NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For a player not many Division I schools wanted after high school and a successful stint at junior college, Vick Ballard wrote an award-winning final chapter to his story Friday night.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer used his final college game — a 23-17 victory against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl — to show the country what many of the premier programs missed out on for ignoring his talents for so long.
“Whenever you know you are better than the other guys but not getting the recognition, sometimes that is what I use as fuel to work harder,” Ballard said.
Ballard would use that “fuel” to rumble for a career-high 180 yards on 14 carries to help him earn the game’s MVP honor.
On a night in which he had the second-most yards by a MSU player in a bowl game in school history, Ballard also had the longest touchdown run by a MSU player in a postseason game.
He claimed after the game he didn’t remember either scoring play.
“I don’t even remember how I got there, but I know 10 other guys had to do their job,” Ballard said. “I just found the crease and hit it.”
Ballard remembers how he got off to one of the worst starts of his career. The workhorse tailback fumbled for the first time in 197 touches, which helped Wake Forest take a 7-0 lead. It was a mistake Ballard knew he had to make up for in a hurry.
“I haven’t really fumbled too much all year,” Ballard said. “I hadn’t really done much (in the game) and I needed to step up and make a play. That’s how I always think.”
After the fumble, Ballard accounted for 71 percent of MSU’s rushing attack and had his highest yards-per-carry average of his college career.
“Like I said (it was) just missed assignments,” Wake Forest defensive tackle Nikita Whitaker said. “I believe I was out of my gap on one of those big plays (by Ballard), and good running backs see that and they just take it to the crib.”
Ballard’s 180 rushing yards were the most by a Bulldog since NFL player and MSU all-time leading rusher Anthony Dixon had a school-record 252 at Kentucky in 2009.
Ballard ended his career with 2,157 rushing yards, which is 10th all-time. He reached that number in just two seasons in Starkville, and finished his career tied for fifth in career points scored and tied for 10th in touchdowns responsible for (29).
Ballard ended the season with 1,189 rushing yards, which is fourth all-time. He passed six former MSU players Friday night, a number that meant a lot to him since he was 16 yards short of 1,000 in his record-setting touchdown season last year.
“A guy like Vick Ballard is what you have to call a team player and somebody who always wants the team to succeed much more than he wants us to perform,” MSU senior offensive guard Quentin Saulsberry said.
Ballard also accomplished another goal: To leave MSU better than when he arrived. That is as telling an accomplishment as his award-winning performance.
“It’s a great thing for the players in Mississippi,” Ballard said. “Winning big games consistently and the Egg Bowl will get those guys convinced this is the place to be in Mississippi. It’s something we need to strive to do every year.”
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