Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME Cam McDaniel Complements Deep Backfield Way back in 1990, Notre Dame had its ultimate embarrassment of riches at running back. Fullback featured leading rusher Rodney Culver, a future pro, plus top-10 all-time Irish rusher Tony Brooks could line up there, too, if needed. Conse- quently, freshman Jerome "The Bus" Bettis was limited to 15 carries as a backup option. At tailback, there was another future NFL Pro dick and Cierre Wood, both of whom could have NFL careers, and sophomore game-breaking speedster George Atkinson III, McDaniel has also demonstrated impressive running skills when he has had the opportunity to work behind the No. 2 line in mop-up duty. Against Miami Oct. 6, his 11 carries netted 55 plete with talent, but when somebody like sopho- more Cam McDaniel can be the fourth option while USC transfer Amir Carlisle is taking a medical redshirt season — that's pretty darn impressive. While biding his time behind seniors Theo Rid- yards and his first career touchdown, plus he grabbed a 21-yard screen pass. In the opener against Navy, he totaled 59 yards on just nine carries. "It's hard to get them all touches," head coach Brian Kelly said of his pleasant dilemma at running back. "We're struggling to get those [first] three guys. Cam is one heck of a good running back. He runs it as effectively as any of those three." The 5-10, 195-pound Coppell, Texas, native was moved to cornerback this spring to aid the thin unit. He could still help there in a pinch, but the emergence of freshmen KeiVarae Russell as one Bowl performer in Ricky Watters, with Brooks as a complement and Raghib "Rocket" Ismail as the closer. It was so deep that future NFL Pro Bowl running back Dorsey Levens transferred to Georgia Tech and sophomore Reggie Brooks — who would finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy race in 1992 — was playing cornerback temporarily. The 2012 Notre Dame backfield isn't quite as re- McDaniel, a sophomore, has produced when called upon, rushing 20 times for 114 yards and a touchdown and notching two receptions for 41 yards. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA starting corner and another freshman, Elijah Shu- mate, as the No. 1 nickel, provided the staff the luxury to have McDaniel on call for the offense. Playing his high school football in one of the premier hotbeds of football talent in the Dallas/ Forth Worth area, McDaniel put up superb num- bers (1,906 yards rushing, 40 catches and 35 total touchdowns as a senior) against top competition, but equally significant was the offense in which he played. "He's used to the inside-outside zone," Kelly said of the blocking scheme emphasized more by first-year offensive line coach Harry Hiestand and preferred by Kelly. "He came from the shotgun offense and he runs the ball exceedingly well. We have no hesitation of putting him in the game. "We only have one football. That's the problem." It's the type of issue every coach strives to attain. — Lou Somogyi