His hold vs psu gifted them a TD. PSU wasn't gray doing good it was bad wrs and qb play.
Gray blew it
- Thread starter theskibro
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Penn State has a 5 star QB and a top 5 offense (as of the latest F+ update)
Gray played a big part in keeping their points down and securing that win.
Can someone name a corner that played this bad getting constantly picked on by USC, Georgia and OSU and then came back to be a really good corner? Corners get beat at times, all of them. But gray got singled out by every team late in the year for obvious reasons, he's not good.
I'm seriously curious if there is an example of a corner being terrible then turning it around? Can't think of one at ND. The jeffersons, lamberts, GG of the world that got exposed and picked on never became good.
I'm seriously curious if there is an example of a corner being terrible then turning it around? Can't think of one at ND. The jeffersons, lamberts, GG of the world that got exposed and picked on never became good.
ND has all americans, first round players, and other standouts among their defensive backs (it might be the position group with the best collection of players on the entire team)
The opposition HAS TO THROW THE BALL SOMEWHERE right?
NDs pass defense has been one of the best in the league over the course of Gray's starts too.
You're an asshole still spouting know nothing BS year after year. You don't know shit about football, and prove it with every post
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I'm not overly critical of our guys but Gray has drove me crazy all season tbh. Hopefully he grows and gets better before next year.
That said, I don't why in the world Golden would put him on the best receiver in football. There isn't too many who can cover that kid however. But on that play, we sent the house to try to get to the QB and got burned. Live and die by the blitz.
That said, I don't why in the world Golden would put him on the best receiver in football. There isn't too many who can cover that kid however. But on that play, we sent the house to try to get to the QB and got burned. Live and die by the blitz.
The play that was worse than grays long pass he gave up to smith was OSU first td.
He's in frichan man on smith, and completely leaves him to double the slot that's already covered.
So mentally out of it, i called it right then to get him out because he clearly was in right field mentally. Wish coaches weren't so stubborn to play "their" guys.
He's in frichan man on smith, and completely leaves him to double the slot that's already covered.
So mentally out of it, i called it right then to get him out because he clearly was in right field mentally. Wish coaches weren't so stubborn to play "their" guys.
When your DL is decimated by injuries, pointing fingers at Al Golden and Marcus Freeman for the defense's struggles last night is ludicrous.
For someone who played so damn well last season, Gray had a surprising tough year. But that one play or his overall play last night, are not the reason we lost. We lost because we got our butts whipped on the line of scrimmage. Our OL did far better than I expected in pass pro, and far worse than I expected in the run game. Our DL got pushed back all night leaving it to our linebackers and DBs to make plays against their rushing attack, and our DL was unable to get pressure on Howard, requiring us to gamble with blitzes that they picked up beautifully. The missed FG was heartbreaking, but the real miss was not getting into the end zone on that last drive.
Disagree a little on Gray, he's made some great plays for us playing on an island. Totally agree with your post on our DL and OL; we were completely pit played on both sides of the ball and that dictated the game. OSU is the better team. But while acknowledging that, our team battled their asses off and damn near pulled off a great comeback. We get more pressure on Howard on 3rd and 11, we'd get the ball back with 2+ minutes, and who knows. Wasn't meant to be. Being as thin (literally) on the DL especially killed us. But I'll say this, no one player lost this game, we win and lose as a team, We Are ND! Great season, better times coming next year.
Not what I posted at all. Please read my post before responding in a ready, fire, aim manner.
I don’t fault the player for being put in a position of single covering the best WR in CFB to the wide side of the field on that play. I would put the blame on the coaches, again on that particular play, for putting said player in a really bad spot. I don’t remember a single pressure getting home last night and I believe we had a better chance of getting OSU off the field by playing coverage.
And there is nothing remotely ludicrous about acknowledging the fact that OSU controlled both lines of scrimmage for the remainder of the night after our first drive. Injuries definitely played a roll in that, but OSU was also beat up on the OL w/ 2 of their top 3 starters out. PSU controlled the LOS for 3/4 quarters in the Orange Bowl, but they just didn’t have the skill on the outside or the execution at QB to take advantage in the way that OSU did. I wouldn’t even dream of taking shots at the coaching staff after such a magical run, but we can analyze decisions and execution in certain moments throughout the game and point out faults.
I don't fault the players or the coaches on that 3rd and 11 play, I don't think it was a bad decision or poorly executed; I credit OSU, particularly Howard, in that instance, for their execution.
Look. He is our weakness. Smith is a top pick in 2 years. Can’t get to the QB. Chip Kelly took advantage
That is fair too. OSU was the better team by a wide margin in execution in general and particular in money downs. Howard was really good all game and that is why I would have taken Smith away in that spot and tried to force a throw short of the sticks or in a tighter window.
Good point about the lack of pass rush. I dont blame coaches entirely for that though .. that requires players winning some one on one matchups and making some plays.
What about the pass rush who not get home all night? What about the non-existent run game (outside of Leonard)? Blaming 1 guy for this loss is simply not correct.
Howard broke the record for opening with 12 straight completions in a national title game (at one point it felt like he was never going to miss) and OSU matched Alabama's record for 3 straight TD scoring drives to start a national title game (both teams broke that record vs Notre Dame)
It was a dominant performance by OSU that is being down played because of what essentially mounted to some garbage time TDs to close out the game.
Kind of reminds me of how the Indiana game went ... ND dominated them but then gave up some last minute gimme's at the end and the final score ended up being only 10-13 point difference (despite ND being up 3 TDs at one point in that game)
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And ND had lost the best two (possible three as Traore stepped in for Botelho) pass rushers the previous weeks.
This I will agree with you... a lot of times it's about the Johnnys and Joes, not the X's and O's. ND has made an upgrade in quality depth, and in coaching up... but O$U still had more fire power that makes it tough to overcome. ND had a chance, but a hand full of mistakes loomed large this game.
Not true at all. He had 2 bad games all year out of 16. Good corner. Was a true soph.
He'll come back better next year
I know, obviously you're right. Big picture. That goes without saying. The frustration of course is, it's third and long, just get off the field however you have to do it, and we can come back and tie this game! If there was ever a time for a more conservative zone alignment or whatnot, however out of character it may have been, that was the moment for it. To not die by the sword, for that one play.
He played well vs Georgia outside of 1 play.
He wasn't terrible. He had a good season
The Gray play was brutal but our offense blew it on the 2nd and 3rd possession of the game. We can’t get down 21 to Ohio State before the offense has basically their 4th full possession of the game.
Our only legitimate shot was to replicate the first possession and limit OSU’s possessions in the game. All the sudden we’re down 24 and the slow 3 yards and cloud of dust gameplan is out the window.
The biggest position disparity in the game was our D-Line. The only way to beat a team like OSU is getting pressure without mega blitz packages. It’s how Michigan and Texas found success. It almost doesn’t matter how well the DB’s play when the DL can’t get pressure. The receivers are too good if the ball is on time and in the right spot every pass play.
Our only legitimate shot was to replicate the first possession and limit OSU’s possessions in the game. All the sudden we’re down 24 and the slow 3 yards and cloud of dust gameplan is out the window.
The biggest position disparity in the game was our D-Line. The only way to beat a team like OSU is getting pressure without mega blitz packages. It’s how Michigan and Texas found success. It almost doesn’t matter how well the DB’s play when the DL can’t get pressure. The receivers are too good if the ball is on time and in the right spot every pass play.
Wouldn't be in natty game, if it wasn't for gray.
This is from another site. I believe an ex football player (NOT ME). This person is typically much more positive
"Just watched the all 22 on defense and man there was some issues. Junior did not have a good game at all lost contain so many times. The linebackers players bad Bowen and kva being really young showed with bad run fits. Christian Gray man I don't want to bag on the kid and the last play wasn't the problem but man he had a bad game. Man or zone he was lost and could have been picked on more. Positives Moore is a stud his junior year he will be the best corner in the country and there is a chance that could happen next year with just how well he has played as a true freshman. Clark played his ass off and so did shuler"
"Just watched the all 22 on defense and man there was some issues. Junior did not have a good game at all lost contain so many times. The linebackers players bad Bowen and kva being really young showed with bad run fits. Christian Gray man I don't want to bag on the kid and the last play wasn't the problem but man he had a bad game. Man or zone he was lost and could have been picked on more. Positives Moore is a stud his junior year he will be the best corner in the country and there is a chance that could happen next year with just how well he has played as a true freshman. Clark played his ass off and so did shuler"
Hey I misread your post then realize you were not blaming the player but the coaches so i apologized right after that. No reason for this attack
Gray just got physically and mentally exposed the last 2 months. It's rare to recover from that at the corner position. You give up plays occasionally.
But he gave up about 10 vs USC, a few vs indiana, a few vs georgia, and a bunch vs OSU.
NO...getting physically and mentally exposed: that's what makes it the corner position...do you WATCH much football?
Yep, and when teams know there's a corner they can just pick on and pick on, they do that. if you watch football you'd see that's the USC and ohio state game. When howard knew ND was in man, more times then not he went after gray. His worst throw of the day was a pay where I think tate smoked gray for an easy td but howard overthrew it.
ND is a man team, he's bad at man, worse at zone.
He probably starts next year, and miami will be going after him, no doubt.
Clark was real sticky. Even the completions he gave up he was there to quickly make the tackle. Same for Moore who is just a great corner period. Ohio st didn't even run anything deep at Moore. I think Watts and Shuler were solid last night as well. I don't know if the OSU TE's were purposely not part of the game plan but they only had a reception for 4 yards.
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