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ATLANTA – Notre Dame knows the risks of playing man-to-man pass defense against Ohio State.
The Fighting Irish embrace it in Monday’s College Football Playoff championship game.
“We’ve got to dance with the date that got us here,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said Saturday. “It is who we are. It’s part of our DNA. We understand the challenge, but we also can’t abort and change course radically at this stage.”
Notre Dame prides itself on playing press coverage. The Fighting Irish have been quite successful. They allow the second-fewest passing yards per game (165.3), behind only Ohio State.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) tries to get open against Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) in the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025.
But Notre Dame hasn’t faced anyone with the collection of weapons the Buckeyes have in Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate, supplemented by OSU’s tight ends and running backs.
After Ohio State repeatedly burned Tennessee and Oregon in its first two CFP games with explosive pass plays, Texas geared its defense toward preventing that. The Longhorns didn’t allow OSU to get deep. They mixed coverages with particular attention on Smith, an ultra-gifted freshman.
More: Friendship endures: Ohio State football’s James Laurinaitis and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman
“As you watch film, not many teams are successful just sitting in man coverage versus these receivers,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “We’ll obviously have to mix some things up and come up with a great plan to try to limit what they do in the passing game.
“You’re not going to be able to stop their receivers totally. They’re a talented bunch, so we’ll come up…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-embraces-playing-man-203722863.html
Author : The Columbus Dispatch
Publish date : 2025-01-18 20:37:00
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