"I can't stand to fly/I'm not that naiveI'm just out to find/The better part of me"
--Five For Fighting, "Superman"
Notre Dame apparently cannot stand to fly, either: The Irish will not board a flight this season until their eighth game, against Washington State in San Antonio on Halloween.
The Irish are still out to find the better part of themselves, too. After all, through four games they are 3-1 with only one take-the-foot-off-the-pedal victory. And their Superman, Michael Floyd, is out for the remainder of the season. Floyd's absence creates the opportunity for other offensive skill-position guys to make names for themselves. Here, then are my five for the Fighting Irish: five offensive players who need to see more playing time.
1) Robby Parris, WR
Do not forget Parris. while this senior is not exactly the second coming of Jeff Samardzija some hoped he would be, the Shark's li'l buddy has been criminally underused this season. Parris has good size, sure hands and a veteran's calm. Weis acknowledged that on the critical third-and-15 call at Purdue, Parris was in the game because "that was a nuance throw" and in such a situation "we wanted a burly veteran in that situation." Has any Irish player made a more difficult catch, in a more pressure-packed situation, this season?
Parris had 29 receptions as a sophomore, back when Floyd was tearing it up in St. Paul, Minn., and the only route then-frosh Golden Tate knew how to run coincided with the first two letters of his name. With the former wideout gone for the season, there's no reason that Parris cannot be the most productive pass-catcher to fill the Floyd void.
2) Bobby Burger, TE/FB
I don't believe that Burger is smaller than fellow tight end Mike Ragone, whom the Irish list at 6-foot-5, 251 pounds. Just as I'll never believe that Jimmy Clausen, whom the Irish list at 6-foot-3, is an inch taller than Harrison Smith, listed at 6-foot-2.
The transfer from Dayton is a Burger deluxe. At Purdue he caught the only ball thrown to him this seas, on a critical third-and-seven, avoiding one tackler for a nine-yard gain that moved the chains. Burger is also the Irish's best blocker at fullback. Have it your way, Charlie.
3) Shaquelle Evans, WR
When Tate was running go routes back in 2007 as a freshman, he lacked one advantage that Evans has: He didn't have Tate lining up wide on the other side. Evans, a burner from Los Angeles, is going to see plenty of one-on-one coverage as long as Tate and tight end Kyle Rudolph are on the field, so why not fire up the rocket boosters and let him fly? The Irish are beginning a three-game home stretch, ideal conditions for Evans to make a few big plays and gain some confidence.
4) Theo Riddick, HB
The kid has wheels. Last Saturday night Riddick took a handoff out of the Wildcat formation and scooted 24 yards around right end in less time than it takes to say, "Percy Harvin". Riddick may not exactly have that kind of speed or talent, but he and his Not Ready for Prime-Time Player buddies (Dayne Crist, Robert Hughes, Golden Tate at QB) stole the show for the Irish offense last Saturday evening.
5) Robert Hughes, HB/FB
Watching the Chicago native run is akin to attending a monster truck show. He rumbles over and through obstacles, and his pads should come with mud flaps. Last Saturday night Hughes had his best game since the season finale his freshman year at Stanford, where he barreled for 136 yards on just 18 carries. At Purdue he entered the game early in the second quarter and carried, on consecutive plays, for 20, 8, 7 and 2 yards, the final carry ending in a touchdown. Where had that been the past 16 games?
