All right, everybody, everybody, welcome to the defensive edition of the Irish Breakdown podcast presented by Fandul.

And we are going to talk about this defense. And to be honest, fellas, this defense, at times it was like, yeah, let's get it.

And then at times it was like, oh, dang it. So, you know, I think there's a lot to break down here defensively, guys, Brian.

It's your turn to go first, sir.

Yay!

Give me your thoughts on the defense.

This was one of the weirdest games to evaluate for the defense because there was so much good from the defense in this game,

but the bad was bad.

And you had not just the penalties.

I mean, you could say, okay, the officiating hurt you.

And even like the 59-yard was a 59-yard TD that Christian Gray gave up,

it's like after getting called for like three-pogous pass interference, you're like, well, you wonder why he's not trying to get hands on because he's like, anytime I touch the guy, they call it throw a freaking flag. Like, you know, it just, it was, you know, and again, that doesn't mean it justifies Christian not playing that first corner better, but you get to the point, but like there was blown cover just tonight. There was a play. They ran like an action play. And I think it was a Don Schuller or Kingston, one of the two. I think it was a Don. But they were both. One of those two would have made the mistake. Just turn a guy loose up the field. Again, it could have been Kingston, but I think it was, you know, I think it was a Don Chula that made the mistake. There was a play where Christian is covering an over route and Tay doesn't come down and take the over. He should have, everybody's looking at Christian Gray. Like, oh, Christian Gray sucks. He gave up another big play. No, that's on Tay. Like, Tay's got to, you're now in his zone. You got to come down and take that route. And, you know, so, like, there was a lot of stuff like that that went on tonight. And, and that's where a lot of, a lot of USC yard came from. And stuff like that, you know, like, look, yeah, you're going to have to get back into drawing board and break down the film and clean that up. But you take away like eight plays.

This defense played great, you know, and it's just one of those things that, that I just, I was, there were times I thought they got a little bit too passive with their coverage on the outside they gave USC some easy completions in times and they shouldn't have at a third and eight they just allowed to no clients to just run to the sticks and get open against zone to some of that stuff I't like, but there still was a lot of aggressiveness.

There was plenty times where, you know, they took away the initial read.

They forced Jaden Maia able to go to a second read.

Like there was one particular play.

It was the interception to Christian Gray.

And they're like, you know, I think it was I and it,, I and, what's his name? I and Eagle or was it Noah, Noah, Eagle. Noah, uh, Noah, uh, no, I was kind of listening to the replay on the, on the, on the, uh, afterwards. And then he was somebody, you know, you know, you know, he was a good position, but that ball was behind him.

And he goes like, the pass rush didn't get home. And I'm like, yeah, the pass rush actually did its job.

Because what you guys got to understand is the pass rush is, we say this all the time, Sean.

The pass rush is not always designed. It's not either sack or it's a failure.

You're meant to impact the offense.

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