Boulder – A team captain who is as unselfish as anyone, Colorado senior running back Lawrence Vickers didn’t feel comfortable saying “I told you so.” But, yes, his four-touchdown, 85-yard effort in a 29-point victory over Missouri on Saturday felt good. Real good. Both were career bests.
A fullback and jack-of-all-trades during most of his time in a Buffaloes uniform, Vickers got the call as an emergency starter at tailback when Hugh Charles tweaked an already sore ankle in pregame warmups.
Vickers told CU coach Gary Barnett he was ready.
Was he ever.
“To see L.V. run like that was pretty sweet,” Barnett said. “He’s one of those guys who loves to play the game. He wants to be on every snap. He’s got great passion for the game.”
As the starting tailback, Vickers could have opted out of his regular duties on punt return and punt-coverage teams. He wouldn’t hear of it.
“I could never give up special teams because it’s so much fun,” Vickers said.
A 72-yard effort against Oklahoma State last season was Vickers’ previous best. Saturday he had 78 yards by the end of the third quarter.
“I wasn’t tired at all,” said Vickers, who had 18 carries for a 4.7-yard average. “The O-line wanted to run the ball every down.”
That would have been fine with Vickers. He signed with the Buffs in 2002 as a highly touted running back out of Houston’s Forest Brook High School, where he rushed for 4,610 yards and 70 touchdowns. Although he had visions of following in a long line of CU tailbacks, Vickers has never complained about his supporting role.
“I’m always ready to do what the coaches want,” Vickers said.
The Tigers couldn’t keep up with Vickers because they had trouble finding him. He ran inside and outside, left and right. He set up his fourth touchdown with a reception.
And it was Vickers’ block that afforded quarterback Joel Klatt enough time to throw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Quinn Sypniewski midway through the third quarter.
Players and coaches understand the sacrifices he has made for the good of the team.
“He’s one of the favorites in the locker room,” Klatt said. “I was teasing him after the game, asking him why he paid my receivers to fall down on the 1-yard line so he could get the touchdown.”
Vickers corrected Klatt.
“I didn’t get the touchdowns, all of us got the touchdowns,” Vickers said. “I couldn’t have done it without the other guys.”
Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
