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43 Years Ago: Al Samuel's Big Day & Parseghian's QB Controversy

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Samuel's 78-yd. run tops Irish squad tilt

Spring games have a funny way of making second-stringers into stars.

Such was the case with Al Samuel, who had 15 carries for 130 yards to lead all rushers in the 1973 Blue-Gold game. Samuel would end up touching the ball just 34 times during Notre Dame's championship season that fall. But, for one day, the 6-foot-1, 178-pound tailback was a force to be reckoned with.

And, just to show that QB controversies aren't just a modern phenomenon, this Chicago Tribune article notes that Ara Parseghian had not made up his mind about which quarterback would start -- junior Tom Clements or senior Cliff Brown. (Clements, the incumbent, would eventually prevail.)