Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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murphy's Law dan murphy Creating Depth With Versatility T wo days before Alabama provided a black-and-blue reality check for the Fighting Irish, both teams poured into Sun Life Stadium to greet the horde of media members in South Florida. It was a rare occasion to see the full rosters laid out in the flesh, no longer just a list of names and measurements. Those of us that left that field thinking Notre Dame had a fighter's chance weren't paying close enough attention. The Tide rolled through first. Its starters gathered in the shade of a white tent not far from the end zone where junior Eddie Lacy celebrated his first touchdown 56 hours later. The rest of the team climbed into the orange seats near the corner of the end zone where Lacy spun to his second score, 57 hours later. Notre Dame's players followed suit when Alabama finished. The scene under the tent looked similar. In the stands, the scorching Miami sun illuminated the difference between a program ascending the ranks of college football and one firmly ensconced at its summit. "They've got spectacular depth," Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick said outside the Irish locker room Monday night. The shock of a 42-14 loss had long since worn off. The autopsy was underway. "We're building that depth, but KeiVarae Russell, a decorated running back in high school, earned Freshman All-America honors from CBSSports.com in his first year of playing cornerback, epitomizing Notre Dame's focus on recruiting multi-dimensional players. photo by bill panzica that's not a one-year or two-year thing," Swarbrick added. "It takes multiple years to build depth. I think that's the next step for us." Every player in the Alabama stands on media day looked like he could have been sitting under the tent. Notre