ATLANTA — Notre Dame football owns the best team passing efficiency defense rating in the FBS for many reasons.
The Irish (14-1) faced four teams who finished this season ranked in the bottom 25 of the FBS in passing efficiency. They played against backup quarterbacks in victories over Georgia Tech (No. 52 in passing efficiency) and Georgia (No. 33). And while the Irish played against five of the top 25 teams in passing efficiency through 15 games, two of them were Army (No. 14) and Navy (No. 16) teams with offenses that use the pass as a surprise more than as a strength.
But more important than the list of quarterbacks and wide receivers the Irish have faced this season is the way Notre Dame’s defense plays against the pass. The Irish lean on their physical abilities and force quarterbacks into quick decisions with different pressure looks designed by defensive coordinator Al Golden. Notre Dame has the best team passing efficiency defense rating because the Irish know how to cover.
That’s why Notre Dame’s pass defense held up against Indiana (No. 2 in passing efficiency) and Penn State (No. 10) in the College Football Playoff. But the Irish may be facing their toughest coverage assignments of the season in Monday’s national championship game against Ohio State (13-2) in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN).
SUBSCRIBE TO INSIDE ND SPORTS TO STAY IN THE KNOW ON NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS
Related Content
► Beyond getting 'Jacked' up, Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua's visions and takes
► In the final CFP countdown, what matters most for Freeman and Notre Dame
► How Notre Dame's injured players carry on as teammates prep for title game
► Inside Notre Dame O-line's full-circle saga and tapping into Joe Moore
Not because the Buckeyes rank No. 3 in passing efficiency, quarterback Will Howard ranks in the top 10 in passing touchdowns (5th, 33) and passing yards (8th, 3,779) or OSU has the No. 12 scoring offense (35.8 points per game). But because Ohio State arguably has the best wide receiver group in the country.
How Notre Dame’s secondary fares against that group might not decide the game. But it’s one that Notre Dame will need to win with consistency in order to prevent Ohio State’s prolific offense to take control of the game. And more likely than not, those secondary wins will need to come in man coverage.
Notre Dame uses some version of man coverage on the majority of its defensive snaps. And according to Pro Football Focus, all five of Notre Dame’s starting defensive backs — cornerbacks Christian Gray and Leonard Moore, safeties Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler and nickelback Jordan Clark — have graded out better in man coverage than zone coverage.
Man coverage isn’t just something Golden and defensive backs coach Mike Mickens prefer. It’s what Notre Dame does best.
“We've got to dance with the date that got us here,” Golden said. “Like at the end of the day, 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.”
That’s not to say the Irish won’t throw wrinkles in their coverages to confuse Howard or make sure freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith can’t get rolling. But there’s only so much Golden can dial up without leaving the defense vulnerable elsewhere against an offense with skill talent all over the field.
“If you try to take the slot (Emeka Egbuka) away, you've got 4 (Smith) and 17 (Carnell Tate) on the perimeter. If you're light boxed, they're big and strong enough to run it inside. If you leave the tight ends alone, it's a tough one-on-one match-up. So, there's a reason why they score like they do.”
Egbuka, a senior who needs just two more receptions to tie K.J. Hill for Ohio State’s program record for career receptions at 201, has a healthy amount of respect for Notre Dame after playing against the Irish each of the past two seasons. No Ohio State receiver had more catches than Egbuka in either of Ohio State’s wins over Notre Dame. He caught nine passes for 90 yards and one touchdown in the 21-10 win in 2022 and seven passes for 96 yards in the 17-14 win in 2023.
“Ever since I played them since I was a sophomore, they play the game really hard, they play it the right way,” Egbuka said. “When it comes to execution they're coached really well. Obviously, they're going to be a great team every single year.
“I think 30 years down the line you're going to see the same thing because of the culture they built up over there at Notre Dame. Tremendous respect for them, and I think they're the other best team in the country, so they made it to the national championship. We get to see the two best teams in the country face off on Monday night; just what you want.”
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO INSIDE ND SPORTS ON YOUTUBE
Despite Egbuka’s highly productive career, he might not have been Ohio State’s most talented receiver on its roster in any of his four seasons in the program. That’s because he played with four first-round NFL Draft picks in his first three seasons: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. Now Egbuka is playing alongside freshman phenom Smith, who leads the Buckeyes in receiving yards (1,227) and receiving touchdowns (14) this season on 71 receptions.
Texas managed to limit Smith to one catch for three yards, but Howard still threw for 289 yards and one touchdown in a 28-14 win for the Buckeyes in the CFP semifinal hosted by the Cotton Bowl. Golden expressed hesitance in trying to borrow too much from Texas’ game plan in limiting Smith.
“First of all, I think they did a really good job. But you can overcommit,” Golden said. “If you overcommit to one guy, then Tate has a big game or 2 (Egbuka) has a big game or the running backs have a big game. We're just going to have to pick and choose how we want to defend and when we want to take chances or be aggressive.”
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith has closely studied Notre Dame’s cornerbacks.
“Christian Gray, 29, is a great corner,” Smith said. “No. 15, Leonard Moore. Two great guys out there, very physical. But we're Ohio State receivers, so we're ready for the challenge.”
Smith will welcome any opportunities to be matched up one-on-one with them.
“If that's what they do, that's what they do,” Smith said. “We're just going to go out there, play our game and show the reason not to play man-on-man.”
Gray has been Notre Dame’s weak point when it comes to man coverage, according to PFF. His man coverage grade of 72.3 is worse than Moore (83.8) and Clark (75.8). Those struggles for Gray have been on display at times, most notably against USC when he allowed 130 receiving yards in coverage, per PFF. But in other instances throughout the playoff, like allowing a 67-yard reception to Georgia’s Arian Smith, Gray’s allowed some big catches.
Yet Gray’s made enormous plays for the Irish, too. He helped secure the 49-35 win over USC with an interception returned for a 99-yard touchdown and set up Notre Dame’s game-winning field goal against Penn State in the CFP semifinal with an interception in the final minute.
For all the praise received by Notre Dame’s secondary this season, it can really put a stamp on its dominance with a strong performance Monday night. The mindset remains the same. As Mickens preaches, deny my man.
“Really just be who we are, be what we are made for, be what we prepared for, and just keep attacking and being violent all the time,” Gray said. “Just know that it's going to be a fight every game, and we're just going to have to finish it.”
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND and @TJamesND.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
