For much of the season, Notre Dame relied on sophomore Deon McIntosh to provide all of its depth at the running back position as ankle injury after ankle injury limited the usual Irish ball carriers. Now that the likes of juniors Josh Adams and Dexter Williams and sophomore Tony Jones are healthy, Notre Dame will be without McIntosh in the Citrus Bowl on Monday against No. 17 LSU.
WNDU, the South Bend, Ind., affiliate of NBC, reports McIntosh was sent home from Orlando, Fla., on Thursday due to a violation of team rules. A program spokesman has since confirmed that report.
McIntosh finishes the 2017 season with 368 yards and five touchdowns on 65 carries, gaining 5.7 yards per attempt. In a three-game stretch covering late September and the first week of October, McIntosh gained 206 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries as the nagging ankle sprains made it an imperative to rest the aforementioned trio as much as possible.
Entering the season, McIntosh was expected to be nothing but a last thought on the depth chart. He moved to running back from receiver in the spring after early-enrolled freshman C.J. Holmes suffered a shoulder injury. Holmes has been suspended indefinitely, including for the Citrus Bowl, due to a shoplifting arrest.
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