Ryan Harris, Former Notre Dame Offensive Lineman

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Contact Wesley Financial Group now and get a free timeshare exit information kit at WesleyFinancialGroup.com. Now joining us, former Notre Dame and Denver Bronco offensive lineman. Won a Super Bowl in the NFL. Now a part of the Notre Dame radio broadcast team. That is my pal and Ryan Harris. Ryan, appreciate the time as always. How you been?

Great to join you, Zach. Life is good when football's going, my friend. Yeah, no doubt about that. But I'm still annoyed at Notre Dame because they should have defeated Ohio State. They let that one get away. And these last two weeks, I had some pretty high expectations for this team before the season started. And they just haven't looked right the last two weeks against Duke and Louisville. What have you seen recently from your Fighting Irish? Well, I saw a team against Louisville on its third night game in a row against an undefeated opponent. They're getting ready for their fourth night game in a row against USC this weekend against an un-ranked, un-beated opponent, excuse me. And Coach Freeman talks about, hey, you can't make excuses for the guys. And those players aren't doing it. Turnovers have been an issue. Five of them in the game against Louisville, including one on the opening drive. So, you know, I think it's just a matter of, you know, when you're at Notre Dame and really anywhere successful in life, sometimes you think that success is going to come every time you do the same thing.

You follow the same routine. But you have to go out in every football game and in life and earn every success you have. And Notre Dame just hasn't been willing to do what it takes to earn those victories. This is a major week for the offense. I know everyone's going to talk about the QB matchup, but this USC defense is very vulnerable.

They're a porous defense. I think it's what's going to hold them back from winning it all this year and maybe even winning the Pac-12. Where's the confidence level with the Notre Dame offense this week going up against Grinch's defense? Well, they've been looking for solutions, Notre Dame's offense, because they have to get back to running the ball. I mean, only 44 yards rushing against Louisville.

That's a program low historically. And so they've got to be able to run the football. Now, nothing brings performance out like rivalry games. Many of us saw that with the CU-CSU game with Deion Sanders and others earlier this year. And anytime you play SC, I've been in those games, you cannot take what they've done before you play each other as who they're going to be because the juices get flowing.

It's going to be nighttime. And those USC guys, they always want to beat Notre Dame. And they're going to play their best and probably change their pregame routine because of it, especially knowing that the world will be watching Saturday night on NBC. When you go into this game, and I know it's a rivalry game like what you just said, but how much buzz is there around this game? Because when I was talking to Brady Quinn a few weeks ago, and that was before they played Ohio State and they lost to Ohio State, he was saying that this could be the most hyped Notre Dame-USC game since that Bush push back in 2005. Now, with Notre Dame dropping two, it's like, yeah, it's still a big game, but I don't think it's as big as what it could have been. Well, it's huge for the players. I mean, you beat USC and you prove you are still one of the best teams in the country and you had a couple of off nights. Look, the Super Bowl champion this year, probably, and I say probably the way the 49ers and Eagles have been playing are going to have a loss at some point that you have to come back from, but in college football, it's different.

And this is huge for the players for another reason. I mean, this sometimes is the only game that players know that they're going to be 40-plus NFL scouts in attendance. So, not only do, for the Irish, do they want to prove to themselves that they're one of the top teams in the nation despite two losses, but they want to prove to those NFL scouts that they can be counted on after some tough times to come back, overcome, and be an even better player because of it. Talking to Ryan Harris right now, defensively for the Irish, we know Caleb Williams is the best quarterback in the nation. You can't stop him, but how do you try to slow him down and get a turnover or two? Well, you got to get your defensive line to get some pressure, and that's been an issue all year long for the Irish. They've been high in the top 20 in the nation of getting pressure on the quarterback, but near the bottom third of the nation in getting sacks.

So, you got to get him on the ground. The other thing is to stop the run. I mean, they're running back. Marshawn Lloyd is legit. I mean, he can legitimately play. So, you got to stop the run and hope that Brandon Rice and Taj do not beat you because those are some talented receivers, but it starts with getting pressure by the defensive line.

Then you got to spy with the back at different sides of the field with different backs so that Williams doesn't get keyed in on who's following him and run away from that guy. Talking to Ryan Harris, 1 to 10, 1 no confidence, 10 all the confidence in the world. Where's the confidence level of Ryan Harris and Notre Dame this weekend?

That's a 7, man. I mean, when this team is rolling, Audrick estimated 220-pound running back is bursting through the line of scrimmage behind his preseason All-American lineman, and the defense, one of the better secondaries in the nation, are getting turnovers. Those things can still happen for the Irish, so I think they come away with a victory. I do feel those, Zach. I must be honest with you. Yeah, I do have the green-colored glasses on, but there are many ways in which Notre Dame wins this game Saturday night.

It's going to be a great one. I'll tell you, going back to the Ohio State game, we all know how good Estime is, and I know they have a lot of running backs on that roster. Did you have a problem with how long it took for them to really start handing the ball off to Estime in that game and get him going?

I thought they were trying to use too many cooks in the kitchen that night. Well, they needed to, because one of the things you put a player like that in, defensive players have specific keys when this player is in this position, so it opens up more opportunity for the offense to confuse the defense. And to be honest, and I love Audrick Estime, I think he's going to be winning fancy footballers in their fancy football leagues in a few years, but he was hesitant. I mean, there were multiple players and coaches who were not prepared for what it takes to win a big game like that, and unfortunately, Audrick Estime took a little too long to get started in that game against Ohio State, and then of course everybody remembers, you know, final two players of the game, Notre Dame has ten guys on the field. Yeah, where's the Irish fans' confidence in Marcus Freeman? Because last year it got off to a horrible start, they lose to Marshall, then at the end of the year they blow out Clemson, they win the bowl game, this year the first big test, you mentioned it, they dropped the pick, they only have ten guys on the field, the Irish fan confidence in Marcus Freeman is where?

Ten. I mean, you can tell the players that he's recruited already, some of the freshmen, I mean, one of the freshman receivers, Great House, his first three catches were for three touchdowns. I mean, Rico Flores Jr. is a guy who's going to be drafted in the NFL, and as a freshman, he runs the motion routes like the 49ers do with full commitment, he runs two routes into play. So, getting guys like Sam Hartman to transfer to Notre Dame, seeing the opportunity, really doing some different things with the NIL to make sure it's in the players' best interest, as well as the communities, having players who are making money through the NIL, serve in the South Bend community. I mean, Marcus Freeman has a ton of support from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and you're one or two players from this season going very differently. So, what did you make of the whole Lou Holtz and Ryan Day kind of beef and kerfuffle? Well, Ryan Day, this guy was going, he went from being fired to 30 seconds later being, you know, the Ohio State coach marches to the council ball playoffs.

So, look, you have to find a reason to make it personal. For me, when I played, it was always, if this defender dared step onto the field, he's disrespecting me. I have to say a word, but it is so disrespectful for you to line up against me to think you're in my same league. And I think Ryan Day just found some motivation and went after one of the Notre Dame greats in Lou Holtz. Wrapping up with Ryan Harris, let me get to your Broncos. Do they have any shot in this game tonight against Kansas City? They do.

Many people don't know. Patrick Mahomes has thrown the most interceptions to one team. That team, the Broncos, at eight. That run defense has to be better, otherwise Isaiah Pacheco and company are going to go nuts.

But there's a possibility. Maybe, you know, when Taylor Swift returns for his second time this year to the stadium, it'll go great for the Broncos. When you look at the future of Russell Wilson, is this salvageable? He's playing great in the first half.

In the second half, the entire team has been awful. Are we just trending to where it's inevitable that in a year or two from now that this is going to be a divorce and the Broncos will have a new quarterback with Sean? Well, I mean, Russell Wilson's thrown for three touchdowns in multiple games this year, has had a phenomenal completion percentage, minimal turnovers, and he's really being elite. I'll tell you, having splits at halftime like that, where his completion percentage drops about 15%, that's on coaches. I mean, you can't run the same plays the same way as you did in the first half and expect to be successful in the NFL.

There's too many talented coaches and players who are going to make the adjustments necessary to force you to continue to create. And there's definitely some issues with the coaching and players, but Russell Wilson is not one of the issues for the Broncos. And the biggest surprise to me is this defense. I thought this defense was good. This defense is getting torched this year. Well, I mean, I hate to say I saw it coming, and I love Alex Singleton, the linebacker, and Juicy Jewell, the linebacker, and together they're about 100 pounds undersized to play middle linebacker in the NFL. I mean, you talk about Roquan Smith or some of the other linebackers who are 220, 240, I mean, you need guys like that in the NFL on defense.

And that's really what's been getting the Broncos, young players who are undersized, really getting found out, and teams are continuing to attack them. Ryan Harris, appreciate the time. Enjoy the games this upcoming weekend.

Thanks for doing this. Thanks, Zach, and tell your dad to get things going the right way over there in New England. It's bad for the NFL and the Patriots lose this much.

You think he's in danger of getting fire? Bob Gelber, do you like to call him Bill Belichick? I think that missing on DeAndre Hopkins was the beginning of the end of the Belichick era in New England, and Bill Belichick has earned every opportunity to extend his career. But he's not the same coach without the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Thanks so much, Ryan Harris. You're the best. Thanks, Zach.