JotCast | ND Football Cal Week Chat

ND Football Cal Week Chat

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Mike Berardino

4:19

All right, all right, all right. We made it all the way through your long list of questions, concerns, suggestions, ideas and gripes. Enjoyed it as always. Thanks for stopping by. The transcript will be up soon at NDInsider.com. See you right back here on Tuesday Sept. 20 at 11 a.m.

4:17

Oh, Irishtiger, ye of little faith. Is that really you? I'm having a hard time seeing through that heaping bowl of crawfish etouffee. Now I'm hungry.

Irishtiger

4:15

Why did Marshall look more in shape in the heat? ND looked pooped and was sucking air. We look slow, disinterested and badly beaten. We’ll be lucky to win 2 games. Where are the gut checks

Mike Berardino

4:14

Hello, Maverick. Welcome. Freeman's many positives clearly overwhelmed any internal concerns about his previous lack of executive experience. He's a quick study, and this winless start will be no exception. As for the money aspect, Notre Dame is shelling out a combined $4.5 million in guarantees for three games on this year's schedule: Marshall ($1.25 million), Cal ($1.9 million) and UNLV ($1.35 million). It wasn't about the money. It was about the energy and the continuity.

Maverick

4:10

Love that the players like Marcus - but why did the ND Admin think this was a 'on the job' training position. Would we not have been better off with a someone with experience??? Or was it just a matter of being cheap? Recruiting is really lousy also - need better QB - mobile big and strong - how come ND can't get people like Richardson at Florida?

Mike Berardino

4:09

James in Dallas, hello! You raise a fair point, especially in light of Patterson's injury-related absences in the spring and the second half of August. Hiestand met with media for seven minutes and 25 seconds on Aug. 11. Patterson and Josh Lugg chatted with us that day as well. That was the last time anyone from O-Line world was made available to the media. I'm not complaining. I'm just saying. The good news is we're scheduled to speak with Lugg after practice this evening.

James, Dallas

4:03

Mike any thoughts on the OLine struggles being related to changing technique based on how Hiestand teaches. Could this be a an issue that works out as players adjust to how Hiestand wants it done.

Mike Berardino

4:02

Ah, Chester Stanley, fret not. That is Irish Mike's book project, not mine. As for part 2, most errors in life are correctable, wouldn't you agree? It's the timeline that makes it tricky.

Stanley in Chester VA

4:00

Did you publish Irish Mike's post to give us a prelude to your new book, "Profiles of a Quitter"? But on another note, do you foresee the failures in most categories as things that are fixable, and if so, in this season?

Mike Berardino

3:59

Louisville Steve, you're on the air. Fair point. A pump fake or two might've been nice. In fairness, however, I do recall Braden Lenzy having a 5-yard cushion on that 73-yard TD heave that wasn't, and Styles knocked off the top of the Herd secondary in the fourth but couldn't make an acrobatic grab in traffic for a deep pass that was behind him.

Steve from Louisville

3:57

With the CB's jumping the route on every play why couldn't our receivers get behind them?

Mike Berardino

3:56

Tim from Kyrenville! Good question. Here's what I found at FootballOutsiders.com: STUFFED (rushing stat): Percentage of carries by running backs that are stopped at or before the line of scrimmage. Against Marshall, the Irish rushers were stuffed at a 19% rate while the Herd's offensive stuff rate was 22%. Fun stuff.

tim St Louis

3:53

Saw a new Stat line for defense that is new to me.. "STUFFS". what is considered a Stuff for a defensive player ?

Mike Berardino

3:50

Irish Mike, hello! According to the PFF snap counts I tweeted out (@MikeBerardino, in case you're not following), Foskey led the D-line vs. Marshall with 52 defensive snaps. Jayson Ademilola (50) and HC3 (49) were next. Slot corner TaRiq Bracy led all ND defenders in snaps with 67. Notre Dame has rotated three lines up front on defense going back several years under Mike Elston, and the wise practice continues under Al Washington. It's not about total play count for Foskey. It's about making those available plays count. As for Rees, you do know Kelly was already enjoying heaping portions of etouffee while the Irish were putting up 35 points and 551 total yards in the Fiesta Bowl? The biggest concern over these three Kelly-free games, from an offensive standpoint, has been the lack of a consistent running game. The sack-adjusted average over the first three games of the Freeman era is 3.2 yards per rush attempt.

IrishMike

3:31

Hi Mike! The season might be over - time to see what the younger guys can do. From what I could see it was very obvious it was Buchner’s 2nd start: always looking to run (partly the lines fault), missing open guys and staring down his first reads.. they clearly aren’t high on Tyree or they’d run screens/RPO’s or anything to get him the ball. Do you think Rees is in over his head? Obviously it was still Kelly running the offense while he was there! I don’t think Tommy is the answer! The defense isn’t consistent - they can’t make a big stop to save their lives.. and why is Foskey off the field so much? Wasn’t he projected as a first round pick? He’s been invisible the first two games, and he spends half the time on the sidelines!

Mike Berardino

3:25

Hello again, Cleveland Chuck! Like I said, we're here to help. Freeman already told the world he leaned on Rees to shorten the game in Columbus by running more and using clock. Freeman has said in the past he's "no quarterback guru," and the same goes for O-line play, so he understandably trusts in Hiestand and his decades of expertise. In general terms, it sounds like there's a realization that doing a few things well is better than trying to be super-multiple and all that while remaining mediocre (or worse). I think you'll see more up-tempo from the Irish offense on Saturday against a typically stout Cal defense, and I think you'll see more short passing and more touches for Chris Tyree. Hope that helps. Always good to hear from you. See you back here in one week. You can pay Tina on the way out.

CHUCK FROM CLEVELAND "THE LAND"

3:19

Hi Mike and thank you for having these cathartic sessions. So much to discuss objectively and without emotion. I will only give you my 2 best questions: 1) Does Coach F. have the courage to hold Rees & Hiestand accountable? It seems that he wants to build cohesion among the staff vs accountability. If no changes are made this week on the Offense or O-Line, it will be very telling. 2) Rees wants to make the QB in his image & likeness, i.e., change plays at the line of scrimmage often. Rees had a subpar arm and no running ability. We play hurry up but then take 25 seconds to snap - counterproductive. Is Rees capable of changing this "mirroring" mindset relative to our QB's? He had 9 months to study our Opponents defensive tendencies --- did he not study film? Why must he change the plays so often at the L.O.S.? Thanks Mike, this has been therapeutic ---Go Irish!

Mike Berardino

3:17

I thought Freeman gave a good answer when asked about Patterson after the game: "This won't be the last time Jarrett Patterson is in a situation where he's disappointed, and he has to continue to understand that that's where you have to be a leader and you have to make sure that everybody is watching you. Same with me. Everybody watches how you act when things are tough. When things are good, it's easy, man. Everybody is happy. It's easy to be a leader when everything is going well. When things are going not so well, that's to me when the character of leadership will show."

3:15

Hi Tim. I didn't see it live as I was trapped in the visitors' corner with Marco the Bison and the Thundering Herd. (Great college band name, no?) But I have seen the photo we ran online, and as the thrice-fired Joe Girardi liked to say, "It's not what you want."

Tim Hale

3:09

Reaction to Jarrod Paterson taking off his uniform and shoulder pads and throwing his helmet post-game. Not a good look for a captain

Mike Berardino

3:09

Big McCoy From ??? Hello. Oh, I'm sure there will be a few fun names in the QB Relocation Program. Trouble is finding one worth running past the admissions office at Notre Dame. As for the second part, I disagree. I think if the host school loses, the payment should be doubled. That'll ramp up the intensity -- from the president's box on down.

Big McCoy

3:04

Which top quarterbacks might transfer and be eligible right away next season ? Top football programs that lose to the payee should have a clause to get their money back.

Mike Berardino

2:59

Howdy, San Diego Buck. This is your space. I'm just mediating. It hasn't gone well so far for "Sawed-Off Zeke," as his teammates call him. He had a great spring, which is how a preseason All-American at center got pushed out to left guard. I'm not ruling out a Patterson return to center, but that wasn't the vibe we got from Freeman on Monday when that question was raised. I'd like to see more jet sweeps with Lenzy and Tyree. Audric Estime is going to run between the tackles, but Diggs dances too much instead of hitting the hole when it actually does materialize. That stuff matters.

Buck from San Diego

2:52

Thanks for letting us vent, The O-line is bad, but mostly if you watched Zeke, he was being thrown around, literally. This needs to be addressed, harry to stubborn? I just don't think he is big enough to handle some of the Nose Tackles. Need to put Patterson back at center and fix the left guard situation. Also, why are they trying to run up the gut when those two are getting blown off the ball? Driving me nuts. Anyways, Thoughts?

Mike Berardino

2:51

Chicago Joe! Welcome. That has been surprising. I believe it has something to do with overthinking and hesitating instead of playing fast and free. Freeman suggested that if players are confused by what they're being asked to do, there could be some "consolidation" and streamlining of those demands. But most of all, in the trenches, it comes down to who's nastiest. In the words of Jayson Ademilola, Notre Dame has yet to prove it is the meanest, strongest, toughest group of (beeps) in the land. The first snap on Saturday would be a good place to start.

Joe

2:45

Joe from Chicago: How can the offensive & defensive lines, that were expected to be stellar, play so soft?

Mike Berardino

2:44

Hey Michael. As fate would have it, the local media will get a chance to chat about those very issues this evening after practice with OC Tommy Rees and DC Al Golden. Now, this won't be one of those NFL Friday deals with BB on the Belistrator, but I'd say it's still a smart move to put the primary targets of so much fan ire out front so they can deflect all of those relayed concerns and suggestions. Over/under on total combined mentions of "execution" or some other form of that infernal buzzword? Let's go with 16, which matches the combined margin of defeat through two games.

Michael

2:36

Hey Mike - Curious your thoughts on what type of expansion we can see from the offensive playbook with a more balanced QB and what big changes we could see from the defense in week 3? I thought coming into this season a successful year would have been 9-3 or better. I reset that bar to 7-5 and think there are key areas that will be improved if the recruiting class and freshmen/sophomore talent stays on the roster.

Mike Berardino

2:35

Pensacola Ken, hello! RP3 is now QB3. How about that? As for the portal, there's a May 1 deadline for notifying your former school that you'd like to see other programs and still have immediate eligibility in the fall. This isn't like the NFL. It's not as simple as bringing in a bunch of street free agents on a Tuesday, leaking that list to your favorite national reporter from a rights-holding entity and then signing the Best McCown Available. And PTL for that.

Ken - Pensacola

2:27

Mike, who is the back-up to the back-up QB & why can't ND go to the transfer-portal for a QB? Thanks -

Mike Berardino

2:25

Yo, Batavia Brian. Thanks for the question, but who are you calling "sir"? (Looks around, Travolta-GIF style.) Hard to single out one particular position group for blame or absolution, but the O-line is clearly in the former group.

Brian from Batavia, IL

2:22

Sir: Do you agree with me that the offensive line has been the Achilles heel in the two losses this season?

Mike Berardino

2:21

As for Joseph, I'm on record saying I would save him for defense, and I assure you no one is more desperate to get that first takeaway of the season than the self-described "ballhawk" himself.

2:19

Good afternoon, Kentucky Frank. I walked past the "Jet" on campus Monday, and he seemed perfectly ambulatory (and unfailingly pleasant). Freeman agreed with your assessment: "We’ve got to try to find ways to get the ball in his hands. He’s a guy that we know has to be on the field. He’s a playmaker."

Frank lakeside Park,Ky.

2:15

The limited use of Chris Tyree is mystifying.Is he nursing an injury.? I do not recall seeing a screen pass in the first two games.Seems with the pressure D fronts are getting that should be part of the scheme.And lastly,Joseph has called fair catch on all but one return.If you are going to talk big it needs to be backed up.Thanks for the fine reporting.

Mike Berardino

2:14

Hello, Prussian Mike. There's a difference between individual talent/potential and unit strength. That's what everybody, including the most optimistic among us, must realize now.

Mike KofP Pa

2:12

All I hear is how good the OL is yet when it was really needed they could not push Marshall off the line on consecutive plays of 3rd & 2 and 4th & 1. What am I missing that everybody else sees?

Mike Berardino

2:09

Hey, Ken. Thanks for the contribution. Maybe there's a reason just three first-year coaches have guided national champions since the AP poll began in 1936? I took a look at this very phenomenon in our camp preview after running that stat by Freeman. So many factors go into creating a champion or even a successful, well-oiled machine, to borrow your phrase. I had this team going 9-3 in the regular season for variety of reasons, some of which you've already stated.

Ken, South Bend

2:05

I, for one, don't know where fans and writers got the idea that we'd be great this year. Lots of player turnover, and a first time head coach does not add up to a championship season, let alone contender. What other program has had a great season with a first time head coach? Yes, Freeman was handed a solid program. Yes he did great in recruiting season. But a great team involves someone building a well oiled machine, and Freeman has yet to put together a machine, let alone one that is well oiled. I like Freeman a lot, but it takes time for a coach to become a Meyer, Saban, or Holtz. If it didn't take time, championship level head coaches would be a dime a dozen rather than the rarity they are. Oh... one last thing, the punter should get MVP for the first two games this season. He has done his job pretty well.

Mike Berardino

2:04

Hi William. 1) Please see above and 2) please.

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