Notre Dame: KeiVarae Russell erases his interception burden

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Notre Dame senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell was amused last week by the developing narrative that he was struggling to shake off the rust of a one-year suspension.

The loquacious Russell pointed to his stats — third on the team in tackles (he’s now No. 2 after the USC game), a handful of pass break-ups and tackles for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble — as reasons why he wasn’t having a down year, but admitted he was lacking something.

He changed that in the fourth quarter against USC. Russell dove for a deep ball intended for explosive Trojans receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and reeled in his first interception of the season, one that was critical in pushing Notre Dame to a 10-point win over its historic rival.

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Russell saw Smith-Schuster stutter a bit, and knew he wasn’t going to run a curl route, so he took off running with one of the nation’s best playmakers.

“He started running fast, I started running fast,” Russell said, “and I was like, knock it down? Nah, let’s go for the ball.”

Russell was burned on a similar play on USC’s first drive, when Smith-Schuster torched the Seattle-area native for a 37-yard reception on third-and-eight. Coach Brian Kelly challenged Russell — who’s essentially a first-year player in the second season of Brian VanGorder’s defensive scheme — to be more aggressive after that play.

That challenge was received, and helped Russell deliver his first interception since the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl.

“He didn't play the ball in the air (on the first deep ball to Smith-Schuster) and I went to him and said, listen, you're in great position, you're in place, you have to play the ball in the air,” Kelly said. “I thought he played the ball in the air on that play. I thought that interception was a big play for us, a momentum swing.”

Russell said last week he was still learning how to practice better on a day-to-day, rep-to-rep basis, but his own self-confidence never waned during whatever level of first-half strife he encountered. That confidence has never been a problem for Russell, who after the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl said he thought he could be the best cornerback in the country.

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His own expectations haven’t changed, even after being banned by the university for the entire 2014 season. The 5-foot-11, 196 pound Russell believes he’s as strong and fast — if not stronger and faster — as any player on the field, and uses his athleticism as a starting point for any discussion on how good he can be.

After his fourth quarter interception against USC, Russell deflected a Cody Kessler pass into the waiting hands of safety Max Redfield, helping further cement Notre Dame’s win. But his pick earlier in the final period vaporized a lingering burden, and without it, Russell heads into the bye week with an even higher level of unbridled confidence.

“I definitely needed one,” Russell said. “Especially going into the bye week, I couldn’t go the first half of the season without an interception. I knew I had to make a play against USC and impact this game.”

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