If there's a negative about McCallie's Daniel McClure, it's that his short stature possibly has affected his chances of playing big-time collegiately. Yet if the senior were taller, he might not be the big-time producer that he's become for the Blue Tornado.
McClure has run around, under and through opposing defenses all season long, to the tune of 678 yards and nine touchdowns. He has scored three times in each of three games for the 10th-ranked Tornado and enters tonight's battle against rival and top-ranked Baylor as a marked man -- provided the Red Raiders can find the 5-foot-8 back, who admits that his listed height is a "little nice."
"I do think my size is a factor," he said. "I don't take long strides; I've got choppy steps and I run low. If I were taller, I might get beat up, but it's not very often that a team gets a clean shot on me."
Wrestling McClure to the ground will be a priority for the Red Raiders, who are mindful of both his ability and durability.
"He's a tough kid and a tough running back," Baylor coach Phil Massey said. "He's plays hard. He's physical and he's obviously somebody we have to worry about. We must do a good job of tackling him; in films we've seen he really has to be gang-tackled, because he's always giving great effort.
"He is one of those kids that is going to play hard for four quarters. He has great vision, sees where seams are and hits them."
In three of McCallie's four contests, McClure has carried the ball 23 or more times, including 37 carries last week against Father Ryan when he had 241 yards. He's also topped the 100-yard barrier on three occasions, save for a 91-yard effort against Tyner.
Tornado coach Bubba Simmons said that although McClure gets a lot of carries, that's not necessarily by design.
"With the triple option, a lot of it is reads by [quarterback] Trent Lusk," Simmons said. "We know that Daniel's a hard-nosed kid, but he's very durable and understands the game. A lot of Daniel getting a lot of carries is because of the reads that Trent's making. Daniel's had plenty of experience, though, and he's running behind an offensive line that's getting better and better.
"The thing that's made our offense so effective is that both Trent and Samir [Usman] are capable runners, and we have good receivers for Trent to throw to, so you really can't load the box against us."
With their top rival owning a two-game win streak in the series, McClure is not trying to get too high or too low, rather opting to just stay focused.
"When I hear 'Baylor,' the first thought that goes through my mind is 'dislike,'" he said. "It's not necessarily the people, but the concept. They're a good school with good athletics, but it's one of those things where as a McCallie person you can't like Baylor in sports.
"That's what makes it so much fun is that we get to play with a lot on the line. There's very few personal rivalries, but when this week rolls around you have to be focused. Baylor is a good team with a good coach and good players, and we read all that. We think we've got good players and a good team, too.
"This game is always under a microscope, because you can read about how teams do against schools from Nashville and all, but everybody will know what happens in this game.
"A win Friday would mean everything. Anything less than that would be a disappointment."