Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, Georgia Tech week.
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 remain in our normal Monday at 7 ET time slot. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube. We’ll also be back on our YouTube channel with two postgame shows — Into The eNDzone with former Irish O-lineman Bob Morton right after the ND-Georgia Tech game, and our Postgame Takeaways show late Saturday night.
Related Content
► The Heat Index: What's left for Notre Dame after two flipped commitments?
► How and why QB Blake Hebert found path back to Notre Dame football
► The greatest hits of quotes from Tuesday Notre Dame Football interviews (Ga. Tech week)
► Notre Dame leaves big impression on four-star SMU commit Jalen Cooper
► Three-star OL Cameron Herron flips from Iowa, commits to Notre Dame
► The Inside ND Sports Podcast will drop Thursday. On the most recent Inside ND Sports Podcast, we invited former ND offensive lineman Bob Morton to come on with Tyler James and me. Morton discussed his experience watching Notre Dame this season, the priorities for ND’s offensive line during the bye week, if offensive tackles Aamil Wagner and Anthonie Knapp’s physical limitations are hindering them in pass protection, what should happen when right guard Billy Schrauth returns, if Knapp should stay at left tackle the season, how Pat Coogan has performed at center, what’s plaguing ND’s run defense, what mattered most about ND’s win over Louisville, how confident Morton is in quarterback Riley Leonard’s continued improvement, if this team can make the College Football Playoff 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 focusing on Notre Dame’s October run at WSBT Sports Radio 96.1. Darin Pritchett and I are together this week, as we are every 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 the pregame show that runs on Saturdays before every game. This week’s show kicks off at noon ET. You can download all episodes, including the pregame shows, as podcasts.
As far as this week's chat …
PLEASE remember to include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s).
Here are the rules:
Eric Hansen: All the guardrails are back ... except the "no drinking" rule, which rolling that back hasn't come back to bite me yet.
OK off we go ...
Lorne from Reno, Nev.: I don't care how many exclamation points Manny uses: if he (or anybody else) asks about where we can least afford an injury, DO NOT ANSWER!!!!!!!!! Last week's chat: "...I'd say the stress points with injuries at this point are vyper end, cornerback and offensive tackle." Last year against tOSU, Mitchell Evans was one of the best players on the field in a game with a lot of great players. Now he plays a game without being targeted once? Has his injury cost him a step or two or is there something else going on, as he seems a shadow of the player he was last year? Thanks as always for lending your expertise through these chats.
Eric Hansen: HI Lorne, and thank you, and I do see Manny has a question and exclamation points in the queue, which we'll get to. But let's take a look at what's going on at Tight End U. In a 49-7 game, it's hard to nitpick the details. And yet given Mitch Evans' past production and his comeback from ACL surgery (which isn't even yet a year old), I had the same question myself. So I asked offensive coordinator/coach Mike Denbrock. So, here is what he said, and then I'll throw in my 2 cents:
“Yeah, listen, I think Mitch had probably as strong a game from a physicality standpoint and what he did in the run game as he’s had the entire season. And I think the last time we kind of visited about it, we talked a little bit about where's his confidence in his knee? And how has he recovered, and those things. And I think he demonstrated, kind of by the way he went at people in the game, that he's put a little bit of that behind him. I think there's opportunities, probably this week, for a few more targets. A lot of the things we did in the dropback game, he could have caught some balls. He didn't happen to be targeted. I'm not sure.
“I'm not the one making the decisions [about] where the ball goes or what the coverage is. But I will say a lot of the other things that we did — from an RPO standpoint, because of the scheme that Stanford ran — we needed some extra length to the edges of our offensive formations. So, he was kind of stuck doing the dirty work instead of having the reward on the other side.”
Eric Hansen: So here's what I'll add ... 1) This offense is not going to be as tight end-oriented on a week-to-week basis as ND fans are used to. Situationally within a game? Yes. Against certain opponents? Yes. But not against every opponent and in as big doses as Tommy Rees/Gerad Parker offense, which will help as this offense evolves and faces different defenses with different strengths, especially if this team makes the playoff. Having said that, I think Mitchell Evans is finally to a place where the mental part of the ACL recovery is finally behind him. And I do think we'll see gams where he looks like the guy who made some preseason All-America teams.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric! I have always been intrigued with defensive pass efficiency. Before this was codified into a stat, we use to take passing yardage, subtract 50 yards for an INT and divide by pass attempts to gets yards per adjusted attempt. It gave us a pretty good number for how good a passing offense or passing defense was. (Obviously did not include down, distance, pressure situations etc.) IMO the passing efficiency stat is a much better indicator. I know you agree as you include it in your list every week. Unfortunately a run or run defense rushing efficiency stat does not exist. Looking at total yardage and yards per attempt fall short. Even adding 3rd/4th down defense, RED ZONE defense against the run in your analysis, although better still falls short. Were big plays allowed? How did the team handle high leverage short yardage situations? We are partially stuck with eye test. Looking at the CFP run defenses of 2018 and 2020 how does this year's run defense stack up in comparison?
Eric Hansen: Hi Len and thanks for the detail on your question. I thought Notre Dame needed to come out of the bye week, not only prioritizing improving its run defense, but executing that goal. And once the Irish got past the first Stanford drive, they did a pretty good job. They stand at 45th nationally in run defense and need to continue to push toward the top 25. Georgia Tech is 26th in rush offense and ran for 371 yards last week at North Carolina. Navy is No. 1, and Army is No. 2. They have faced two good ones so far, in Texas A&M (9th) and Northern Illinois (14th). But you're looking for more detail.
The 2018 team was 36th in rush defense. The 2020 team was 16th. This team's yards-per-carry yield is 3.43, which isn't great, but it's improving and it's better than last year's 3.54 or 2022's 3.91. But it still must get better. No team has ever won a national title since and inclusive of ND's last title in 1988 with a run defense ranking that low. Two other encouraging signs. ND is 10th in 3rd down defense and 3rd in 4th down defense. That includes pass and run plays. And Pro Football Focus, which factors in a lot of the things you reference when putting together its run defense efficiency grade gave ND an 89.0 for the Stanford game, by far its best mark this season.
Manny from San Pedro: Eric!!!!! I never played college ball but I can suit up if Freeman needs a senior who can run a 10.4 40 yard dash… my question is are injuries this year flukey or is this is a result of the new strength and conditioning?
Eric Hansen: Manny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you can run a 10.4, you better put your name in the transfer portal. You could make a lot of money to buy your grandkids Christmas presents. .... There are a large number of similar questions in the queue, but your exclamation points won out. And I did ask Marcus Freeman that question in a press conference recently and wrote about it. Here's what I think: I think the natural reaction from fans is to question (which is fair) over accusing (which I don't think is fair). And while director of football performance Loren Landow is new to Notre Dame, he's not new to the strength and conditioning game by any stretch. And yet, I think what makes sense is to look at the date at the end of the season and try to see if there's a correlation and if anything can be improved. Sometimes injuries can be random. Sometimes not.
I'll give you an example. Way back in the 1990s, I was the ND men's basketball beat writer for two years. In the first year, Notre Dame has just switched to Adidas shoes. And suddenly, there were all kinds of lower-leg and football injuries. Scads of them. And John MacLeod had the fortitude to question it. And it turns out, it was the shoes that were causing the problem. Adidas was able to find a model for the players that alleviated the issue, except with star player Pat Garrity. So, Adidas relented and let Garrity wear his old Nikes, but they insisted the manager take some White-Out and block out the black Nike swoosh stripe.
Marcus Freeman's motto is "question everything." With ND's heavy lean into sports science, I am confident we'll find out one way or another this offseason. But I will add that fans tend not to hear about the amount or severity of injuries on other teams.
Steve from Monterey, Calif.: On Stanford’s first possession, they marched down the field with ease. From then on Notre Dame‘s defense shut them down. What changed?
Eric Hansen: Steve, given how completely the defense handled things after that, I can see why that is confusing. It was not the result of a "Win one for the Gipper" speech or its modern-day equivalent. It's more an X's and O's thing. Sometimes a team comes out in a scripted beginning and it's nothing they've shown before on tape or infrequently has shown. Al Golden is really good at in-game adjustments and not needing to wait until halftime. So, that's what you saw.
Brendan from Pittsburgh: What do you think are the chances Ben Morrison comes back next year? I recently read that he is not as highly thought of among NFL scouts as he is among fans, and assumedly this injury is another knock on his draft status.
Eric Hansen: Ben Morrison is a guy I wouldn't completely rule that out for, but I think the odds are still very small even with him. He's wired differently, and yet he is business savvy and so is his family about how the NFL works. And you and I have not been reading the same scouting reports, because I have not heard his draft equity slipping. Sometimes cornerback's stats don't show up in obvious places. Sometimes you have to look at the opposing receivers' stats. And sometimes a QB will throw to another receiver or take a sack or throw the ball away in part because of Morrison's coverage.
Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: Hi Eric. Who is the next safety in if Rod Heard is playing nickel and Xavier Watts or Adon Shuler need a rest? Thanks.
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. I think there are three guys trying to push their way into rotation whether Rod Heard II's role shifts over to nickel/corner or not. They are Luke Talich, Kennedy Urlacher and Ben Minich. They all bring something different, and it might be more opponent-specific. I think Talich brings the most versatility to that equation and Urlacher the most physicality and ability to play in the box. Minich has speed and got some reps late vs. Stanford. My money would be on Talich, but I like where Urlacher's headed.
Tom from Toronto: Hi Eric, Still enjoying the chats, both questions and answers. Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving (just like the US Thanksgiving but without the Christmas shopping) and while I was running this morning at Taylor/Massey Creek I saw the most beautiful stand of trees, bright red, orange and yellow leaves in the direct sunlight. Just one of the benefits living in the Great White North. As to my question, since hindsight is often 20/20, do you think that there is a chance that Jaden Mickey will rethink his decision and ask to rejoin the team? And if he did, would you expect Coach Freeman to let him do so? Just a thought. Thank you and Tyler for your excellent work.
Eric Hansen: Well Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Wow that, Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day AND Bosses' Day all in the same week? What a world! Thanks for the compliment ... and your question, and it's one I anticipate Marcus Freeman getting on Thursday. My sense is no to both sides of it. No, because I think Jaden Mickey's decision to transfer was based more on what he anticipated happening next year — Leonard Moore and Christian Gray starting — than what was happening with his role this year. And now he'd have a longer on-ramp at his new school by redshirting, two years instead of one, to build his NFL résumé.
On the other side, Marcus Freeman was hesitant about letting Tyler Buchner come back and had to run it by the team (and his wife). And it's worked out. But I don't think he wants to set this kind of precedent. So I will be surprised if there's a reunion. And nothing against Mickey. Life has handed him a tough hand off the field and he has endured bravely through that.
Joe H from Williams Bay, Wis.: Hey Eric great win on Saturday so nice to see a really nice offensive performance But my question really centers more on the defensive With the terrible news about Ben Morrison’s season ending injury do you think our young players will be able to step up and play at a championship and how do you think that Al Golden will adjust his game plans accordingly?
Eric Hansen: Hi Joe. There is no sugarcoating that Ben Morrison is one of the top two cornerbacks in college football. So, there's that. However, here's what you can be encouraged by. Leonard Moore and Christian Gray are really good. Not Morrison-Gray good, but very good. Moore could end up being a freshman All-American, as Morrison was in 2022. The fact that he already had a start under his belt and played all 76 defensive snaps vs. Louisville is huge. And he was matched up quite a bit with Ja'Corey Brooks. And while Brooks wasn't a nothing burger in that game (5 catches, 71 yards, 2 TDs), that was the fewest receiving yards Brooks has had in a game since transferring in from Alabama.
It gets sticky, though, if ND has another injury in the back end. The short-term solution is to elevate freshman Karson Hobbs, who's working at all three spots now (both corners and nickel), who's talented, but who's not nearly as camera-ready as Moore was/is. If there were a long-term injury, I think they'd have to move Jordan Clark from nickel and move Rod Heard II to nickel. The other positive here is how well DBs coach Mike Mickens' ability to get even inexperienced players ready to play.
Tim Thompson from Nantucket, Mass.: Hello all…simple question, where was Jaylen Sneed during Stanford? Think I saw him at the end, in highlights. Was it simply a scheme/ matchup decision or related to something that was alleged after Louisville, him not being content with playing time.
Eric Hansen: Hi Tim. Sneed's snaps are down from the first three games of the season. It looks like this: 31-41-25-23-12-15. He seems to be playing a big more consistently with the more-focused role with less playing time. He's kind of become the No. 5 option in the five-man linebacker rotation as younger players, like Jaiden Ausberry, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Drayk Bowen ascend. Sneed is still an elite athlete trying to be an elite linebacker. These next few weeks should tell us a lot about where that journey is heading.
Skip from Houston: What does it mean to be a "preferred walk on"?
Eric Hansen: HI Skip. Keep in mind the way the rules/roster limits are changing, there soon may be a blurred line or no line at all between scholarship players and walk-ons, but for now ... Notre Dame takes filling out its roster BEYOND the 85 scholarship limit very seriously. So they scout for players like Luke Talich, for instance, who have scholarship offers but who might be willing to come to Notre Dame as a walk-on and perhaps even earn a scholarship. So the preferred walk-ons are those who have been invited to walk on with some sort of plan for them. Other walk-ons do occur, though not as much as in say, the Rudy days.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, we made it to Georgia Tech week. All of us down here in Atlanta are very excited. Devastating news about Benjamin Morrison, do you think this team can still run the table without him? Although the Stanford game ended up being successful both the offense, and the defense got off to a slow start, slow starts in the future could be the demise of this team, especially against a team like Navy. what do you think the problem is with the team not being able to get off to a good start. I know penalties are part of it but is there anything else you can think of and what do you think the coaching staff should do to make sure this does not happen again?Finally could you just give a couple of thoughts on the new quarterback commit Blake Hebert, I know he may not have the ceiling that Deuce Knight did, but I also don’t think he has nearly as high a potential to be a bust either. As always, thanks for hosting the chat and for all the great insights.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. Thank you for the restaurant recommendations and for the great questions ... I do think Notre Dame can run the table without Benjamin Morrison, in part because I think the offense is becoming more and more capable of carrying a larger load in the outcome of games. That will help offset what they're missing on defense. I also think Leonard Moore is better than people realize, but having that third corner is important. Hobbs is going to have to play some snaps and give the starters a break. ... The slow start thing doesn't faze me that much, because it's not as prolonged as earlier in the season. I'm not sure there's a magic formula, because it's been different things. The fumbled kickoff return against Louisville was fluky and now Ford is not on KO returns. The Irish still scored 21 first-quarter points. But yes, against Navy and Army, there tend to be fewer possessions in the game and those teams can leverage well playing with a lead.
I don't have a ton or thoughts on Blake Hebert, in part because he's new to all of us. Tyler James has been in the weeds with that and has put together some great content about the backstory with him. What I can say is I feel he will be an asset to a deep quarterback room and it gives the Irish another option in 2025 and beyond. A viable option.
Bob from Toronto: Thank you, Eric, for hosting these hump day Notre Dame pick-me-ups and for your excellent analysis and responses. We here in Canada will be struggling to watch the Georgia Tech game, because it's only being broadcast on ESPN. In the past, you've been able to point us in the right direction to find ways to access the Fighting Irish in similar situations. Are you able to remind us what they are? Thank you for any help you can give us.
Eric Hansen: Hi Bob and thank you for being on here. and thanks for including me in your Canadian Thanksgiving week! (I learned about that earlier in the chat and am applying me new knowledge). Bob, I am going to have to do some research on this one. So please email me, and I'll try to get you an answer. I didn't realize the ESPN connection was problematic in Canada. I know the workaround for home/NBC games now, but not this one. My email is ehansen@insidendsports.com. Hopefully, this also generates a flurry of emails about lotteries I never entered but still won in other countries. And all I have to do is provide my person info!
Tanker from Dulce, N.M.: HI Eric, wondering what the word is on brenan vernon? I never hear about him and he was such a highly touted recruit?, wondering if you can provide an update on where he stands?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tanker. I think it's a question I'm bound to get a lot the rest of the season and have gotten previously. But I understand why people are curious. He was a very highly regarded recruit. He came in as a field end and moved inside to defensive tackle. He does not yet have a defensive tackle body, and that will take the balance of this year to develop. If you're asking me the same question next season at this point, then something's gone wrong with that experiment. And it did not work for Tyson Ford ... with a similar profile and similar path. And yet it worked for Jason Onye, who wasn't as highly rated, and it's working for Armel Mukam as well. But Vernon has not yet played this season, nor do I think he'll play a single snap in a high-leverage situation in 2024.
Sean from Portland, Ore.: I heard the Detroit Lions are scouting Pat Coogan for some hook and ladder/goal line ball carrier/TE. Did you predict Army/Navy to be a combined 11-0 and USC/FSU to be a combined 4-8? When do the first playoff rankings come out? There's a lot of questionable rankings in the top 15, and I'm not sure if voters are even looking at these teams with a critical eye. Hoping the playoff committee will be different, and also hoping it's still a couple more weeks so that some of the frauds are exposed by then.
Eric Hansen: Hi Sean, I think the Lions are doing a great service for themselves to do that kind of scouting! And if I told you that was my prediction regarding Army/Navy and FSU/USC, you would never have believed me and quite frankly I wasn't even close to that prediction. The first CFP rankings come out Nov. 5, which is a Tuesday night. That's three days after ND's second bye week Saturday and four days before the Irish host Florida State in game 9. I am an AP voter, and I'm sure there are folks who wonder if I observe the "no drinking" rule when I'm filling out my ballot. Usually, by that time of year, things start falling the way that makes sense. That's because there's so much more info to base it on.
Tom from Evanston, Ill.: What is the play designation for the pass straight to a defensive player, who then bobbles it to the center, who runs for a first down? Does Denbrock rotate which linemen catches the bobble or is it always the center?
Eric Hansen: I hear it's called the Tom-from-Evanston-a-rooski. I was kidding Mike Denbrock about it last night at the coordinator interviews, and he said he made a point to his receivers that Coogan put his foot in the ground and went north and south, and that maybe there was a lesson there for them!
Scubavt from Jamestown, Tenn.: Eric when you watch a game from the press box at a stadium do you also record the game at home ? I would think you miss a lot of close replays and other things that the telecast shows.
Eric Hansen: They do have replay TVs in the press box, and that helps, but sometimes they're hard to see by the angle they're at or from glare. So I have YouTube TV on my laptop, and there's a little bit of a lag, so I can watch the replays up close. But I still DVR the games in case I need to go back and watch something later. I do NOT do a full rewatch, as Tyler James and others do.
Ryan from Frankfort Ill.: Eric What do you think about the play of Howard cross and Rylie Mills Both looked good vs Stanford my score prediction for this week is 42-28 Irish GO IRISH 🍀🍀🍀🏈🏈🏈
Eric Hansen: HI Ryan. You zeroed in on two guys who really needed to step up their games, and very much did. Cross finally looks healthy and is playing like he did last season, when he was an All-American. Mills is right there with them. The Irish need more of that. So good eye there. I like your prediction. I'm not ready for one yet. Still want to see if Ga Tech QB Haynes King is going to play.
Sheldon Lau from Honolulu Hawaii: Any progress report, update, and/or news on Deion Colzie, Cam Williams, and Micah Gilbert? Notre Dame appears to be very aggressive with recruiting wide receivers in the 2024 cycle and could possibly sign up to 5. Thank you in advance.
Eric Hansen: Sheldon, Aloha. We've seen Deion Colzie get some reps and catches in the blowouts. He's just on the outside of the rotation. But he has 51 offensive snaps spread over three games and has played in every game on special teams (KO return). Gilbert has played in two games, a total of 32 reps and dropped a TD catch vs. Stanford. Has a bright future. Cam Williams has yet to see action and will get himself in the mix, I think, next spring.
Red from Goshen, Ind.: In your opinion, is Notre Dame Good enough to beat an elite team on an elite stage, such as Texas?
Eric Hansen: Red .... You had to throw in "like Texas" at the end of that sentence? I'm not sure anyone beats Texas this season or postseason, but we'll find something out along those lines this weekend when the Longhorns play Georgia. To the first part of your question, no, not at this stage of the season. But ND is a team that's built to be at its best in November and December, and it's trending that way. Barring another bombshell injury, I think ND will be competitive in a playoff game, if not win the playoff opener. But they need to stay on this trajectory or exceed it as far as weekly improvement.
Red from Goshen, Ind.: Who's your choice for Midseason MVP?
Eric Hansen: Xavier Watts.
Don from Scottsdale: Eric, hope all is well in SB. The weather finally broke in the Phoenix area. It's been a hot 5 months. My question this week regards Reilly Leonard. Was is slow start with an inability to see the whole field simply a matter of his injuries and lack of reps. New offense for all with Dembrock coming back but he had no live action until fall camp. MD did say the O after 8 games would be different (better) than game 1. Seems like that's the case. He throws well enough to keep things going. He's not Joe Burrow but he's a big guy that can run. A big QB who can run puts pressure on any D. Josh Allen of the Bills had trouble with accuracy his first few years but he seems to be the model for today's offense. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Eric Hansen: Hi Don, good to hear from you and glad the weather is now to your favor. Do you need any furnace filters? I've got some extras. 😎 I think you nailed some of what accounted for a deliberate, un-microwavable if you will. timeline with Riley Leonard. But I also think there was some unintentional resistance. He's been processing the game the same way his whole life and knows he's got to make a change for the long term, but the other (limited) way is in his comfort zone and works for him. Here's the quote postgame after Stanford that I think was really significant from Riley:
“You kind of have to learn the hard way, but I think we really understand each other now. There were plenty of early morning before everybody gets in the facility, where me and him are sitting down with coffee and bagels, eating and talking about life and then talking about the game plan — things like that. We really got to know each other really well. And every play — when you talk about knowing the ‘why’ of every play. I understand the ‘why’ now of the plays that he’s called.”
Eric Hansen: In talking to Mike Denbrock Tuesday night, there was a very encouraging postscript at Tuesday's practice in which the growth curve continued ... so good sign of maybe things to come.
Frank from Royse City, Texas: Eric, what all the injuries happening in football, will the NCAA increase the travel rosters?
Eric Hansen: Frank. The travel roster size is set by the conferences and not by the NCAA. And the conferences are free to adjust those. ND does not fall under those restrictions, so it's someone self-limiting, based on what's pragmatic and how many open seats there are on the charter.
Jonathan from Hideaway, Texas: Eric! I can’t get to multiple exclamation marks in light of the Morrison news. My injury-related question: Is it really possible that the Irish are improving (as your recent article and Coach Freeman’s press conference imply) despite the losses of Morrison, Craig, Traore, Botelho, and whomever I’m forgetting? Not to mention Mickey, who is a whole nother conversation in and of himself. I myself am dubious. If you have time for a second question, it’s this: Are there dots to connect between this year’s tight ends coach and this year’s remarkably disappointing tight ends’ performance?
Eric Hansen: Hi Jonathan! You get one exclamation point back, despite your own restraint. I do think this is a team with a higher ceiling. And I think I missed this in Marie's flurry of questions. Morrison's absence isn't going to show up during the season as it might in a playoff situation. USC is probably the biggest stress point where his absence is concerned. But yes, backups are stepping up. Getting players back like Rubio and Burnham help. Bryce Young and the young LBs are surging and the offense is getting better. I would not tied the TEs' performance to the tight ends coach, if you're suggesting that's lacking. Evans' health and the need and desire to diversify the offense play big parts.
Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric. I'm looking forward to the Irish coming to Atlanta this week although I still have 2 tix to get rid of. My question is about the use of the tight ends and how much of it has been impacted by the slow rehab of Mitchell Evans. Irish TE's used to catch a lot of passes on drag routes across the field in front of the LBs. Don't see that much in 2024 although Reridon's TD was a drag behind the line of scrimmage. What do you think?? The other route I haven't seen much is just a straight shot up the seam. Rairdon’s TD was a drag behind the line of scrimmage. My other TE comment is about routes straight up the seam of the defense. ER has always been described as this unusually athletic TE which would make this a good route for him to take advantage of his athleticism but again haven't seen it. Am I missing something?? Can you help with this? Finally, with all of the drops that Beaux Collins has had is there some curse on the #5 for WR's? Merriweather had an awful case of the dropsies. Unless Collins is that much better than his backup, and since he won't be here next year, is it time to get his backup more snaps this year so we have as much experience as possible in '25?? As always thanks for all of your insight on all the multiple venues to keep Irish fans informed. You are THE best. ( a little pun for your OSU background). Go Irish!!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. Thanks for your questions. We've covered some of the tight ends stuff already, and Cooper Flanagan's injury contributed as well. But I am surprised Eli Raridon has not been more of a factor, and again perhaps that's coming. ... Tom, I'm going to disagree with you on Collins. No, he has not been perfect, but he's been ND's best and most consistent receiver this season, and the best is yet to come for him. With a team in the playoff hunt, I think it would be unwise to play for 2025 if it comes at the expense of what's possible in 2024. Now, another situation is I think Bryce Young deserves to play more than RJ Oben at end. And that's starting to happen. But that not only benefits 2025, it benefits 2024. AND I loved THE pun!
Mike from Rockville, Md.: Hi, Eric! Thanks for these chats! I’m curious to know your thoughts about the linebacker rotation. Do you think our inexperience with the rotation affected the NIU game?
Eric Hansen: I think it was A contributing factor that would play out differently if there were a rematch. But there were other factors on both sides of the ball. Drayk Bowen, in particular, is really finding his stride. I'm curious to see if he continues that on Saturday.
Tom from Golden Beach, Fla.: Hi Eric! I hope Billy Schrauth is coming back this week. That said, Rocco Spindler did perform very well against Stanford. Do you think there is a chance that Schrauth returns at LG instead and Rocco stays at RG? Also, given the injury and surgery, do you think it’s still a given that Benjamin Morrison enters the NFL draft after this season?
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, I hit the Ben Morrison question earlier, but wanted to get to the one about Billy Schrauth. Rocco did not have a good game at all against Louisville, then came back with an outstanding one vs. Stanford. And yet I think a healthy Schrauth is the best guard on the roster and will go back to his right guard spot. That leaves a decision by the coaches between Rocco Spindler and Sam Pendleton at left guard. And my sense is Pendleton would win that, but maybe there would be a timeshare there.
Ray from Grand Rapids: Dear Eric, thanks for your hard work and insight. You are my go-to source for all things Irish football. Dunno if you’ve seen or heard about the interview with Connor Stalions on “Bussing with the Boys?” It starts at about 1:05 here: The topic is VERY fascinating insight into the scouting and research of opponents, and its value and importance, and most importantly what is ethical vs unethical. Reminds me of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” and his emphasis on the importance of spies to warfare. I am curious if you know to what degree such a program exists within the ND football program, and if so, how comfortable are you in sharing what you know? Go Irish!
Eric Hansen: Ray, I won't have time to watch this until sometime after the chat. So maybe a question for next week. Thanks.
Mike from Phoenix: Eric, How do at least 6 AP voters have ND ranked behind A&M? Do they actually watch games? SMH. Any chance with the BMO injury we see Urlacher get more playing time with Navy and Army coming up? Any chance you have an article coming up on the players ND just missed in the recruiting circle in years past and how they are performing? Looks like the safety at Iowa is having himself a season although I’d still take Watts over anyone. And how about that Watts pick that was overturned because of some made up PI? That was quite the play! Thank you for afternoon chats! Cheers!
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. I am an AP voter myself, so I don't do a lot of comparison shopping about what others are doing and why. I stay in my own lane, and believe me, I'll get challenged or insulted or both from time to time. Comes with the territory. I feel confident in my research. But there are circumstances that make your brain hurt. And Alabama beating Georgia, then losing to Vandy and almost losing to South Carolina is one of them. Or teams that have played no one and won't until November at that. The good news is, these things tend to clear up in November. As far as Army/Navy, their offenses aren't as similar to each other as they've been in the past, so the schemes and personnel may differ. There are players who are exceptional in those situations (Greer Martini comes to mind). And perhaps Urlacher would fit that profile. As far as your story idea, that might have to be one that waits until the offseason. Thanks for the suggestion.
J Buckley, San Diego: Good Afternoon, what is your opinion about the current rankings. The Power rankings have us at 6, but the coaches and AP 11,12?? I realize it doesn't matter to much at this point, but still think the conferences are protecting there teams by ranking them higher than they should be.. Thoughts
Eric Hansen: JBuck. I saw your earlier question. Glad you had a good time. I had guests of my own and was worried about them and the lightning delay, but it didn't faze them at all. One even took a nap in the Mendoza School of Business. ... I don't know the voting process for the coaches, but it really doesn't help to overrank a school, because the AP and the coaches aren't going to determine who makes the playoff. As a voter, it does get tiresome that if you rank a team lower than someone in their fanbase thinks, that you have a built-in bias. Maybe you see the situation differently and there's no conspiracy to unfurl. I have ND 7th, but I can understand people who think they should be ranked lower. But if they go 11-1, they're going to be in the playoff. Now get off my lawn ... just kidding, it was a good question.
MikeD from Rochester, N.Y.: Hi, Eric!!! I love that Mike Denbrock used Pat Coogan’s run after the catch as a teaching moment for the receivers. My question: if we need a FG in the 47-50 yard range, does Eric Goins get a shot at it or do we hope Zack Yoakam nails one?
Eric Hansen: ND is still hoping Mitch Jeter is available, but I am skeptical that will happen. And they're being very quiet about their plans, as to not tip off Georgia Tech. It seems they've settled Eric Goins into the kickoff role if Jeter can't, and there are no worries there. I've seen Yoakam and Marcello Diomede kick in practice back in August. Yoakam has more pop than you might think, and I'd say they're probably comfortable up to 45 with him. I'd imagine they'll take another look at the length of Goins this week as well.
Patrick from Los Angeles: Eric, what do you see as the keys to winning what you have aptly described as a trap game this Saturday? Thank you.
Eric Hansen: There's going to be some similarities to the Stanford game plan on both sides of the ball. Ga Tech does a lot of the same things -- dual threat QB, good run defense, lousy pass defense -- but they do all of it better than Stanford. So limiting the run is key, getting pressure on a team that's given up 1 sack this SEASON is key, turnover over a team that doesn't make mistakes is key, and that RPO game on offense is important.
Patrick from Boulder, Colo.: Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Greetings from Atlanta (via Boulder). Hope you'll be here this weekend - it's sunny and nice. A few questions this week. I did a little research and saw that Northern Illinois currently is the #5 team in total defense. A lot of hay has been made about how horrendous ND played that day, and we did, but could Northern Illinois turn out to be a decent team? They beat a Bowling Green team last weekend by 10 that lost by a smaller margin to both PSU and A&M at home - without Antario Brown. Do you think they may be better than some thought when they laid an egg against Buffalo the week after the big upset? And, considering GT - do you expect the passing offense to take another step forward against a good GT offense, and if so, what do you expect to see? More Mitchell Evans and the TEs or something else? Also, given the exceedingly thin depth at CB, do you think the coaches are considering moving any WRs or Safeties over to CB? Thanks for all you do and GO IRISH
Eric Hansen: PATRICK!!!!! All caps and exclamation points for you. You are spot on with Northern Illinois. They also have the best third-down defense nationally. And the No. 14 rush offense. Where they've fallen down in turnover margin. Otherwise, they'd be unbeaten. ND still should have won that game, but you make some godo points about them. I do expect the passing game to look good this week, and I do expect Mitchell Evans to be involved. I mentioned some of the other DB shuffling earlier, but I'll add I'm not sure this late in the season there's a WR who could quickly convert and positively impact the CBs room.
Eric Hansen: Ugh, I've gone overtime and I still didn't get close to clearing the queue. Thanks for all the great questions and creative punctuation. I'll be back next Wednesday at noon ET to do it all again.
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND and @TJamesND.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
