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ATLANTA — In a tearful postgame locker room, Notre Dame football cornerback Christian Gray sat in silence with his head down late Monday night, teammates still consoling him in hushed tones.
A 56-yard completion to freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith helped Ohio State hold off a furious Notre Dame comeback to claim the CFP national championship with a 34-23 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The completion came on third-and-11 from the Ohio State 34-yard-line with 2:45 remaining, and it happened with Gray in single coverage against Smith. Notre Dame trailed 31-23 at that point.
“That’s always sad when that happens because everybody looks at that player,” Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “Certainly, I should be looked at for putting him in that position. But Christian is going to battle back. You don’t have to worry about him, man.
“He is a competitor, he is resilient and he’s a blessing.”
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After allowing Ohio State to score on its first five possessions, Notre Dame nearly climbed all the back from a 24-point hole. Linebacker Drayk Bowen forced a fumble on the sixth defensive series, and the Buckeyes’ next series lasted just five plays before a punt.
Five plays into the clinching series, Will Howard, the Kansas State grad transfer, lofted a perfect rainbow down the right sideline with Gray trailing the play.
“There’s 15 other calls I could have made,” Golden said. “We were near the end. We couldn’t allow another first down. We went the pressure route, and obviously (Smith) made a great play.”
A sophomore in his first year as a starter, Gray bounced back from a rough outing at USC in the regular-season finale to make the game-saving interception and 99-yard return for a touchdown.
Monday’s pivotal play…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-dc-al-golden-125149842.html
Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2025-01-21 12:51:00
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