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The Life


December 27, 2002
Hard Cover
ESPN The Magazine

The scariest film this year? Maybe The Ring or Panic Room. But any coach who faced Miami this season will tell you it was the film of the Hurricanes' Rose Bowl romp over Nebraska -- more specifically, the scenes where Andre Johnson threw off Cornhusker cornerbacks like they were pieces of lint. "That showed everybody what can happen when you try to play press coverage against Johnson," says Syracuse defensive backs coach Tim Walton. This year, the Orange tried mixing up coverages against him. He still caught six passes for 181 yards and a TD, and beat them on all three levels: a short route (hitch), an intermediate route (crossing pattern) and a deep route (takeoff).

  • Fiesta fever:
    It's all about matchups
  • Game Breaker:
    Andre Johnson, quiet killer
  • Game Taker:
    Coaches beware, it's Chris Gamble
  • Hard Cover:
    Breaking down Johnson vs. Gamble
  • If Ohio State CB Chris Gamble plays press, Johnson can use his freak-show strength to rag-doll him and break long. If Gamble gives a cushion, Johnson can run a hitch route and muscle through the tackle. Big East coaches suggest pressuring QB Ken Dorsey with zone blitzes. Of course, that can be problematic too, says West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez; Dorsey is so poised and patient, he'll wait until Johnson clears the zone droppers.

    Expect to see Gamble gamble. "He guesses a lot," says Illinois wideout Brandon Lloyd. "He'll bite a lot on the hitch-and-go." Gamble isn't strong enough to battle Johnson up close, so he will likely play off him. At 6'2", with long arms and a 40-inch vert, Gamble will be the rangiest cornerback Johnson has faced this season. Last season Johnson had a similar-sized foe in Boston College's 6'4" Lenny Walls, who, like Gamble, was a prep basketball standout. Johnson managed just two catches for 25 yards that day. Gamble is a better athlete than Walls, if not quite as big or as physical, so this matchup may not be such an overmatch.

    This article appears in the January 6 issue of ESPN The Magazine.



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