management ... fixing things, making the right decisions ... is where he has most room for improvement.
Bill from St Joe, Mich.: Hi Eric, I don’t recall your postgame question to Coach Free, likely because I don’t remember it being unduly provocative. But I do recall your carefully and quite brilliantly phrased question to Leonard, which Riley said was a good question. Now to my question. Do you believe Coach Free was directing his comment to Bob Diaco that we have to call plays that our players are good at executing?
Eric Hansen: Ha, and thanks Bill. Wow a Bob Diaco reference. Did not see that coming. I think the point there is ... and a good one ... fitting your schemes around what your players do well and not trying to stuff a square peg in a round hole.
Adam from Dayton, Ohio: Eric, Thanks for the best chats in the business! I know you are getting a ton of Riley Leonard questions, but hope you can indulge this as well. ND quarterback will always be one of the most scrutinized positions in the country, but Leonard seems to be more polarizing than any ND QB in recent memory. Do you think that is accurate, or am I just a victim to the moment? Can you think of an ND QB with a wider gap between what the coaching staff thought and the fanbase thought? Also, who is the most polarizing ND player at any position during the time you have covered the team?
Eric Hansen: Adam, I'm up against the clock, so I can't give a thoughtful response to the historical context, but Dayne Crist said it best on our podcast a couple of weeks ago: People love the No. 2 QB. I think there are a few things that make it hard for RL to win over everyone. 1) He's a transfer, and some people don't like that no matter who it is. 2) Some people resent the real or imagined AMOUNT of money he gets through NIL. 3) The NIU loss was gut-wrenching and everyone took hits for that one, including the media LOL.
Patrick from Los Angeles: What is the biggest strength against strength battle going to be in Saturday's showdown against Louisville?
Eric Hansen: Louisville's run defense vs. ND's running backs.
Patrick from Los Angeles: Thank you for the great chats.
Eric Hansen: Thank you for being here.
Dave D-Omer from Jacksonville: Hurricane's coming. To quote Stella "I've often depended on the kindness of strangers" How much help will we need with our resume? Thanks for all you do.
Eric Hansen: Take care of its own business and ND will be back in business. Improve every week.
Eric Hansen: Ugh, that's going to have to do it for today. GREAT QUESTIONS and some still in the queue. We will be back to do this all over again in the bye week, at noon ET on Wednesday. Have a great week.
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