Part animal, part beast, all Vickerson
Defensive end tackles, hurries, forces bad throws
By Joe Rexrode
Lansing State Journal
EAST LANSING - It wasn't until after his final game in Spartan Stadium that Michigan State senior defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson's nickname finally became public.
"We call him 'Ani-beastie,'" teammate Cliff Dukes said.
Huh?
"He's part animal, and part beast."
Give Vickerson's teammates credit for at least trying to be creative. Give Vickerson credit for living up to the moniker with the most visibly dominant performance of his career Saturday. He was always active, often in the backfield and rarely blocked cleanly in MSU's 49-14 upset blowout of No. 4 Wisconsin.
"I just went out to dominate the man in front of me," Vickerson said. "I think I had a good game. I don't know if it was my best game. That's for y'all to decide."
Vickerson's numbers were impressive for a defensive tackle - six tackles and a sack for a 6-yard loss. But they don't fully convey his impact on the game. In chronological order, he:
• Blew past Wisconsin guard Jonathan Clinkscale to sack Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco on a third-and-5 in the first quarter. MSU scored on a blocked punt recovered in the end zone on the next play.
• Took out two blockers on Wisconsin's next offensive play, allowing end Cliff Ryan to drop Anthony Davis for no gain.
• Split two blockers again to hit Davis after a 1-yard gain later in the first.
• Tore through the line to blast Stocco for no gain on a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line late in the first half. Two plays later, MSU completed a game-changing goal-line stand.
• Caught Davis from behind on a short pass in the third quarter, holding him to eight yards on what could have been a big play.
• Burst through the line, again, three plays later, forcing Stocco to throw the ball away on a third-and-5.
• Burst through the line, again, on the first play of the fourth quarter, forcing Stocco to throw the ball away, again.
Not a bad day for "Ani-beastie."
"He was the dominator today - they couldn't do anything with him," Dukes said.
"That's the way he should play," MSU coach John L. Smith said of Vickerson. "Kevin's been getting better and better all year, without a doubt."
Fellow tackles Brandon McKinney and Domata Peko also had effective outings, as did the ever-present Ryan. But it was Vickerson who stood out on his senior day. He came to MSU in 2001 with big credentials, hasn't always justified them, but is emerging as one of the Big Ten's most disruptive defensive linemen over the past few weeks.
"All the defensive linemen say I'm sometimes an animal and sometimes a beast," Vickerson said, trying to explain that nickname. "I think tonight I was both together."
Defensive end tackles, hurries, forces bad throws
By Joe Rexrode
Lansing State Journal
EAST LANSING - It wasn't until after his final game in Spartan Stadium that Michigan State senior defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson's nickname finally became public.
"We call him 'Ani-beastie,'" teammate Cliff Dukes said.
Huh?
"He's part animal, and part beast."
Give Vickerson's teammates credit for at least trying to be creative. Give Vickerson credit for living up to the moniker with the most visibly dominant performance of his career Saturday. He was always active, often in the backfield and rarely blocked cleanly in MSU's 49-14 upset blowout of No. 4 Wisconsin.
"I just went out to dominate the man in front of me," Vickerson said. "I think I had a good game. I don't know if it was my best game. That's for y'all to decide."
Vickerson's numbers were impressive for a defensive tackle - six tackles and a sack for a 6-yard loss. But they don't fully convey his impact on the game. In chronological order, he:
• Blew past Wisconsin guard Jonathan Clinkscale to sack Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco on a third-and-5 in the first quarter. MSU scored on a blocked punt recovered in the end zone on the next play.
• Took out two blockers on Wisconsin's next offensive play, allowing end Cliff Ryan to drop Anthony Davis for no gain.
• Split two blockers again to hit Davis after a 1-yard gain later in the first.
• Tore through the line to blast Stocco for no gain on a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line late in the first half. Two plays later, MSU completed a game-changing goal-line stand.
• Caught Davis from behind on a short pass in the third quarter, holding him to eight yards on what could have been a big play.
• Burst through the line, again, three plays later, forcing Stocco to throw the ball away on a third-and-5.
• Burst through the line, again, on the first play of the fourth quarter, forcing Stocco to throw the ball away, again.
Not a bad day for "Ani-beastie."
"He was the dominator today - they couldn't do anything with him," Dukes said.
"That's the way he should play," MSU coach John L. Smith said of Vickerson. "Kevin's been getting better and better all year, without a doubt."
Fellow tackles Brandon McKinney and Domata Peko also had effective outings, as did the ever-present Ryan. But it was Vickerson who stood out on his senior day. He came to MSU in 2001 with big credentials, hasn't always justified them, but is emerging as one of the Big Ten's most disruptive defensive linemen over the past few weeks.
"All the defensive linemen say I'm sometimes an animal and sometimes a beast," Vickerson said, trying to explain that nickname. "I think tonight I was both together."
