Vickers key in 2000 upset of Broncos
Greg BurghardtThrow in the fact that he was a freshman making his first start, and not many people gave them a chance to beat the 31-point spread.
Then a teenager, quarterback Derrick Vickers was thrown into the spotlight in CMU’s biggest game.
“It took me a while to realize how big this was,” Vickers said. “Everyone was talking about it, and the fans were going wild.
“Like anyone, I was a little nervous, but after that first snap I felt right at home.”
It didn’t take long for the freshman to get his offense in gear. On CMU’s first drive, Vickers threw a short pass to Ira Gooch that turned into a 77 yard touchdown, and just like that it was 7-0.
“They started me out with short passes, and we eventually worked into more of a deep drop-back game,” Vickers said. “It really helped with my accuracy.”
Vickers struck again on CMU’s second possession of the game with a pass to David Hannah for a 15-yard touchdown to give the Chippewas a 14-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
At this point, Vickers was no longer a freshman quarterback, making his first start. He was the most loved man at CMU and an instant hero.
Although the CMU offense failed to score again until the fourth quarter, Vickers didn’t make any mistakes. He played within his game and didn’t turn the ball over.
“I told myself before the game that I was gonna go out there and play hard and not make mistakes, and if I did, I was going to shake ‘em off,” Vickers said.
With the score at 14-10 in the fourth quarter, the Chippewas offense had stalled again and they were forced to punt.
Western Michigan returner Josh Bush fielded the punt at his own 27- yard-line and went 73 yards the other way to give Western their first lead of the game and all of the momentum.
Without the luxury of a 14-point lead, Vickers could no longer “just not make mistakes.” He was now forced to make something happen and questions had arose as to if he was capable of leading his team to victory.
With 10:30 left to play and the ball at the CMU 29-yard line, the spotlight shone even brighter on the freshman. After six minutes, 14 plays, 71 yards and a Vince Webber touchdown run, CMU led 21-17 and Vickers had answered every question with a resounding yes.
The CMU defense held from their own 21 yard line, and pandemonium ensued. Students rushed the field and joined the players to celebrate one of the biggest victories in school history.
For that moment, nobody cared that CMU was 2-8, all that mattered was that on that day they were 1-0 and they had found a new leader in the form of the freshman from Miami, Florida.
Vickers finished the game 16 of 28 with 228 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
“That game was a big stepping point for him,” said wideout Rob Turner. “After that we knew that he could get the job done.”
“That game boosted my confidence a whole lot,” Vickers said. “Everything clicked. I was completing passes and putting the team in a good position to win the game.”
This year, Vickers enters the Western game once again having to prove himself.
“I’m still coming in with that fighting attitude,” Vickers said. “I’m gonna put it all on the line out there. I think I owe it to the seniors.”
