As Jaden Nixon made his means residence following UCF’s season-opening win in opposition to Jacksonville State two weeks in the past, the redshirt senior operating again couldn’t get his efficiency out of his head.
Three touches for minus 10 yards.
Not the debut that Nixon hoped for with the Knights.
“I’m driving residence and I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve received to attend a complete week to indicate what I can do,” Nixon recalled. “However I simply confirmed up on Monday and went to work. I confirmed up on Tuesday and went to work. The entire week, I simply confirmed up and went to work.”
His new teammates have been there for him all through the week, reminding Nixon to brush it off.
“They’re telling me, you’re going to be straight, every thing’s going to work out and God has a plan for you,” Nixon mentioned.
It didn’t take lengthy for Nixon to repay everybody for his or her assist.
TV, kickoff time set for UCF’s residence sport vs. Invoice Belichick and North Carolina
13 seconds into Saturday’s contest with North Carolina A&T, Nixon was celebrating with teammates and coaches after his 96-yard kickoff return for a landing.
“I can’t take all of the credit score to myself,” Nixon mentioned. “As I’m returning [the kick], I’m watching guys simply wash all people over and the center opened up. It’s an ideal feeling. It’s a blessing.”
“He had it in his eyes. I knew he was going to take it to the home proper out the gate,” mentioned edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly. “All of us noticed the movie of him final 12 months, so we already knew he’s received pace and he’s explosive.”
The final Knight to open a sport with a kickoff return for a landing was Quincy McDuffie on Nov. 20, 2010, and it was the primary kickoff return for a landing since Mike Hughes in 2017.
Nixon wasn’t carried out.
Initially of the second quarter, he took a handoff from quarterback Tayven Jackson and raced 87 yards for a landing and into the historical past books. Nixon turned the primary Knight in class historical past with a kickoff return landing and a dashing landing in the identical sport.
“We’ve been speaking to him as quick as he’s; he simply must run by way of the smoke and ensure that he’s not at all times attempting to cease and juke,” coach Scott Frost mentioned
“It’s one factor to listen to that as a operating again, that you simply’re not hitting it laborious sufficient,” Nixon recalled of the dialog. “I used to be like, ‘What have I received to do now?’ So all week I used to be going at it laborious, taking cuts and making hits that I haven’t been making as a lot as I used to.”
Clearly, the work paid off.
UCF sees bye week as an opportunity to get wholesome, appropriate errors
Nixon would add one other dashing landing within the third quarter: a 66-yard run that pushed the result in 47-0 earlier than ultimately profitable 68-7.
5 touches for 252 yards, three complete touchdowns.
The 252 all-purpose yards have been probably the most by a Knight since Rannell Corridor’s 277 yards in 2013.
Nixon’s efficiency earned him Large 12 Offensive Participant of the Week honors, the primary by a Knight since former operating again RJ Harvey final September.
“The offensive line did an ideal job of giving me alternatives to carry out and do what I can do,” Nixon mentioned. “You by no means know the way it’s going to hit. … It was only a blessing to have the ability to be put in that place.”
Matt Murschel might be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com