Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/176703
fan forum reminds me of guys like Rocky Bleier and Bob Gladieux. He's not big, he's not fast, he's not powerful, he's not elusive. He just takes the handoff from the quarterback and runs downfield from point A to point B, and when he gets to point B he still has the ball. Cam looked good against Temple — and he looked even better at Purdue to clinch the game. I like Cam McDaniel. GO IRISH! John Paul White Hemet, Calif. Too Much Exposure I have been a Notre Dame fan since the late 1960s and never written a letter or email to any publication concerning the Irish football team until now. It is very obvious how much the defense really misses Zeke Motta and Manti Te'o, not only for their physical ability but also for their leadership. The defense has been exposed for what it really is, which is at this point is very average with a lack of real focus. I have never seen so many missed tackles from an Irish team than I have from this defensive backfield. I know that KeiVarae Russell was selected to the Freshman All-American team. He may be a great athlete, but with his mentality he is much better suited for offense, where his type of talent can be effective. I would love to see the switch between safety Matthias Farley and cornerback Bennett Jackson, which would be a bit of a risk. But nobody at safety has yet to step up to this point. Frank Ardilla Chula Vista, Calif. Mr. Ardilla, the KeiVarae Russell and Matthias Farley stories last year were two of the more amazing ones in recent decades in how far they came in such a short time. There are plenty of bodies at the offensive skill positions, so Russell is needed much more at corner. He arrived as a running back/receiver and is on a learning curve at defense — which makes it all the more remarkable how effective he and the unit were last year. As the season progresses, continued improvement in the defensive backfield will be anticipated. From The WebSite Sometimes the impact of a football player is not fully appreciated until after he departs. One longtime fan reasoned that Notre Dame's defensive identity took a significant step back this season for one main reason: HamonWry: The missing piece is Manti Te'o. He, more than Brian Kelly, deserves credit for that physical and mental toughness attitude last year, and his absence explains more than Kelly this year. He was an exceptional leader, one of the best I've ever seen in a Notre Dame uniform. He was a warrior, and it was infectious. When a play needed to made, he made it. He set the tone. It's no accident that the entire defense played its worst game against Alabama (with plenty of credit to the Tide) when Manti clearly did not have his usual focus. There's an element of chemistry involved, and you could see it in the Lou Holtz years, as well, when there were stretches where the team played less than inspired ball. It happens.