FLAWED: Chris Ash's BAD Defensive Calls vs BYU Prove Once Again He's Not Notre Dame's BEST Option
Notre Dame’s vaunted defense stumbles against BYU, raising urgent questions about Chris Ash’s scheme and whether Marcus Freeman’s next move includes being directly involved in defensive decisions and play calling. Despite boasting NFL-caliber talent like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Drayk Bowen, Leonard Moore, and Bryce Young, the Fighting Irish surrendered 28 points without allowing a single deep completion, exposing glaring weaknesses in third-down defense and pressure packages. Brian Smith spotlights Notre Dame’s lack of blitz aggression, poor execution in the middle of the field, not playing enough man coverage, and a concerning national rank—just 87th in third-down stops. With star safety Brauntae Johnson sidelined, and possibly DJ McKinney banged up as well (he left the BYU game), can Freeman recalibrate the defense before facing high-powered attacks from Miami and SMU? The conversation covers linebacker deployment, coverage miscues, and why failing to unleash this defensive roster could derail Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff hopes. Will Marcus Freeman make the bold changes needed, or risk wasting one of college football’s most stacked units? Please support our sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. SupplyHouse Visit https://SupplyHouse.com/TM to learn more about becoming a Trade Master. Use promo code S H 5 College for five percent off your first order. SupplyHouse. Real people. Real service. Butcher Box If you're looking for an easier way to get great meals on the table, give ButcherBox a try. Go to https://ButcherBox.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGE to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, new york strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year — with free shipping always. 5-Hour ENERGY Treat yourself to a crisp apple bite and smooth caramel delight with a Caramel Apple 5-hour ENERGY®️ shot, only available online for a limited time at https://5hourENERGY.com or Amazon. Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel This season, FanDuel is making the excitement go beyond what happens on the field with the all-new FanDuel Rewards Club, featuring exclusive offers, surprises, and more. Every week, check the FanDuel app to see what’s waiting for you or visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p