THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 PAGE 3B FOOTBALL Former Dallas Cowboys coach joins Kansas ETHAN PADWAY ETHAN FRAWAN epadway@kansan.com twitter.com/UDK_BIG12Fball When Kansas football coach Charlie Weis started talking to Dave Campo about joining his staff as the defensive coordinator, Campo had just one question for Weis: "What's the quarterback situation?" "When I was the coach of the Cowboys, I didn't have one," Campo said. "So I believe that you really can't win without a quarterback. You have to have a leader that steps out of that huddle, commands respect and has some talent." Even though Campo is a defensive-minded coach, he still knows the value of a good starting quarterback and the struggles of looking for one. During Campo's first coaching stint in Dallas he was able to experience the difference a good quarterback made. During his time as the defensive backs coach, later the defensive coordinator, Campo saw the Cowboys win three Super Bowls with Troy Aikman under center. But in Campo's first season as coach, Aikman missed time with concussions, and then he retired in the offseason. In his defensive philosophy, Campo believes there are two defensive positions that mirror the quarterback's importance. "I think you need a middle linebacker, and I think you need a safety. Those two positions are the guys that are kind of the quarter backs of the defense*. Camo said While Campo is re-entering the college game for the first time in 22 seasons, he is not unprepared. Coach Dave Campo answers questions at the one-on-one interviews with assistant coaches during football media availability last month. Campo had the privilege to coach under Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, the only two coaches to win a National Championship and a Super Bowl as the coach of the team. But there is another, much less well-known coach who Campo also believes deserves credit for his success: University of Albany coach Bob Ford. Campo was a graduate assistant under Ford and had to apply against many applicants in a process that was similar to applying for a full-time coaching job. "He taught, every year, a new set of graduate students how to coach. We had to recruit. We had to be the coach of the freshman team in one of the freshman games. We had to set up all the travel." Campo said. Now on the Kansas staff, Campo thinks the group has the chemistry and ability to thrive as they attempt to turn around a program that won five games over the past two seasons. "When you're in the trenches, you've got to have people who like each other," Campo said. "They don't have to love each other, but they certainly have to put their ego's in a drawer sometimes, and I think he's got that group." — Edited by Bre Roach CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN NBA ASSOCIATED PRESS Indiana forward Christian Watford (2) is fouled by North Carolina Central forward Dominique Sutton as he drives around the top of the key in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Bloomington, Ind., Wednesday, Feb. 22. Non-conference game equal to a 'day off' OMINGTON, Ind. — Instead of taking a bye, the Indiana Hoosiers opted to play a non-conference game Wednesday night. It was almost as easy as taking the day off. ASSOCIATED PRESS Cody Zeller had 17 points and seven rebounds and Victor Oladipo scored 16 points, leading No. 23 Indiana to a 75-56 rout over North Carolina Central. The game was originally scheduled for Dec. 7, but when the conference schedule-makers dealt Indiana two byes in less than two weeks during league play, the Hoosiers asked North Carolina Central to move the game to late February. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school agreed, but it only prolonged the inevitable. Indiana (21-7) was too big, too strong, too deep and too athletic for a foe in its first season as a full-fledged Division I member. North Carolina Central (14-13) went more than 9 minutes in the first half without grabbing a rebound and had only four during the final 15:09 of the first half. Indiana coach Tom Crean wanted the new date to prevent his team from getting stale with so much time off. Dominique Sutton scored 21 points to lead the Eagles and Emanuel Chapman and Jeremy Ingram each had 10 points, not nearly enough to prevent North Carolina Central from losing its third straight in the series or dropping to 0-7 against Big Ten schools since moving to The Eagles came into Wednesday with five wins in their previous six games. Division I. They weren't. Despite the lack of energy inside Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers still looked sharp. They shot 51 percent from the field, outrebounded the Eagles 35-16 and never let North Carolina Central get close after extending the lead to double digits in the first half. The Eagles rallied, closing to 28-18, but Indiana rebuilt a 39-26 halftime lead and never let up. BASKETBALL Notre Dame's quick feet contribute to winning streak ASSOCIATED PRESS SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jerian Grant scored 20 points and No. 20 Notre Dame extended its winning streak to nine games with a 71-44 rout of West Virginia on Wednesday night. Scott Martin added 15 points and Jack Cooley and Eric Atkins had 13 each for the Irish, who shot 61 percent. They outscored the Mountaineers 41-16 in the second half after leading by just two points at the break. lead. After a timeout, Atkins hit a jumper and Martin connected on a 3-pointer and the 17-4 run put the Irish up 47-32. The Irish (20-8, 12-3 Big East) have not lost since Jan. 16 at Rutgers and are 15-1 at the Purcell The Mountaineers (17-11, 7-8) have lost six of their last eight. Kevin Jones had 15 points for West Virginia, which shot just 31.5 percent and made only 6 of 27 field goal attempts after halftime. Pavilion. It's the first time in program history Notre Dame has won nine straight Big East games. Grant took off on a dunk attempt with just less than 10 minutes to play and lost the ball on his way to the rim. But he hustled and came up with the ball in the corner and hit a 3-pointer to give the Irish a 58-35 lead. Notre Dame's quickness began to show in the first 5 minutes of the second half after the Irish led 30-28 at halftime. Atkins' three-point play, a steal leading to a dunk by Grant and Grant's 3-pointer after an offensive rebound built a 10-point West Virginia's Darryl Bryant, scoreless in the first meeting between the teams, a 55-51 Irish win in Morgantown on Feb.8, had 10 points in the first half and none in the second. A COURTSIDE SEAT Submit a short essay on your favorite KU B-ball player for a chance to win a courtside seat on press row & have your own column appear in the sports page. SUBMIT TODAY @ Kansan.com