Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 21 'DO OR DIE': BUCKEYES BEAT IRISH PRESSURE WITH GAME-SEALING DEEP BALL With 2:45 left in the national cham- pionship and trailing 31-23, Notre Dame faced a difficult choice. The Irish had Ohio State in third- and-11 from its own 34-yard line. They had one timeout left. Stop the Buckeyes and Notre Dame would get the ball back with plenty of time to mount a season- defining drive. Give up a first down and the game would be over. The decision: Try to confuse Ohio State graduate student quarterback Will Howard with zone, or stick with what got them to the title game in the first place and play man? In that moment, Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive coordi- nator Al Golden thought the same thing. "It was do or die," Freeman said. "We've got to get them stopped, and we thought at that moment, the best way to get them stopped is to run zero pressure. We have to have faith at some point that we can make a play." "The game dictated that it was kind of do or die," Golden said. "We needed to make a stop right there." Given Ohio State's ability to beat both man and zone, Golden and Freeman thought Notre Dame's best chance was with what it does best. They also knew that there was little difference between a 56-yard gain and a 12-yard gain in that situation, so they were prepared to risk the big play if it would increase their chances of getting a stop. The Buckeyes thought the Irish would think that, too. Golden pulled the trigger on a zero blitz. Seven Notre Dame players charged toward Howard. Unfortunately for them, though, Ohio State was ready for it. The Buckeyes called a seven-man protection, only three wide receivers to run routes. They correctly guessed that the Irish would send the house. They picked up the blitz, hanging the defen- sive backs out to dry. "There's 15 other calls I could've made," Golden said. "We were kind of at the end of the rope in terms of, a first down there is kind of it anyway." Sophomore cornerback Christian Gray lined up across from Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who entered the game with 71 catches for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. Smith ran right by Gray, and Howard hit him on a deep ball for a 56- yard reception that effectively sealed the game. The Buckeyes would kick a field goal to ice it and win 34-23. "Kid made a great throw and catch," Golden said. "Obviously, hindsight, you always want to stop the play that every- body saw, but the kids gotta execute it, and they did. We were kind of near the end in terms of, couldn't allow another first down. So, we went the pressure route, and obviously [No.] 4 [Smith] made a great play." Smith finished the game with 5 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame actually did play a fair amount of zone in the first half, but Howard diced it up, connecting on 14 of 15 throws before the break. "[Smith is] a heck of a player," Free- man said. "He's difficult to cover. You want to play zone, and they'll find ways to pick you apart. You want to play man, they'll find ways to get him the ball. It's a talented offense, with that situation right there." Gray lost his rep, but any cornerback in the country is in trouble in that situ- ation. He had to cover Smith, debat- ably (it might not even be debatable at this point) the best wide receiver in the country, one on one with no safety help. And the pressure did not get home. "I wish I didn't put him in that posi- tion, but it was kind of like, this is it," Golden said. "It manifests through him, if you will. That's always sad when that happens, because everybody looks at that player. Certainly, I should be looked at for putting him in that position." JADEN GREATHOUSE PLAYS HERO EVEN IN NATIONAL TITLE GAME DEFEAT Not all heroes wear capes. And not all heroes are successful in the ultimate end goal of their endeavors. Notre Dame sophomore wide receiver Jaden Great- house didn't wear a cape Jan. 20. And he OHIO STATE GAME NOTES BY JACK SOBLE AND TYLER HORKA Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith beat Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Christian Gray's one-on-one coverage for a 56-yard completion on third-and-11 that effectively sealed the win for the Buckeyes. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER