NASHVILLE – During the first quarter of Vanderbilt’s matchup with Missouri last Saturday, running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run that gave the Commodores an early 7-0 lead in Columbia.
Moments later, former Commodore running back Zac Stacy posted a tweet.
This kid is special man …. talent wise .. one of the best to come through Jess Neely Dr @SneakVaughn5
— Zac Stacy (@ZSTACY_) November 10, 2018
That praise from Stacy, a former All-SEC running back at Vanderbilt and the Dores’ 2018 SEC Football Legend, foreshadowed an epic day for Vaughn. The redshirt junior ball-carrier torched the Tigers for a career-high 182 yards and one touchdown on 15 rushes. Vaughn’s performance marked the highest rushing output by a Commodore ever against an SEC opponent.
Vaughn was as explosive against Missouri as he was a week earlier in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In the Commodores’ 45-31 win over the Razorbacks’ on Oct. 27, the Nashville native scampered for 172 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. In all, Vaughn’s 354 total yards in his last two games stand as the most by a Commodore in back-to-back contests since 1978, when Vanderbilt’s Frank Mordica amassed 435 rush yards in consecutive games against Air Force and Tennessee.
With two games left in the regular season, Vaughn is one of the hottest players in the SEC.
“Ke’Shawn is a very good player,” Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. “He’s blessed with a lot of ability and works hard everyday to get better. He’s very motivated right now, and he’s playing at a high level for us.”
Vaughn, who sat out last season after transferring from Illinois, showed flashes early in the season as part of a committee of running backs for the Commodores. He joined graduate student Khari Blasingame and sophomore Jamauri Wakefield in replacing Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt’s all-time leading rusher. Vaughn chipped in 93 yards and two touchdowns against Nevada and 146 yards and a score against Tennessee State early before looking dangerous in an Oct. 13 matchup against Florida. In the first half, he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass and ran seven times for 56 yards against the Gators.
But an injury forced Vaughn to miss the second half versus Florida in an eventual 37-27 loss. He then sat out the following week at Kentucky during his recovery. Now healthy, Vaughn has been a different player for Vanderbilt’s offense in his last two games.
“Taking that week off had its advantage and its disadvantages, not being able to play,” Vaughn said. “But being able to recover from any pain and angst I was feeling, it’s just a good feeling being back out there with my team.”
As Vanderbilt eyes a strong finish to 2018, Vaughn’s production stands tall against other SEC rushers. His 7.4 yards-per-carry average is best in the league, and he ranks top-five in total rushing yards (849), rushing yards per game (94.3) and rushing touchdowns (nine).
Vanderbilt cornerback Joejuan Williams played his high school ball at Nashville’s Father Ryan High and arrived at Vanderbilt plenty familiar with Vaughn’s own career at nearby Pearl Cohn High. Williams said his eyes lit up when he learned Vaughn would transfer to Vanderbilt after two years at Illinois.
“When he transferred over, I always knew he was going to be something special,” Williams said. “At the end of the day, I’m glad it’s finally coming to light. When he came [to Vanderbilt], I was extremely excited, because I already knew what was going to happen.”
Vaughn, meanwhile, cares more about winning than personal accolades. The Dores welcome Ole Miss to campus on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network) before closing the regular season against Tennessee at home on Nov. 24. Vanderbilt needs two wins in two games to punch its ticket to the postseason. That’s Vaughn’s goal going forward, a mentality he holds each time he carries the football.
“I just take advantage of when I get the ball,” Vaughn said. “Over my college career, I’ve learned and I’ve grown a lot and matured a lot. I know I’ve got to control what I can control. Whenever I get the ball, I’ve got to make a play.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
