FOOTBALL: Defense still making the big plays
By MATT LOZAR
Sports Writer
With the Irish in another of their accustomed tight contests, the team looked to its opportunistic defense in the fourth quarter to come up with the big plays. The defense was happy to respond.
"Our coach emphasizes all the time that big plays win ball games," Irish cornerback Preston Jackson said. "You have to have good players at all positions."
With Pittsburgh starting an offensive drive in Irish territory, Glenn Earl came up from his free safety position and played his role as the hard-hitter in the secondary perfectly. He crushed Pittsburgh quarterback Rod Rutherford, forcing and recovering the fumble at the Notre Dame 13.
"I tried to hit him right in the middle of his chest, but he was holding the ball in the wrong arm, and either my helmet or shoulder must have hit the ball," Earl said.
With Pittsburgh driving for the tying score, the Notre Dame defense came up with the big play again. On the Panthers' 83rd offensive play of the game, defensive linemen Ryan Roberts and Kyle Budinscak flushed Rutherford from the pocket. Rutherford tried to throw the ball away, but Jackson didn't let that happen.
"I had to do my pushups last game, and I didn't feel like doing them again this game," Jackson said. "I had to be aggressive. That was part of it, just being aggressive and going to get the ball."
There were different heroes Saturday on the Irish defense, but seeing someone other than usual stars Shane Walton, Vontez Duff and Courtney Watson make the big plays didn't surprise Irish coach Tyrone Willingham.
"We expect that of our players," he said. "You never know what position your opponent will put you in and who will be called in to make that play. But with our style of play, we expect them to find a way to step up and make a play."
That game-sealing play exemplified the mindset of the defense. It is 11 players working together as one unit — a unit that has strapped the Irish on its back and carried them to a 6-0 start.
"What the offense does really means nothing to what we do," Earl said. "We know we have to shut teams down. We know we have to try to get teams to turn the ball over and get it back to our offense."
As the Irish proved on Saturday, a team doesn't win the game on the stat sheet, it wins the game on the scoreboard. Despite yielding 402 yards to the Pittsburgh offense, the defense kept the Panthers out of the end zone — which is all that matters.
"I don't care about the yards — we played a lot of plays, and the more plays you play the more yards you're going to give up," Irish defensive coordinator Kent Baer said. "Keeping them out of the end zone is huge."
After seeing Rutherford get ample time to throw for 233 yards in the first half, the Irish simply turned up the intensity in the second half and let their defensive line go after the Panthers.
"The front four definitely stepped it up the second half," Earl said. "It seemed like every time the quarterback dropped back he was scrambling and running for his life back there. That definitely makes our job in the secondary a lot easier."
The Irish recorded eight sacks, the most since 1996. Justin Tuck continued to impress, causing havoc from his defensive end position. The sophomore had three sacks and forced a fumble.
"I thought he was fantastic," Willingham said. "We think Tuck is a tremendous edge rusher, and he has the ability with his explosiveness to put a lot of pressure on the offense."
With difficult road games at top-20 teams Air Force and Florida State on the horizon, the defense may have to continue to carry the Irish on its back.
But that doesn't bother them at all.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Contact Matt Lozar at mlozar@nd.edu.
All Sports Stories for Monday, October 14, 2002
