The redemptive character Notre Dame football needed showed up in the biggest moment of the season
After a couple of good initial drives, the matchup against the USC Trojans became one to quickly forget for Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray. A breakout star this season, Gray gave up several big plays during the 49-35 victory over the Trojans. At times, head coach Lincoln Riley and USC were picking on the sophomore, […]
After a couple of good initial drives, the matchup against the USC Trojans became one to quickly forget for Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray. A breakout star this season, Gray gave up several big plays during the 49-35 victory over the Trojans. At times, head coach Lincoln Riley and USC were picking on the sophomore, and it felt like a day that was never going to end for Gray.
Then the Irish came into very unfamiliar territory, holding only a 7-point lead near the end of the fourth quarter. The Notre Dame defense was getting driven on, and their backs were fully against the wall. They needed a huge play and nobody knew where it could come from. The Irish haven't been used to close games recently, and had their perseverance put to the test.
Entering that drive, the smart money would not have been on Gray. As USC quarterback Jayden Maiava went back to pass, he released the football, and everything seemed to be in slow motion. Before you blinked, you saw Gray make an outstanding interception, and proceeded to race 99 yards for a touchdown.
That was the biggest play of the game, and the biggest one on the season so far. Gray’s interception lengthened the margin, and USC wasn’t able to recover. On the next defensive drive, All-American safety Xavier Watts followed up with his lone long interception return for another touchdown.
The Notre Dame pass defense came into the game in the elite category. As a unit, they were surrendering less than 140 passing yards per game, and just a 47.6 percent completion percentage. They saw those numbers take a huge hit, as Maiava threw for 360 yards on the night.
With how the night was going for Gray, it was only fitting that he be the one to make the biggest play of the contest. The St. Louis star became the redemptive character that this latest chapter of the Notre Dame story needed. He was a major player in helping the Irish cement a spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football playoffs.
