USC Film Room: Breaking down Christian Roland-Wallace's elite play vs. ND
Through the doom and gloom the Trojans endured against Notre Dame, hope flickered in the form of a defense that had its steadiest showing to date as they held the Fighting Irish to just 251 yards of total offense.
Though there were strong performances across the board on that side of the ball, no one shone brighter than cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, the Arizona transfer who seems to have stepped into the role of CB1 for the Trojans.
Roland-Wallace has played well for a number of weeks now, appearing to grow better with each game along with his confidence. Though he’s not the fastest or quickest, the 6-foot, 200-pound corner brings very good size and length to the position, along with good instincts and physicality that shine through in all phases of his game. The senior had his best game in a USC uniform against Notre Dame, creating pass breakups on all 3 attempts thrown his way and tallying 3 tackles.
This week, I took a look at Roland-Wallace’s tape against the Fighting Irish to see what exactly it is that he’s doing at a high level.
Pass breakup on third-and-6 in second quarter
On a key third-and-6 early in the game, Roland-Wallace is lined up in man coverage on tight end Mitchell Evans, the Irish’s leading pass-catcher. Evans is the lone receiver on the backside of the formation, making this a tough, two-way-go assignment for Roland-Wallace to handle.
At the snap, he does an excellent job of remaining patient and keeping himself square to Evans as the tight end tries to bait him in one direction at the release. As Evans gets into the stem of his route, the cornerback chooses the perfect moment to initiate his jam right at 3 yards off the line, stopping the big pass-catcher from building momentum before he works into his break. As they continue to hand fight at the top of the route, Evans uses his right arm to throw a savvy push-off on his in cut, creating instant separation and giving Sam Hartman a clear window at which to fire the ball.
At first it looks like it’s going to be a simple catch, but watch the precision with which Roland-Wallace breaks and closes on the pass-catcher as the ball comes in. His focus here is impeccable, tracking the ball into Evans’ hands perfectly as he arrives and punches straight through the football to jar it loose for an incompletion. The ball skills and focus needed to make a play like that can’t be overstated; a vast majority of defensive backs would have given up the catch on this play as soon as the separation had been created on the route.
On a critical third-and-medium, the senior knows that finding a way to make a play on this ball is essential and he sells out to make it happen. That physicality at the catch point is one of Roland Wallace’s most inspiring traits, and he’d go on to show it off a few more times in this game.
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