Chat Transcript: Priorities for Notre Dame football’s bye-week redemption 

Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat … the “We Don’t Need No Stinkin Bye Week To Talk Football” edition.

Some quick programming notes:

► On July 1, Tyler James and I made the move to the On3 network and blueandgold.com and joined some amazing teammates. It’s proven to be a great move for us and, I believe, for our subscribers as well. I encourage you to take a test drive — a seven-day trial for a $1 for all our great content and that around the expanded On3 Network.

► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, what are you doing with your life? Seriously, the show keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, so you can catch up now or later on our YouTube channel.  We’ll be back next week and every week, Monday at 7 p.m. ET, for another presentation of Football Never Sleeps with Tyler James co-hosting with me. And check out some great shows on the Blue & Gold YouTube channel as well.

► The Inside ND Sports Podcast has been rebranded as the Third & Gold Podcast. Going forward the pod will be available on all the podcast places you found us before as well as our YouTube Channel. In our first two episodes, we’ve featured Tony Rice, quarterback of the 1988 national championship Notre Dame Football team, and former Notre Dame All-America offensive lineman Aaron Taylor. This Thursday we’ll catch up with former ND offensive lineman Trevor Ruhland, who’s written a three-part, first-person series that kicks off Thursday on blueandgold.com that you won’t want to miss … on the physical aftermath of his college football career, finding purpose in the working world, his ongoing relationship with the game and much more.

► Finally at WSBT Sports Radio 960, I’m part of the Notre Dame Football pregame shows with Tim Grauel, Jim Irizarry and Blue & Gold teammate Tyler Horka. The new expanded show kicked off with 3 ½ hours of news, analysis and special guests on Aug. 31 ahead of the Miami game. Our next show will take place live at the iconic Linebacker Lounge in South Bend on Sept. 13 ahead of the Texas A&M game. You can listen locally at WSBT-AM 960, Sunny 101.5 FM and 106.1 FM in Southwest Michigan. And it will be live streaming on wsbtradio.com.

As far as this week’s chat …

PLEASE include you NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question. My telepathy chip is broken.

Here are the rules:

Eric Hansen: I will rescind the no drinking and no bare feet rule if we can keep whining to a minimum, or at least be clever in its presentation.

OK, let’s chat.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you’re having a great week. Very disappointing performance by the Irish on Saturday night. If you are HCMF, what are the top three things you’re working on both offensively and defensively before the Texas A&M game? Offensive line play was extremely disappointing, do you see them changing personnel before the A&M game? Also, what can you do with the O line in two  short weeks to significantly improve play? Finally, can you explain why Love and Price did not get the ball more, I really can’t. Perhaps a lot of that was RPO‘s and Carr choosing not to hand off but maybe with a first time quarterback you don’t give him the choice and just tell him to run the ball a few more times during the game? I feel like  that interception when it was second and two should’ve been a run play. What are your thoughts on that? As always, thanks so much for hosting the chat, and all the great insights.

Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. Thanks for the questions. Let’s unpack the three things to prioritize during the bye week, at least what I would do. I am glad coach Marcus Freeman has a “question everything” mantra that’s not for show. That’s what this bye week needs to be about, learning from that first game. Even in losing there’s a potential long-term benefit from not scheduling East Idaho A&M Tech as a season opener.

Nos. 1 and 1A are easily identifiable. Fix the offensive line. And I don’t think you need to make personnel changes but you do need to pick a right guard. And 1A how to create a pass rush AND create more push on run plays from your defensive line. ND is playing differently philosophically in its front four. If I’m Marcus Freeman, I’m really taking a good hard look to see how to make that work better if not tweak that. Third, I’d play more man. QB Marcel Reed of A&M  presents different problems than Carson Beck of Miami, but zone coverage seemed to really minimize ND All-America cornerback Leonard Moore.

As far as more running plays, I think Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock was using the early part of the game to take inventory against a new DC for Miami, then figure out the best way to attack. Lots of in-game adjustments and layered on top of that a new QB and communication challenges. I thought the game plan evolved well in the second half and will evolve on a weekly basis moving forward. I would expect to see an improvement across the board and more of a game plan that will challenge a defense as CJ Carr continues to grow into the offense.

I would have liked to have seen Jeremiyah Love get more touches. I think we will see that in game 2. Not sure what I would have called on that 2nd-and-2. I know this is not going to be popular to say this, but I believe Denbrock will prove to be elite over the long run of the season as OC.

Marty from San Antonio, Texas: Eric, I know it’s just the one game but our linebacker corps minus KVA did not seem stellar. It may just be this opponent, but they seemed out of sorts and not ready at time of snap. How do you feel that group performed?

Eric Hansen: Hi Marty. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa was indeed Notre Dame’s top-rated defender in the Pro Football Focus film grades. Originally, Jaylen Sneed and Jaiden Ausberry were high too, but PFF recalibrates those scores midweek, and they’ve both dropped some. The linebacker who really struggled was Drayk Bowen, which is a surprise. Miami is good, but I’m going to strike it up to the first game in the new scheme. This is supposed to be a linebacker-friendly scheme. It was not in game 1. Better days are ahead for that group. There’s a ton of talent, and Texas A&M’s offense will test them.

Manny from San Pedro, Calif.: Eric! Disappointing week 1. My question: Does a loss next week essentially end our playoff chances?

Eric Hansen: Manny! Thanks for the token exclamation point, Hang in there. Let me give you the least complicated version of my answer. It would not end it, but it would really give Notre Dame no margin for error and take its destiny out of its hands. An 11-1 Irish team is definitely in, maybe even plays its way up to the top 4. A 10-2 Irish team needs some things to align beyond there not being a lot of other great 10-2 options. 1. Root for Miami to either be the ACC champ or lose enough that they fall behind ND. 2. Hope that there’s more octane in the November schedule than was on paper at the start of the season. And that could happen. BC or maybe Pitt, Navy too, but not a lot of convincing options yet. 3. Play well enough that the first two games look like outliers.

Fred Laskowski from Phoenix Ariz.: Hi Eric, I am surprised that Notre Dame came out so flat and performed so poorly with no fire.  Hard to see who the leaders on the team will be. How can this happen after a team just played for the national championship? This was reminiscent of a BK coached team; not a MF team.

Eric Hansen: Lou Holtz used to like to say, “Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” And so, this next week and a half is going to tell us a lot about that, not just with regard to the six captains, but to other leaders … like Jeremiyah Love and Leonard Moore, for instance. So that story is being written and we’ll get a reveal on Sept. 13 … and beyond. I happen to think there are some strong leaders in this team. … You are not alone, Fred, in your assessment that the team looked flat. The queue is full of that today. I think it was more a matter of playing confused. And when you don’t play confident, you don’t play fast. I remember Marcus Freeman’s year as DC at Notre Dame and after some early struggles, he had to tweak his scheme to get the players playing with velocity. Freeman’s ND teams are 5-0 in the first game after a bye, so let’s see what this looks like then and it might be quite different. That is my expectation.

Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. Which of the four pre-season top ten teams, Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama or Clemson loss over the weekend has made their path to the CFP the most challenging? Thanks as always for all your hard work.

Eric Hansen: Jack, thank you. I think Alabama has the toughest road, based on its remaining schedule. Now that also means more opportunities for redemptions, but Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma, Auburn and South Carolina? Good night. Texas and Clemson can play their way into their league championship game. Notre Dame does not have that option. Clemson does not play Miami in ACC play this season, but they do have some toughies in Florida State, SMU and South Carolina (non-conf.). If I were to rate the paths, I’d go Texas most favorable, followed by ND, Clemson and Bama.

Terry from Ithaca, N.Y.: Why no comments on the 2 min offense? 64 seconds s/b enough to get in field goal position. Haven’t the OC or QB ever watched football on TV? I recommend they watch Tony Romo at Dallas. He was a master.Your thoughts?

Eric Hansen: Hi Terry. Not sure Tony Romo could have done that with how much ND’s O-line was struggling, and even more so with a backup left tackle making his college debut in the game.

Joe from Valparaiso, Ind.: Hello Eric, thanks so much for your excellent, grounded reporting. One comment and two questions. No complaints or harsh criticism on Carr’s performance. For a first start in a hostile environment, in my opinion, he exceeded expectations. Do you think there should be a separate statistic for quarterbacks and passer ratings that encompasses drops? Seemed as though various receivers, especially one, had quite a few of them. Also, what is your opinion regarding secondary calls. I’m not a DC, but considering the quality of the ND defensive backs, I thought there was an inordinate amount of soft rather than press coverage. Thoughts?

Eric Hansen: Hi Joe and thank you. There are services, like Pro Football Focus, that chart drops. Although it’s more tied to the receiver than altering the QBs numbers. If you were going to alter it because of drops, then do you also alter it the other way for Beck when CJ Daniels makes an insane catch that should have been an incompletion or pick. All in all, CJ Carr’s 140.5 pass efficiency rating was almost the same as Carson Beck’s (141.4) and really good considering the defense he was playing against.

I didn’t love the pass defense and neither did PFF. Now, when there’s little to no pass rush, that’s one of the consequences, but I feel like in the bye week Mike Mickens will have some good input as to how to tweak some of those calls, etc.

Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: Hi Eric, if I want to look for silver linings, a 3 point loss when the team did not look great, especially the lines, feels like highway robbery. We are well past moral victories with Freeman, but if it wasn’t for two spectacular plays for Miami TDs this is a different feel. I am really interested to see if the Irish can improve and also see if Miami will stay undefeated. This game made me feel like they had to have had moments where they didn’t play well for the score to be what it was ,but no one is talking about that. Curious if you have thoughts on that. The other question is, with Hobbs seemingly following Miami WRs all night, I didn’t hear any mention of Devonta Smith. Was he not in the field when Hobbs came in? With the chatter about Smith,.I felt like he would be like Jordan Clark and never come off the field.

Eric Hansen: Hi Tony, I probably share your big-picture view … although had ND won, there still would have been a lot to clean up. I voted ND No. 9 in the AP poll this week, which is where they landed, because I do believe this is a Top 10 team. Now the Devonta Smith and Karson Hobbs question. I was a little stunned when I saw the snap counts, because it did feel like Hobbs played most of them at nickel, but here’s the breakdown: Total defensive snaps 71, Smith 37, Hobbs 21, 13 when neither one was on the field. I think we noticed Hobbs, because that’s where the completions were. His coverage grade was rough and his tackling grade was below 20. So he’s going to want to redeem himself. He’s better than that. But you’re right, even split, I thought would be greater in Smith’s favor, considering the very difficult matchup in the slot with Malachi Toney.

Marie from Atlanta: Hey Eric, one last question, in light of the defensive performance and the defensive play calling do you see Marcus Freeman getting a little more hands-on with the defense?

Eric Hansen: In the bye week, yes. And that makes tons of sense. In the game, no. Not more than he usually is involved.

Bob Gorman from Oak Park, Ill.: Eric!!! Fewer ! given the mood following loss. One of my sons, a Buckeye fan first and then ND, observed that perhaps ND likes to play with its back against the wall.  He pointed out how they needed to win out after NIU, and then come back against  PSU, OSU and now Miami  while showing true  resilience and grit.  Do you think there is something to that?  Must it be do or die for them to find the energy?  Secondly, since you are closer to the campfire as you interact with the players, are the “leaders” of this team growing into their roles?  Do they need to be microwaved?  Is there a drop off from Kiser, Riley, Watts. Leonard?  If so, I would expect that some of these young guys will grow into that role but maybe not by 2 weeks from now for A&M.  Thoughts?  A friend, John Sweeney, suggested that winning a Natty is like catching lightning in a bottle.  Perhaps the growth of Carr and development of leaders makes next year a more likely scenario to capture the lightning and shake down the thunder?

Eric Hansen: Hi Bob!! Thanks for making the effort with punctuation, and there’s a lot packed in there after it. So let’s start with the backs against the wall. The NIU loss last season did galvanize the 2024 team, but chemistry and dynamics change each year. And as I mentioned earlier, I don’t think ND lost to Miami because they were overconfident or not urgent enough in their prep or looking ahead to Texas A&M. I really lean into X’s and O’s fixes over attitude adjustment with this team.

The leadership thing is something that shows itself in times of adversity, as I mentioned a bit ago. Everyone can lead when it’s right turns and green lights. Think back to last year too with Riley Leonard for instance. There was a huge shift on how he mentally approached the game but also changes with his relationship with Mike Denbrock and how that changed the X’s and O’s. I think ND’s leaders will come forward. The fix to me is on the shoulders of the coaches to come up with some schematic fixes and teach them with CLARITY.

I wouldn’t give up on this year, Bob. As for future years, it used to be easier to project, but now with the portal — incoming and outgoing — and players who might leave early, it does make that more of a challenge. I think 2026 does look good on paper, but I still like the potential of this team.

Ced Walker from Saginaw, Michigan  aka sagnasty Saginaw pride: Marcus Freeman needs mike denbrock to open the play book more didn’t like the first drive with the short passes c.j. carr threw get the running game going first  offensive line need to  blocked better Chris ash defense need to play better coverage  adon shuler should’ve attacked the ball and it would’ve been a sure int Jordan botelho  need more snaps God Bless This Football Team 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: You know Ced, I don’t disagree with any of that, even if you put it all in one sentence. I can tell you know your football. I do think you’ll see more of the offensive playbook with each succeeding week as CJ Carr grows into it and shows he can handle it. It wasn’t about his lack of ability to throw downfield, it was his inexperience — and unexpectedly a very very off night for the O-line. All the other stuff I won’t amend, but to add Jordan Botelho returned WAY ahead of schedule and got 9 snaps. I would expect to see more of him each week, including some when he and Boubacar Traore are on the field at the same time.

Skip from Houston: Price did not get a carry other than during one drive.  Was he hurt?  Was it the fumble? Or …? Thanks.

Eric Hansen: Hi Skip. It wasn’t addressed in the short postgame press conference, but my bet would be it was because of the fumble.

Mike from Santa Barbara: Hey, Eric, great FNS session on Monday night by you and Tyler! You calmed [some] fans’ nerves after a disappointing outcome with Miami. My question relates to Chris Ash. I have not heard much from him since he came to ND, and the Defensive performance on Sunday was uneven until the fourth quarter. How much of that performance was driven by his schemes, and how much was attributable to Miami simply?

Eric Hansen: Mike thanks for watching and for the hype. I appreciate it. Chris Ash was pretty quiet with the media and played things close to the vest. An aside, when I first got into sports writing, the first basketball coach I covered was Bob Knight at Indiana and did so for more than a decade before ND football became my beat. But if you asked him a question of how much this vs. how much of that, he could give you an answer that went out like 12 spots past the decimal point, and somehow that quickly got it to add up to 100 percent. For instance, it was 59.1783245 percent Ash’s scheme. I won’t do that to you, because I like you and it’s a darn good question. I think Miami is good. I think Ash made them look better. A year 3 version of Al Golden would have had more and better counterpunches. Not sure the Year 1 version of him would have. This is a big week for Chris Ash. I’m willing to be patient, and see if there’s improvement in game 2.

Texas A&M’s offense will be a challenge, so it’s a good measuring stick. its defense has a lot to prove. Not in Miami’s class.

Tony from Lake Mary, Fla.: Hey Eric, for this next game, it seems like TAMUs weaknesses line up perfectly with what the Irish can exploit. I feel much better about this game. I am assuming you and Tyler will have one of Intel from Carter Karels soon about TAMU?

Eric Hansen: HI Tony. For those unfamiliar with Carter Karels, he used to work with me at the South Bend Tribune and is an A&M alum and now works covering them. We’re good friends and talk all the time, so I know more about the Aggies than any other team on the Irish schedule. And I also know that Carter still has a serious illness with his tastebuds, because he thinks a certain takeout pizza chain’s products (PJ) is the equivalent of eating caviar.

Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric,  that was a bizzarro game.  What was expected to be good was bad.  The O line and secondary brought up the rear of position grades IMO.  Was Knapp physically compromised as the game went on and not just in the fourth quarter?  I had him ranked first amongst O line after quarter one.  Not surprised Aamil Wagner PFF grade dropped from initial grade.  He was awful, coming from a player that was MR. Consistency last season.  What was up there?  Secondary players do high point drills all the time and probably since Pop Warner.  Why did Adon Shuler wait for the ball and not attack the ball in the air on second Miami TD?  IMO worst play of the game since it was so fundamentally unsound.  Will Freshmen/RSfreshmen CB’s rise up to the occasion as coaches believe? Need some depth there.  A self fulfilling prophecy.  Since the O line is so good and best in the country by so may outlets, the D line playing the O line tight in pre season must mean the D line is pretty good also.  Where does the truth lie?

Eric Hansen: Len, I know I deserve only a comma today. I’m not going to agree or refute your observations, just cut to the questions. There’s times I have to say “I don’t know” —  and to your Anthonie Knapp question, that’s my answer. Wasn’t asked in the press conference to that depth. We do know he came out in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Styles Prescod. Have no answers why Aamil Wagner struggled. Maybe part of it was the shuffle at RG, but he dealt with that well last year.

We didn’t get a chance to talk to Adon Shuler, so that question is deferred. But I do think he’s a good enough player to learn from that and not make it a trend. The whole game was a step back for him, but he’s got talent and drive and let’s see what he does with that. I think the staff feels good about the freshman CBs, but they only had one game rep between them at Miami and only then because Christian Gray hurt his shoulder and came out of the game briefly. In time, I think you’ll see more of them. A&M is going to be tricky, because the toughest matchups are at field receiver (Gray in coverage) and slot (Smith/Hobbs) and not boundary. I don’t understand the final question, so I’ll wing it. I’d expect improvement in both lines just as we saw last year.

Eric Hansen: Before I move on to the next question, this is about a team playing up to its potential. I get that, but it was a three-point loss on the road against a team that’s ranked No. 5. Not a loss at home to a multi-TD underdog.

Tony from Pawlet, Vt.: Very disappointed in game plan and “witness protection program” for Love. Why didn’t Denbrock make changes after 1st quarter? Think O line misses Coigan and Spindler. Two tough maulers.

Eric Hansen: Tony, you are in a large club. I did think Mike Denbrock made changes after the first quarter. I do think getting out of survey/spar mode into attack mode took longer than I thought. Perhaps the O-line woes delayed it a bit. But ND outgained Miami in the second half, 199-136 and yards per play 6.2-4.3. Most of their yardage (199 out of 314) and points (17 out of 24) came in the second half. To your point about Rocco Spindler (now at Nebraska) and Pat Coogan (at Indiana), Coogan got the team fired up, no question. But the No. 2 highest rated player in that game and best pass blocker by far was Ashton Craig.

Ron from Dover, Del.: Hi Eric, hope all is well despite Sunday’s ND performance. I was wondering what your thoughts if Al Golden was still DC would we would have adjusted our defense scheme quicker and adjusted to that little receiver who was burning the secondary. Also price ran outside the tight end for some good yardage and it didn’t appear we tried to do that again any sense why they didn’t try to do that more often? Seems MD was way too predictable and the line wasn’t opening holes inside. I will be at the Purdue game. Maybe we can catch up if you are there.

Eric Hansen: Ron, I hope we can catch up at the Purdue game. Shoot me an email and we’ll see if we can make it happen. The questions about why I specific play was or wasn’t run usually can be answered by what the defense was doing and trying to maximize it. In this case, there were some other factors that came into play. You are starting a QB with four snaps and zero pass attempts against a top 10 team with two future NFL defensive ends and a defensive coordinator who’s a blind date. Being predictable, at least early, is kind of baked into that formula. I am confident Mike Denbrock’s track record of growing offenses will show itself over the next few games.

Irish Rob from Scranton, Pa.: Eric, another season of Irish football is upon us, and it was not the start we had hoped for.  Rather than try and parse every little thing that went wrong, I would like to focus on one area that I was disappointed in: defensive line. It seemed that Coach Freeman, who I have supreme confidence in to turn this thing around, was very complimentary of the Irish DL in the offseason, yet we didn’t see the performance on the field.  The DL got pushed around, quite frankly, in the running game, and there was almost no pass rush from what I assumed would be improved edge players.  I know that Miami has a fantastic OT Francis Mauigoa, but I guess I just expected a better effort from the group.  To what do you attribute this?  Do we have a shortage of talent there after graduating fine players like Rylei Mills?  It is a coaching or recruiting issue?  That group has to be better for the Irish to run the table and have a shot at the playoffs. Thanks for your time!

Eric Hansen: I think the biggest problem is scheme, and the players becoming hesitant in that scheme when it wasn’t working. The D-line plays with a different philosophy. Texas A&M’s offensive line is very good too and the Aggies also have a preseason All-American, so this will be a good measuring stick of how much the Irish coaches were able to fix over the bye week. But remember a lot of you all (not you specifically) were ready to put Al Golden in a crate and return to sender after his first two or three games.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric, like all Irish fans I was disappointed about the Miami game, especially how soft the defense’s pass coverage and the lack of aggression on the OL.  I said it when he entered the portal that I was concerned about the lack of leadership when Pat Coogan left. He seemed to be the one who lit the fire in that group. I feel like the A&M game is an extremely important game for this team and this season!!!!!!!!  Now to my question, which really was frustrating for me:  when is a runner’s forward progress considered stopped???  There seemed to be several plays where we had the runner stood up and stopped. No forward movement. Then the Miami OL was allowed to get up, circle back behind the runner and push him 4-5 more yards. I applaud second effort by a player but many of these plays seemed to go beyond just a player fighting for more yards.  What is the rule? Or, is it a judgement by the officiating crew?? Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, the rule is clear that the ball is to be blown dead when the ball carrier is no longer advancing. So, then it becomes a matter of gray area. How long does that take? But I agree, there were a couple of times I thought the whistle should have blown, and then it was tush-push and a first down.

Ryan Frankfort Illinois: g afternoon Eric what do you think about the play of CJ Carr and Jalen Stroman GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈

Eric Hansen: Ryan you picked two of the strongest performers by the Irish in that game. I think there’s a lot to build on from both of them.

Sam from Charlotte: Eric, always appreciate your excellent insights.  Why do you think Wagner, Schrauth and Knapp were much less effective against Miami than they were late last season and in the playoffs? Miami’s line is that much better than OSU’s? They miss Rocco? Thanks for your thoughts.

Eric Hansen: Some can be attributed to unfamiliarity with Miami first=year DC Corey Hetherman’s scheme and how that was modified to fit Miami’s players, and yet maybe only initially. Miam didn’t have the same issue for long with ND’s first-year DC. I do think Riley Leonard ran ND out of some O-line mistakes last year. The tackle play, though, was shocking. Billy Schrauth was OK, second among OL and sixth among ND offensive players per PFF grades. But he’s better than that. A lot to clean up during the bye week.

Paul from Knoxville, Tenn.: Ciao Eric:  I’m just jumping on the chat, so my apologies if you have already addressed this question.  I’m curious why several different O lineman reportedly played, as I recall your stating that O line is a unit where mixing and matching is not usually beneficial.  I recognize there may have been an injury or dehydration issue for one of the lineman later in the game, but it seemed like 2-3 came in off the bench.  Do you assess this may have had an effect on line play?  Thank you for hosting the chat!

Eric Hansen: Ciao Paul. Styles Prescod came in for LT Anthonie Knapp late because of an injury. Guerby Lambert and Sullivan Absher rotated at RG, Lambert played 33 snaps and Absher 27. Lambert had the slightly higher PFF score, though both struggled mightily in pass protection. And I don’t think the rotation helped at all.

Bill from St. Joe, Mich.: Hi Eric! Congrats on taking the under on ND procedure penalties Sunday night. Surprisingly, at least to me, ND had zero false start penalties in that environment. I would have liked to have asked Bob Morton on the post game show if the “silent count” at least partially contributed to ND’s O-Line’s poor performance but I don’t have a clue as to how to do it. I also can’t figure out how to send you an email at your new gig. However ,, say you regarding the necessity to go to the silent count?

Eric Hansen: Hi Bill. Thanks, I think LOL. First the email thing. I kept my old email, but here’s a warning. When ND loses, the volume is off the charts. I have 149 from today alone that I haven’t had a chance to open yet and I don’t think any of them are offers to share $1 million if I am willing to share my bank account info. The texts and missed calls add up too. As to how to ask Bob Morton a question on the postgame shows or his new weekly Tuesday night show, send me an email and I’ll give you step-by-step instructions. I’ll put you at the top of the list. Your question about the silent count is one I’d like to ask Marcus Freeman when we get him on Monday.

Mike from Phoenix: Eric, Do you know the only person that can hold Michael Jordan under 30 points? Dean Smith. The only guy that is holding Love and Price down is Denbrock. Both guys most likely going pro after this year. Maybe use them appropriately. Price doesn’t touch the ball in 2nd half. Love didn’t touch the ball after TD vs NIU! What are we doing? Ok, mini rant over. When is Jagaush due back?  Go Irish ☘️

Eric Hansen: Mike, the best guesstimate on Charles Jagusah is October. The track record with him has been quicker than expected recoveries.

Mike AKA Mo from Maumee Ohio: Hi Eric- was Carr given too much free reign with the RPO’s? Given the low number of offensive plays run, he seemed to be slightly pass-happy. And Carr having more rushes at 11 than either Love or Price…..does Denbrock need to structure the offensive plays more for Carr against A & M? Having said all that, I was incredibly impressed with Carr’s talent & poise in his first game- I was expecting more of a Jimmy Clausen-like first game.

Eric Hansen: Hi Mike/Mo. The positive side of having those RPO decisions put in his lap, theoretically, is that CJ Carr is a fast learner and now he’ll make better decisions on those in each successive game moving forward. With a new QB, there are short-term and long-term investments made. So, I don’t think the answer is more structure. The answer is more film work during the bye to make sure he maximizes the lessons from Miami.

Suzanne from Miami: Hi Eric, I would like to comment on the horrendous TV coverage. Seemed like all commercials with a little football thrown in. instant reply was either non-existent or delayed. Going back in after long commercial, play would have sometimes started. Lots of chit chat rather than calling the on field action. Disappointed in the loss, really wanted to win this one!

Eric Hansen: Suzanne, I don’t see a question in there, but you seem mad and apparently not at me, so I am relieved.

Brian K from South Bend: Eric! I have not heard you on WSBT Weekday Sportsbeat in the last couple weeks. Have you moved on from that show, now that Darin Pritchell is gone and you were inserted into the new format with competitors on the ND beat? Also what day(s) are your WSBT-TV spots with Pete Byrne?  Now onto my football question … what surprised you most at Miami?  Was it OL poor play, lack of DL /pass rush or something else? Thanks for your input and for hosting weekly chats, your legion of fans greatly appreciate your dedication!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Brian, and thank YOU. I am no longer doing the weekday shows. Just the extended pregame shows on Saturdays with Tim Grauel, Jim Irizarry and my Blue & Gold teammate, Tyler Horka. … As for TV with Pete Byrne, we did not do one this week, because of the bye, but they’re on Monday nights during the news. Thanks for asking. Now to your football question, the offensive line play WAS the biggest and most unpleasant surprise of the night for me, because it never got better.

Beav from Va Beacn, Va.: Did I miss an injury report, where was Bryce Young?  Also, do we not have anyone bigger for the interior d line? Thinking Irish Chocolate. Miss that dude for more than just his FB talent. RIP. Thanks,I enjoy these chats.

Eric Hansen: What a tick. Is this the Beav, who’s normally from Grand Rapids or a completely different Beav? Irish Chocolate, Louis Nix III, I miss him a lot. One of my all time favorites. Glad I can type and don’t have to talk. It’s still hard thinking about him passing. I think maybe the number switch in the offseason to 95 threw off some people. Bryce Young played 32 snaps and had three tackles and a QB hurry. He also had 10 plays on special teams.

Jeff from Schererville, Ind.: Thanks for having the chats, Eric.  Knowing all the possible outcomes on Sunday night (big win on the road like A&M last year, close loss with a lot to work on like Miami this year) and knowing what happened with NIU after the season opener last year, would ND have been better off scheduling a Tennessee State-like opponent this week and saving the first of two bye weeks for later in the season, or is now the right time for a bye for this particular team no matter what happened Sunday night?  Love reading you and your BGI crew online and in print!

Eric Hansen: Jeff. Thank you. I like the bye here, and now it even looked better placed, given the two opponents, avoiding what would have been a short prep week. Even if it were an FCS cupcake, there are things you can do with regard to meaningful changes during a bye week that you can’t get done in any game week, especially one with one day sawed off it. Given how important this next game is, I like the bye now.

Dave-from Ponte Vedra, Fla.: I took the offseason off, but we have actual football to discuss now. Like everyone else, very disappointed in opening night. It seemed to me that the defense didn’t display the speed or aggressiveness that — sorry, I hit the wrong button. My thought is that the defense didn’t display the speed or aggressiveness that we saw last year. Is the scheme by Ash more conservative? Golden got after teams. We didn’t get after anyone Sunday night.

Eric Hansen: Hi Dave. I hit the wrong button all the time. Welcome to the club. It’s not more conservative, but it is set up differently from Al Golden’s in terms of how the front seven plays. In concept, I like it. In practice, I need to see a big improvement in game 2. Again, Marcus Freeman struggled a little out of the gate as ND’s DC and had to make some early-season adjustments. I am eager to see if those adjustments play out in the next game.

Kevin from Sleepy Eye, Minn.: Eric!!!!!! No urgency, no chip on our shoulder vs Miami. So how we respond we’re all anxious to see. I wish we had Jagusah when we played these elite teams. 1) Which player’s performance disappointed you the most? My pick is Shuler. An offensive linemen was my second thought. 2) It appeared that Ash was more concerned about confusing Beck with coverages vs blitz packages. Agree? I feel it affected how aggressive we played.

Eric Hansen: Kevin !!!! Surprise is a better word than disappointment for me with these players. I don’t think there was a lack of effort. But what you laid out is a pretty good case of what I would have come up with on my own. If I need a pinch hitter one week, you’re on my phone-a-friend list.

Tom from Sister Lakes Mich.: Hi Eric, Everyone knows that 2nd + 2 = 4.  Believing that MF told Denbrock to remove the option and just hand the ball to J-Love, do you know if Carr was told that and he ignored their instructions, or, was Carr never told that by Denbrock?

Eric Hansen: What?

Kevin from Alpharetta, Ga: Hi Eric. KVA is the best LB on the team. Why doesn’t he start and play more than Bowen? Thanks.

Eric Hansen: I think Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has the highest ceiling of four linebackers with very high ceilings. Bowen had the better year last year by far when you look at film grades. The snaps in this game broke down among the rotation as Drayk Bowen 58, KVA 37, Jaylen Sneed 35, Jaiden Ausberry 30. As a group, I don’t think their talents were anywhere close to being maximized in this game. Could you make a case for more reps for KVA, sure, though not necessarily instead of Bowen but perhaps more with him at the same time.

Beav from Va Beach, Va: Different Beav  I missed that switch and thanks.  I appreciate the response.  I’ll assume we don’t have bigger/better linemen than the ones that appeared to be on skates Monday night.

Eric Hansen: Beav, thanks. Sean Sevillano and Davion Dixon are more the body profile of Louis Nix and guys who down the road will be a factor. I think scheme and not size was the biggest problem. If those two had played they would have been pushed back as well, I believe.

Eric Hansen: Ok, great questions today and the amount of whining that I think was fair, so I appreciate nothing nuclear. I’m still glad Suzanne from Miami was mad at the TV guys and not me. I have a hard out today or I would have gone deeper into overtime. We’ll do it all again next Wednesday at noon ET. See you then.