Chris Nickson almost single-handedly led Vanderbilt to a season-opening victory last week at Miami (Ohio).
As the Commodores prepare for Thursday?s game against South Carolina, Nickson will gladly accept the burden one more time.
The senior quarterback ran the ball 20 times for a career-high 166 yards last Thursday in engineering a 34-13 victory.
?Whatever wins,? Nickson said. ?I?m a very effective runner and feel like I can make big plays with my running ability. If in any way the game plan sees fit that I run 30 times, I?m down for it as long as we?re winning.?
For Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson, utilizing Nickson?s speed only makes sense for a Commodore offense still identifying its playmakers.
?We know we?ve got to run the quarterback some to stay competitive, and it gives us a chance for some big plays,? Johnson said. ?We want to regulate the amount of times he runs down the field, but it?s part of our offense and we?ve got to do it.?
Nickson?s running demoralized Miami last Thursday. His 59-yard run came during one touchdown drive in which he rushed for all 66 yards. He rushed for 122 yards in the first half as the Commodores built a 27-10 halftime lead.
Nickson missed the second half of the 2007 season partly due to injuries, including a separated shoulder. He deems himself healthy and prepared for the pounding of Southeastern Conference play.
Johnson isn?t worried, either.
?I don?t think it?s that big of a concern,? he said. ?Chris is stout. If you look at him on the field, you don?t realize how stout he is. He?s a big guy. He can hold his own.?
A healthy Nickson returned his old form last week. In 2006, he piled up 2,779 yards of total offense, the third-most ever in a season by a Vanderbilt player.
That year, he rushed for 150 yards against Duke and became one of the SEC?s most feared multi-dimensional quarterbacks.
In torching Miami last week, Nickson benefited from a game plan designed to utilize his speed.
?Everybody has a misconception that he just pulled it down and ran it all the time,? Johnson said. ?Most of those runs were designed plays, and the offensive line did a great job on some of those plays and made some great blocks. He took advantage of it. He did scramble some, but not near as much as people think.?
Still, Johnson said the Commodores will need to be ready to open up their passing game against South Carolina if the Gamecocks focus too heavily on Nickson.
?I think we?re very capable of doing both, and I think Chris is, also,? Johnson said. ?Whatever is happening in the game, we?re going to try to capitalize on it and go with it.?
As the Commodores prepare for Thursday?s game against South Carolina, Nickson will gladly accept the burden one more time.
The senior quarterback ran the ball 20 times for a career-high 166 yards last Thursday in engineering a 34-13 victory.
?Whatever wins,? Nickson said. ?I?m a very effective runner and feel like I can make big plays with my running ability. If in any way the game plan sees fit that I run 30 times, I?m down for it as long as we?re winning.?
For Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson, utilizing Nickson?s speed only makes sense for a Commodore offense still identifying its playmakers.
?We know we?ve got to run the quarterback some to stay competitive, and it gives us a chance for some big plays,? Johnson said. ?We want to regulate the amount of times he runs down the field, but it?s part of our offense and we?ve got to do it.?
Nickson?s running demoralized Miami last Thursday. His 59-yard run came during one touchdown drive in which he rushed for all 66 yards. He rushed for 122 yards in the first half as the Commodores built a 27-10 halftime lead.
Nickson missed the second half of the 2007 season partly due to injuries, including a separated shoulder. He deems himself healthy and prepared for the pounding of Southeastern Conference play.
Johnson isn?t worried, either.
?I don?t think it?s that big of a concern,? he said. ?Chris is stout. If you look at him on the field, you don?t realize how stout he is. He?s a big guy. He can hold his own.?
A healthy Nickson returned his old form last week. In 2006, he piled up 2,779 yards of total offense, the third-most ever in a season by a Vanderbilt player.
That year, he rushed for 150 yards against Duke and became one of the SEC?s most feared multi-dimensional quarterbacks.
In torching Miami last week, Nickson benefited from a game plan designed to utilize his speed.
?Everybody has a misconception that he just pulled it down and ran it all the time,? Johnson said. ?Most of those runs were designed plays, and the offensive line did a great job on some of those plays and made some great blocks. He took advantage of it. He did scramble some, but not near as much as people think.?
Still, Johnson said the Commodores will need to be ready to open up their passing game against South Carolina if the Gamecocks focus too heavily on Nickson.
?I think we?re very capable of doing both, and I think Chris is, also,? Johnson said. ?Whatever is happening in the game, we?re going to try to capitalize on it and go with it.?
