Topic: Gazette: Johnson’s speed a challenge for Herd

[ZackUSAF82]

By Doug Smock
Staff writer

HUNTINGTON — To sum up the talents of East Carolina running back Chris Johnson, we summon that eloquent spokesman of the Marshall defense, linebacker Maurice Kitchens.

“Fast, really fast. Really fast. Did I say he was fast?” Kitchens said. “He’s kind of fast, and he can really run fast, and he’s really fast.”

Is that all? Apparently, no.

“You’ve got to come up on him,” Kitchens said. “If you can’t get him stopped, then, as Coach said, ‘It’s going to be hard to tackle him with just one man, on a consistent basis, everybody’s got to go tackle him!’ All right. I’ll meet him in a hole, try to take him down myself a couple of times, but in space ... you know ...”

In space, Johnson can pretty much take a tackler to the moon. He has scored 18 touchdowns — 13 rushing, four receiving and one on a kickoff return — to help the Pirates average 32 points per game.

“It’s great to have that two-play drive, where you hand if off and he breaks off a 75-yard run,” ECU quarterback Rob Kass said.

Link: http://wvgazette.com/section/Sports/Marshall/2007110728