Chat Transcript: What to make of and what to do with Notre Dame DC Chris Ash?

Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, Purdue week edition. And possibly pitchforks and torches edition as well. We’ll see.

Some quick programming notes:

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As far as this week’s chat …

PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your question(s). I don’t need your 40 time unless you can rush the passer and have college eligibility still remaining.

PLEASE no manifestos. Save those for your uncle’s Facebook page. I’ll put up with some frustrations and a little whining, but let’s try to have a productive chat that’s fun and informative.

Here are the rules, except the “no drinking” restriction, which continues to be rescinded.

Eric Hansen: OK let’s get started!

John from Scottsdale: Eric!!!!!!! Based on the defenses downward trajectory between games 1 and 2 only one question today. When does Ash get fired? If you think he keeps his job and is DC for game 1 next year, please explain your logic. Thanks for your insight and keep up the great insightful articles.

Eric Hansen: John!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your strong punctuation game helped you into the leadoff spot. And it’s a question worth addressing. Based on your follow-up question, I’m assuming you believe an in-season purge isn’t in the cards. And I agree, nor should it be. For any assistant, short of off-field misconduct or something in that lane. Let me start with, I am not impressed with Chris Ash either two games in.  But are early impressions always indicative of what’s to come? Let’s play that game:

The first four games of Coach A, the Irish gave up 12 points, then 28, 34 and 37.

Coach B: 38-29-13-13

Coach C: 17-0-14-16

Coach D: 21-26-17-32

The coach with the best four-game start? Brian VanGorder, who is Coach C. A is Bob Diaco in 2010, B is Marcus Freeman in 2021 and D is Al Golden in 2022. … I do think an in-season firing would lead to more problems. You’d be one coach down in everything you do. I think the right answer is Marcus Freeman being more involved. Great coaches are great fixers. And as far as whether Ash should return for a second year, let’s see how year 1 plays out in full. If games 3-12 are as unpromising as games 1 and 2, I don’t think one year is unfair when it comes to making a change. I think there was sentiment among many in the fan base and in the media that holding onto Gerad Parker as OC after one year would have been a mistake. He found a head coaching job, so Freeman wasn’t faced with that decision.

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Rick from Ohio: Do you think the losses of Watts, Kiser, Mills, and Cross are major factors in the play of this year’s defense? Not only were they great players but also great leaders.

Eric Hansen: Rick, your point is a good one, and yet that is the nature of college football. Players cycle in and cycle out. And you rely on the program’s culture and the legacy those players left in terms of their leadership and work ethic to catalyze the next group to meet that standard. The problem is there are players on the defense who were very good in 2024 and who did return and are not playing at that level. Which begs the question. Even if you lost all four BUT returned Al Golden as DC, what would ND’s record be heading into the Purdue game?

Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. It was a terrible loss on Saturday night. But to put it in perspective, my mom who was 94 years old and a Notre Dame fan for 76 years passed away early on Saturday morning. It was a long day. Thanks for allowing me a personal moment. Now. Which team has had the most disappointing /surprising start? Clemson or Notre Dame. Thanks as always for your great work.

Eric Hansen: Hi Jack. Really sorry for your loss and happy for you that you got to have a great mom for so many years. My mom is in the same age group, and she has become a Notre Dame fan. Her motive, though, is she thinks if the Irish win, people will be nicer to me. I think someone with no dog in the fight would say Clemson, given that Cade Klubnik was the most popular choice for preseason All-America QB and all that D-line talent they have and I think people with no dog in the right see a clearer path for redemption for ND than they do for the Tigers.

Don from Cincinnati : Eric thanks for the chats. As always you do a great job. What are your thoughts on Ash over Mickens as DC. It seems there is a lack of familiarity with personnel and their strengths and weaknesses. I feel continuity would have been a better move , unless you could have gotten a stud DC (eg Knowles) which Ash is not. Lbs aren’t filling holes , DBs look confused. Given the soft coverage, they would have trouble covering you or me. Would appreciate your comments.

Eric Hansen: Don, I am flattered that you would put me in the category of being hard to cover. At my age. Wait’ll I tell my grandkids. The thing is even though Chris Ash was not familiar, he is surrounded by staff members who were/are familiar. That should have been a tremendous advantage. He also had about a month longer runway than Al Golden did (and Al admitted year 1 transition back from the NFL was difficult). He also was not burdened with a lot of travel for recruiting. So this seemed to line up well. I think the good news is there is talent and depth on this defense. And the offense is only going to get better. But this is a week Marcus Freeman needs to impact the defense, because Arkansas is after Purdue and their QB is 6-6, 235 and leads the nation in total offense.

Joe Howard from Williams Bay, Wis.: Hi Eric Thanks for providing some clarity during these difficult first two weeks My question concerns the play of two players who I thought would be having break out seasons and instead have been almost invisible so far Brice Young and Jaylon Sneed I know that Brice added quite a bit of weight since last season and I’m wondering whether that has effected his performance And has Sneed even been utilized as a pass rusher or blitzer which I felt he would excel at. Thanks.

Eric Hansen: Joe, thank you. And those are two players most of us expected early and instant impact from. The weird thing about Bryce Young is when you look at the film grades from Pro Football Focus — not the end-all, be-all, but an interesting and useful tool — Young is ND’s third-highest-rated defensive player to date and No. 1 in terms of pass rush. Which doesn’t sync up with the eye test. Jaylen Sneed had an interesting and productive, multi-faceted role under Al Golden that seems muted under Chris Ash. His PFF grades aren’t bad, but they’re not what you’d expect from a guy with his kind of athletic ability. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is the only linebacker who so far is really thriving in this scheme.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, man you have some very knowledgeable Chatters. The first group of questions today were to the point and hit a lot of issues. I don’t think we would be able to ask some of the questions we do without your insight into the program and helping us understand what is going on behind the scenes. One question about player familiarity and the disorganization among the DB’s: Mickens is still their coach and a very good one.  Are things so different between what Ash is asking the players to do that even Mickens is having trouble getting everyone on the same page.  Let’s concentrate on Purdue and get a win!!! Go Irish!!!!

Eric Hansen: Thanks Tom, very much appreciate the nice comments. My colleague, Jack Soble, and I are doing a point/counterpoint for the Blue & Gold print product on “What is Notre Dame’s biggest issue on defense?” Even though ND has fallen from No. 1 to 103 among the 134 charted FBS schools in pass-efficiency defense, ND’s No. 131 standing in sacks per game is greatly affecting that fall. Even elite DBs can only cover for so long if the quarterback has enough time to make a sandwich and throw for a first down. The 2012 team was VERY inexperienced in the back end and yet their front seven was able to mitigate and camouflage it under the title game. But I also think there’s been regression with some of the DBs, and I think maybe that comes from lack of confidence in the system. Mike Mickens’ track record is too long and too good to think he’s lost a step.

Jim from Shelburne, Vermont: Hi Eric , always enjoy your written work and your Podcasts a great deal. Did you think the length of the quarterback competition hid the deficiencies in the defense and contributed to what we’re seeing now as far as issues with player understanding?

Eric Hansen: You know Jim, I hadn’t processed it like that. And my best answer without doing some digging is maybe a little. Here’s what I do know: There is a flaw in the preseason structure that masked too many of the problems before the team had them exposed in games. I think that’s baked in to some degree, but to the magnitude it happened and in so many places leads me to believe that will be a huge offseason priority when Marcus Freeman goes through his “question everything” process in search of improvement.

My thought process is more on how to fix things at this juncture than what went wrong, because this is still not yet a lost season. But I do think there’s some value in me and the coaches digging into the question at some point.

Manny from San Pedro: Eric!!! Not quite the start any one of us imagined.  My question is about Mr Ash.  We scored 40 and lost. That’s VanGorder nonsense. Will Marcus be taking a stronger role in the defense and is there a possibility of shuffling roles in season?

Eric Hansen: Manny!!!! Way to bring the punctuation even after an 0-2 start. To your question, great head coaches go where they’re needed, and so yes, Marcus Freeman SHOULD take a more active role in the defense, and I believe he will. I also think he’s not going to make the details public. That’s not who Marcus Freeman is.

Tom Rosenberger: Has ND protested the  SEC officials “no call” holding/takedown on the 4th and 11 play that resulted in a TD?

Eric Hansen: Him Tom. We have not followed up on it, but that’s pretty standard. And it’s also pretty standard it will not change a thing.

Shane from White Deer, Texas: Hey Eric, I see a lot of posts that talk about certain players needing to get more offensive touches. There are only so many plays available. If it were up to you, which players should be getting the majority of touches?  Also , if you score quickly, it reduces the play count.  Do coaches like long methodical drives? Thanks for chats. You’re the best. Go Irish!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Shane. Thanks for the hype. Let’s start with your last question first. Do coaches like long, methodical drives? It depends on how your team is constructed and also the game situation. If you’re milking a double-digit lead in the second half and you’re facing a team with a dynamic/quick-strike capability, you want to sit on the ball and take as much time as you can to limit their opportunities. In general, without getting game-specific, you want to play complementary football. For instance, the 2012 defense was so good that Brian Kelly didn’t feel like he needed to take chances on offense, because he figured he could punt and the d was going to get him the ball back quickly.

There have been teams in the Brian VanGorder Era where you had to take chances on offense, because you might not ever see the ball again without the other team scoring. The latter BK teams and the Freeman teams through 2024 have been pretty good at expressing the concept of complementary football. Now let’s go to your “touches” question. And let’s use the 2025 Irish instead of doing this in general terms. Jeremiyah Love is so dynamic that you want him in a lot of pages in your playbook .. on runs, on receptions, as a decoy, not sold on the direct snap, but that too.

Now, if you’re an opposing defensive coordinator, who are you going to try to take away? Likely Love, but you could also try to attack QB CJ Carr so that ND is constantly in third-and-longs and thus it mitigates the ways you can use Love. But to force his touches when the defense is giving you mismatches elsewhere is silly. Yes, prioritize a game plan featuring him. But if Purdue is giving you single coverage on Malachi Fields with a 5-8 freshman cornerback hypothetically, I’m chucking the ball to him.

David from New York: Hi Eric! Thanks as always for the chats. Are you surprised at to how different the ND defense looks from last year? The scheme difference is much less of a shock to me than is the tentative approach and lack of leadership. Though I’m sure they are related. If you are Coach Freeman, are you already throwing the attempted changes in the trash? And if not, how much longer are you giving it and what do you need to see this week. It feels like the desire to revert back given the results would be a strong impulse.

Eric Hansen: Hi David, thank you! I am surprised. I didn’t believe the smoke that the only changes were going to be extra subtle. Even when DCs sincerely go into the process thinking that, it rarely turns out that way. The thing about throwing out the changes — maybe there’s a happier medium there. What I need to see this week is incremental improvement throughout the defense. Purdue is not the Purdue of last year, but they’re not Arkansas either. I’ll take a significant step in the right direction ahead of that game.

Denis from Niagara Falls, Canada: Hi Eric.  Scheduling matters. I know a lot goes into Notre Dame’s schedule and it has obligations, etc.  But if it could have scheduled its first two games at the end of the season, do the Irish win none, one or both games.  I would like to believe the Irish win both games. Talk about crying over spilt milk. What say you? Thanks very much again. Take care.

Eric Hansen: Hi Denis. If ND stays healthy and improves, there’s a good chance they could win both of those games. They weren’t that far removed from winning both of them where they were placed. So if I understand your question, you’re not asking me why those were the first two games scheduled, it’s more of a what if that didn’t have to happen? Let me throw one more log on the fire. The upside of ND playing those first two games where they are is it presented the Irish an early-season opportunity to find out what it’s weaknesses were and fix them. The down side is now everyone knows the weaknesses, And if ND doesn’t fix those on the defensive side quickly, there’s a template on how to attack the Irish defense that most teams can use.

That happened in 2014 when Brian VanGorder and that Irish defense got off to a strong start. Then, North Carolina spread them out and played tempo and — rut-roh. Every team that followed did guess what? Spread ND out and played tempo, even if that wasn’t that team’s typical mode of doing things.

Matt from Austin: Hi Eric. Thank you for your kind words last week. I hope you are rested and ready! First of all, I don’t think that the sky is falling. Yes, the losses stink. Clearly, we need to clean up defensive line pressures and defensive back coverage. What else do you see as necessary improvements, especially if you don’t agree with my two areas of improvement. Secondly, do you have access to the referee crew after the game? Not sure if they produce a report like the NFL. The targeting against Shuler and the hold on Hinish were brutal. I know we lost due to other factors, but aghhh, brutal. Let’s go 10-0 and make the CFP. Thank you Eric. Matt

Eric Hansen: Wait? Rested LOL? Ready, yes and grateful for what I get to do for a living, believe me. Oh, I do agree with your proposed improvements. Those top the list for me. I think ND has to get better use in packages out of its linebackers and safeties. There’s some elite talent at those positions that could be deployed creatively. The O-line needs to continue to get better as well. To your question re the officials, I think the only time that happens is in a playoff/title game setting. And then it’s a pool reporter situation. Thanks again for your questions.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, thanks for hosting the chat. I hope you’re having a fantastic week. MF’s mantra has always been “challenge everything.” If you’re the head coach, what are the top five things you’re challenging this week? Mickens has been an excellent coach of the secondary. Why specifically do you think the secondary is struggling so much this year? It feels like Knapp is playing much worse this year, do you see things that he is doing differently that may be causing him to regress? How big of a loss is Amir  Carlisle to the Notre Dame program? As always, thanks for hosting the chat and for your great insights.

Eric Hansen: Marie the question portal is so full today, I had to go fishing for your questions. And there you are. … Thank you for bringing your ‘A’ game. To your questions, top five things I’m challenging this week. 1) Pass Rush, 2) Defensive back personnel. 3) Defensive back fundamental, 4) Not getting enough out of safeties and linebackers. 5) Third-down defense strategy and calls. See a theme there?

2) To the Mike Mickens question, pass rush has something to do with it. Not playing well in the zone too. Colleague Tyler James has a story up at blueandgold.com Notre Dame is allowing a 79.2 COMPLETION RATE in traditional zone coverages this season. … On Anthonie Knapp, coaches outside the program are wondering the same thing. … Amir Carlisle did great things in his role as director of player development, but it’s not a role that affects a team in season. I ran into him before the A&M game and we talked about it a little bit, and he is confident ND will land someone really good and it’s needed.

Joe from Valparaiso, Ind.: Hello Eric, and thank you for attempting to bring some semblance of order to what is the chaos of Notre Dame fandom. I would appreciate your view on the following: Marcus Freeman has said the defense needs to play fast. In order to play fast, I would think a deep understanding of the scheme, the play call and all the associated nuances which could be involved in a given play would be a necessity.  Without that knowledge and confidence, hesitation and confusion would in all likelihood become the norm. If that is indeed the case with the current version of the ND defense, who is to blame? Al Golden frequently noted the intelligence of his players and how teachable they were. Did they lose their intelligence and ability to learn between this past January and now? How could the problem NOT be coaching? Too complex, not being taught properly? And it’s not just the young guys. Veterans are making loads of mistakes. I’m not questioning effort. Please tell me why this isn’t BVG part two?

Eric Hansen: Joe, thank you for the compliments and for bringing the heat in a way I can wrap my head around it. Marcus Freeman is ultimately responsible for making the hire of Chris Ash and approving the changes. Bottom Line. Second question, did they lose their intelligence? No. Two things. They may not believe in the system. But more tangibly, Al Golden talked to us later in his time at ND that there was a cap to what he could teach in year 1, because it was very different from Freeman’s scheme. And in year 2, he was able to take it to another level. So these players are starting from square 1 all over again. And maybe Chris Ash will prove to be a good teacher and maybe he won’t. We’ll find out soon enough. I do not think this is BVG part 2, but I can’t say with conviction yet that this is going to end well. Two games is too small of a sample size.

Sean from Schaumburg, Ill.: Hello, Mr. Hansen. Great FNS. Outside of Miami/TAMU playing for/winning ACC/SEC, I don’t think 10-2 gets CFP. I don’t see them winning their first game in the CFP if they did. Deflating. You and Tyler have talked about the sequence of interviewing coaches throughout the season and how it is not the best interview setup. How do you formulate articles when you don’t have asst coaches being interviewed, due to the pre-determined sequence of availability 4 the season, to provide objective observations in your articles? Insights/quotes are crucial for any article. You and Tyler have been professional in providing objective analysis peppered with subjective analysis based on decades of observation. Well done. My angst at the beginning of the season was misplaced. Carr looks legit. Ash as DC is the angst. I’m willing to give grace(I was in Columbus for the 3rd and 15 blitz-Golden responded with 30+ games of top defense). Purdue is a big game for Ash. DB injs.
Sean Schaumburg, IL: Hand the ball off!! Please. Go Irish. I’m interested in re-upping, Eric. But, I need the 50% deal. Money is tight. Times are tough. Be well. Can you send a discount code, please?

Eric Hansen: Sean, email me re the subscription. I am at my same/old email still. … Thanks for the compliments and measured commentary. Now to your question. I hope when I explain what’s happening from a media standpoint, it’s informative and not for whining purposes. My job is to overcome the obstacles. Having the coordinators the last few years on a weekly basis was a tremendous asset in bringing the readers the best possible account of what was happening in the program. When the interview rotation of coaches doesn’t sync up with what the readers need to know, you have to rely on sources.

It’s always better to have things on the record, because fans then know where it’s coming from. There are sources people make up, and even savvy readers sometimes don’t know how well sourced something is or it’s a complete fabrication. It just pops up in “their feed.” But we will continue to do our best to fill in the gaps when availability isn’t ideal.

Pete from Erie, Pa.: Hello Eric, pardon my gloominess. The games have been entertaining but losing is never fun. There’s plenty of blame to go around. This defense is stunningly bad at every level, they do nothing well and have nothing to lean on but I’m most disappointed in the OLine. They have the most continuity but have not picked up where they left off, not even close. Which position group has surprised you the most? Thank you for your extra effort digging up former coaches! Out of all only Skip Holtz was able to return to Notre Dame Stadium as HC of the enemy and leave with a win. Now add Mike Elko to the list. Thanks Eric! Go Irish!

Eric Hansen: Thanks Pete. I am glad you got to see my amended response once I was able to do some digging after the chat was no longer live! Understandable about the gloominess. I am less disappointed with the O-line, because I think they made, at least, incremental improvement from game 1 to game 2 and I think they will continue to do so. The d-line is the biggest disappointment hands down, but for me it’s how they’re coached, not the effort they’ve put into it.

Roger from Peoria: Eric:  I was among those in Notre Dame Stadium experiencing the disappointment of the A&M loss.  You, as a former newspaperman, and me, in the senior age group category, and unlike some younger folks, know “Stop the Presses”, signals a breaking news story to print. From my vantage point and without the benefit of viewing a replay, “Stop the Presses” appeared applicable to the Irish secondary as I do not recall seeing press coverage against the pretty darn fast A&M receiving corps.  Was I not sufficiently observant and, if not, would that not have perhaps limited their ability to run free in the secondary? Second ?  for you. Does it make any sense for the Irish, on occasion, to line up with both Love and Price on the field at the same time?  0-2 will not stop me from following the Irish and you, and  GO IRISH!!!!!

Eric Hansen: Roger, thanks for the compliments and the good analogies. I think press coverage on KC Concepcion and Mario Craver has been tough for anyone to do. And if you don’t jam them, they WILL run by you. They are two of the faster receivers ND will see this season. USC has a similar setup. So, I think the thinking was don’t let them beat you deep. Give them some cushion, and force Marcel Reed to work his way down the field. And he completed less than 50 percent of his passes, which was great… except … tepid pass rush, even on third-and-long — and that was the problem. And fourth-and-long, for that matter. And yeah I’d like to see some sets with two backs, Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love, for sure. I think there’s ways to make that turn into mismatches for an opposing defense.

Tom from Golden Beach, Fla.: Eric – I’m still trying to get over that game on Saturday, but at least I’m off suicide watch.  😉 I had two questions for you: (1) Any insights on the status of DeVonta Smith? We can use all the help we can get back there. (2) Before the 4th and goal play from the eleven at the end of the game, Freeman called a timeout. There was plenty of time to get the defensive personnel we wanted onto the field. Despite that, Bowen ended up in one-on-one coverage in the end zone. That seems like a worst-case scenario for us. Should Bowen have even been on the field at that point? In an obvious passing situation, it seems like you replace him with a DB. Even if you don’t, it seems like you should have safety help in that situation. Right??

Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. Difficult start to the season for fans for sure. So far, no one’s put a “For Sale” sign on my lawn, but maybe a third loss would coax that. … 1) No. 1 nickel Devonta Smith, Marcus Freeman said, injured his ankle in pregame warmups on SSaturday night. My sense is it was an aggravation and not a new injury. He is listed as questionable this week. 2) Listening to Texas A&M coach Mike Elko after the game, it sounded like the Aggies were confident they could isolate the tight end on a linebacker. If I’m not mistaken, and I haven’t rewatched the game, ND only had one linebacker on the field, so I am good with that. As far as where the safeties should have been on that play, I would love to have asked the defensive coordinator that question last night.

Andy from Wilmette via South Bend: Great job on covering the Irish!! You are appreciated beyond my words.  I was shell-shocked at the end and disappointed at the outcome, but after re-watching the game I felt a little better because there was a lot to be thankful for. Like the textbook hit from Bowen on the catch. (A/M paid the price for that first down.)  And I thought CJ Carr looked good. He is a couple steps from being a weapon. Question about CJ:  What steps do you think CJ needs to take to become a proficient game changer?  On the slightly disappointing side, I was hard on Christian Gray last year because of his poor play and it seems like he has not improved much this year. He gets beat so much it is hard to give him the benefit of the doubt any longer. Who is behind him and could they get a chance? Hopefully this week, ND will be able to play some “rookies” we heard about.   Thanks for all you do.  I hope your day is a smooth as that one-handed grab of J. Love #5.

Eric Hansen: Hi Andy. I think you’re seeing that happen right in front of your eyes. Had a chance to chat with QBs coach Gino Guidugli last night and got some great insights into that and included some in this story: Notre Dame QBs coach Gino Guidugli on tipping plays and the next step for CJ Carr … And I’ll have more on that conversation in the coming days. For now let me say this: Gino thinks he’s on the right path and ahead of schedule. So the next step is taking better care of the football and maximizing the short-yardage opportunities with better decisions that come with game experience.

Christian Gray has struggled and needs to have a bounce-back week in a big way. Colleague Mike Singer has suggested on the Lou Somogyi message board there may be some changes in store in the defensive backfield.

Terry from Miami: As always, thank you, Eric, for your insight. If you were the ND coach what would you do to get back on track?

Eric Hansen: Collaborate with my defensive staff and players and prioritize an approach that’s going to produce incremental but significant improvement this week that can be sustainable in the weeks ahead.

Charley from the Sip: Hey Eric – Are Anthonie Knapp’s struggles this year adversely affecting Billy Shrauth’s performance?

Eric Hansen: Hey Charley. Billy Schrauth had a pretty good game on Saturday night. He’s Notre Dame’s third-highest-rated player overall and top-rated lineman over the first two games (per PFF). Anthonie Knapp is dead last. So maybe Schrauth can positively influence him? I think when Charles Jagusah comes back. Lambert may stay in the lineup and Knapp leaves it, but the kid really improved over the season last year, so let’s give it some time.

Beave (The OG Beave) FROM Grand Rapids, Mich.: So the 4th down Wildcat call would have gone down as one of the worst offensive play calls of the MF era ever had ND been stopped short. But it succeeded and allowed us to lose another way. What are your 3 brightest surprises through an otherwise disappointing 0-2 start?

Eric Hansen: OG Beave!. In the press box, I leaned over before the play and told Tyler James, I would boo if I were a fan sitting outside. And yet it worked. Three brightest surprises. 1. CJ Carr’s progress. 2. DE Jordan Botelho’s ability to start a game in September and increase his snaps in game 2 from 9 to 31. 3. Safety Tae Johnson, my spring football crush, is impacting the game and getting more opportunities sooner than I expected.

Smitty from Tempe: Eric – you’re the best.  Following up on an earlier question… What would Freeman consider as reasons to hire Ash over someone who knows/runs Golden’s defense?  Given how successful Golden’s defense was, it would seem they would want to keep the same system, as opposed to taking a few steps back by having to learn a new system. Thx!

Eric Hansen: Hi Smitty, and thanks. I’m not sure how many guys there are running around in college ball running Al Golden’s NFL scheme, but even then can they push the right buttons in that scheme? Brian Kelly hired Brian VanGorder to run Rex Ryan’s scheme and got Ryan’s scheme but with a guy who couldn’t teach it to college kids or adapt it in game or between games. But I love the question. He also was looking for someone with head coaching experience, some time in the NFL and some other elements that he did get.

Chris in Memphis: Eric, where was Josh Burnham Saturday night?  Did he get any snaps and how many snaps did Jaylen Sneed get?

Eric Hansen: Josh Burnham did not show up on Monday’s injury report, or else I would have asked about him. May sneak a question in Thursday’s Zoom with Marcus Freeman on that. To your questions, Burnham played 3 snaps out of a possible 71. Jaylen Sneed played 22, the fewest of the four LBs in that LB rotation.

Tom from Toronto: Hi Eric, “Mama said there’d be days like this, there’d be days like this, Mama said”. I hope that a little bit of early rock and roll will help lighten your day. When I saw you and Tyler James on your video after the A & M loss, you both looked like you were not doing well. And who could blame you. ND snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Like you, I thought that ND was going to stop A & M from scoring and win the game. That may have been delusional. We’ll never know. Anyway, as you mentioned in FNS, the team is probably going to have to rely on the offence to win games until the defence gets its stuff together (if it ever does). My questions are, do you think that the offence can carry this team for the rest of the year if it has to, and does the defence need to be simplified for the defence to have some positive semblance to last year’s D and carry its weight? As ever, thank you for your wisdom.

Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. I love music, so it’s very welcome. It’s how I balance myself when I get overloaded in statistics and Chris Ash questions. And my favorite TV show is The Voice. … To your questions, I think ND’s offense can evolve to the point where they can win most games in a shootout. But that’s with the defense being at least good, not struggling. Thanks for your kind words.

Tom in Evanston: Hi Eric. If you had to give a percentage to the defense’s problems between scheme and players, how would you see it? Is it 50% scheme and 50% players or weighted differently? Also, side note to Joe in Williams Bay. I have a house there on Oakwood.

Eric Hansen: 90 percent to scheme AND how it’s coached. If not higher.

Ryan from Frankfort, Ill.: Good afternoon Eric what do you think about the play of Brauntae Johnson and Eli Rairdon i think both looked Good on Saturday I’m thinking the Irish win 42-21 or something like that Saturday GO IRISH ☘️☘️☘️☘️🏈🏈🏈🏈

Eric Hansen: Ryan, you picked two standouts from the game. Great eye. I agree … impressed with both. I picked 47-6 before the A&M game. I think I’m going to have to do some adjusting.

Mike from Phoenix: Eric, Happy Wednesday. Where is Greg from Oakland when you need him? As angry as I was on Saturday night about the loss, I woke up more depressed on Sunday thinking that Ash will continue as DC. It is a terrible hire. Along the lines of Gary Darnell, Parker, BVG and Jim Coletto!!! Marcus needs to stop hiring his buddies and he is in denial. 1 sack and 4 tackles for loss!! Press coverage is needed asap. Should the DB’s be on the jug machine all week considering the amount of drops?  Cheers and hoping for another 60 point win this week.

Eric Hansen: I almost fell out of my chair. Greg from Oakland. Blast from the past. … One correction, though, Marcus and Ash were not buddies. But this week is really going to be interesting when it comes to how good of a “fixer” MF is as a head coach. It is in his wheelhouse. Cheers back, Mike.

Eric Hansen: OK, my next assignment is screaming at me and I have a largely still full queue. I apologize for not getting to everybody. GREAT questions and thanks for not storming my house or throwing tomatoes at it. We’ll be back to do it all over again next Wednesday at noon EDT unless I am promoted to defensive coordinator between now and then (which would make things worse BTW). See you next week.