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| | Monday, September 6 | |||||||||||
| James Jackson sure talks a great game. This season, he'll get
plenty of chances to back up his words.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Jackson produced the moment he set foot on campus in Coral Gables. In 1997, he broke Chuck Foreman's freshman rushing record with 595 yards, and last season he complemented James' 1,416-yard, 17-touchdown effort with 545 yards and five TDs. "James has a lot of confidence in his ability, and in brief glimpses he has done things well," coach Butch Davis said of Jackson. "But doing it 10-12 times a game is a lot different than being in there for 65 plays in 11 or 12 games." With the Hurricanes breaking in new quarterback Kenny Kelly, Jackson is the likely choice to take most of the handoffs, at least early in the season. Jackson may not be ranked with Wisconsin's Ron Dayne, Texas Tech's Ricky Williams or Arizona's Trung Canidate as Heisman Trophy contenders, but he has said he can win the award. If talking counts, he's already a leading candidate. "What I'm known for is 'takin' it to the house,"' Jackson said. "The times I got in the game last year, my offensive line was huffin' and puffin' and they were like 'James, take it to the house so we can take a breather.' My goal will be the same -- every time I touch it, go for the end zone." Last season, Jackson and Najeh Davenport took turns replacing James, so Jackson understands Davenport will see his share of playing time, too. And that's OK. "We may switch quarters, like I did with EJ," Jackson said. "But until Kelly gets some experience, I think they will use us more."
Run for 100 yards against the Buckeyes or Nittany Lions and Jackson is sure to gain national attention. "We're going out there to get as many wins as we can," James said. "They're human just like we're human. Everybody wants to say this team is better than us, that team is better than us. We'll see on the field." Two years ago, in a 27-25 loss at Virginia Tech, Jackson gave a sneak preview of his talent. He replaced an injured James in the second half and ran for 142 yards and two TDs -- one a 78-yarder -- on nine carries. "With what he did against us in that game, he showed me he's probably as good as James," Virginia Tech defensive end Corey Moore said. "He's a tough runner." James says some compare his running style with Barry Sanders', "but I say, 'No.' "I like to watch Terrell Davis, and how he sits back there and waits for the linemen to pick up the ends or the linebackers. As soon as that happens, it's bump! I'm through the hole. That's my style."He even uses mathematics to figure out his next move. "I look at this as geometry," Jackson said. "I look to see how fast the cornerback is coming, or where the linebacker is coming from, and what angle they're coming at and see if they are going to collide. Then I figure out ways to avoid them." Euclid couldn't have said it better. | ALSO SEE Big East: Battling for balance, respect
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