Emmitt Smith Hits the Flat, Turning Short Catches Into Long Gainers : Football: Running back turns into star receiver after Rams’ secondary sits back in its deep zone coverage, forcing Aikman to dump short passes to rookie.

The Dallas Cowboys gave the ball to Emmitt Smith, and as he looked for a hole, any hole, the Rams stopped him. No gain.

Troy Aikman handed it off to Smith another time, and Smith tried to sweep around left end. Two yards.

Smith had complained as the Cowboys prepared for the Rams: You expect me to get 100 yards, you want me to get 100 yards, and you give me the ball six times against the San Francisco 49ers? Please!

The Cowboys gave Smith the ball 21 times Sunday in their 24-21 victory over the Rams at Anaheim Stadium. Smith gave them 54 yards rushing--a 2.57 average, nothing special, especially if you had been talking the way Smith had.

Why wasn’t anyone complaining? Why was Smith sporting a smile of victory in Anaheim Stadium for the first time, after he and his Florida team lost to Washington in the Freedom Bowl last year?

It was because the Ram defense, which made stars for a day out of quarterbacks Anthony Dilweg of Green Bay and Jim Harbaugh of Chicago, helped turn Smith into a star of a receiver.

While the Ram secondary sat back in its deep zone coverage, Smith roved freely in the flat. Time after time, Aikman looked deep, saw nothing and dumped short passes to Smith.

And short passes went for long gains. Smith got 117 yards on four catches, and Aikman got to share the credit.

“He’s an unbelieveable runner any time we put the football in his hands, whether he runs the football or catches it,” Aikman said.

The Cowboys were at their 29-yard line in the second quarter just before Smith caught his first pass.

They started the next play on the Ram seven-yard line after Smith turned a little pass into a 57-yard play, and a personal foul cost the Rams half the distance to the goal.

Two plays later, the Cowboys tied the score, 14-14.

Later, the Cowboys found themselves in a bad spot with the score tied, 21-21, in the fourth quarter and the Rams inside the Dallas 10-yard line.

Then Cleveland Gary fumbled, and the Cowboys recovered at the five.

Dallas tried a handoff to Smith and got nothing. They got 24 yards on a pass to Rob Awalt. Then Aikman threw to Smith, who turned a small gain into a 44-yard play before Michael Stewart pushed him out of bounds at the Ram 27.

It was the biggest play of the game-winning drive, capped by Ken Willis’ 23-yard field goal.

Before Sunday, Smith had caught only 16 passes for 60 yards this season.

“They’ve been trying to work me into a passing role,” Smith said.

They did it Sunday, and just like that, Smith had the best day of what has been a rookie season marked by fits and starts.

He left school early, but joined the Cowboys late, after protracted contract negotiations.

He came into his own with 121 yards rushing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then he questioned his coaches after getting the ball only six times last week.

Then this, a day in which he accounted for 171 yards.

“I can’t really say what makes the difference,” Smith said, then stopped short and smiled. “When they throw it to you, that makes a difference.”

But he has his other big game to remember, and he knows that one game doesn’t signal a permanent change, especially because his opportunity came at the expense of the Ram defensive scheme.

“You can’t expect that to continue,” Smith said.