Nate Sheppard proves point after Stanford's boast on stopping the run

Nate Sheppard has seen the Heisman hype and said he's taking it with "so much grain of salt" this early in the season.

The Duke running back also saw the clip of Stanford cornerback Brandon Nicholson saying no one runs on the Cardinals' defense. The Blue Devils ' offensive line and Sheppard himself proved that wrong on Saturday, and after the 35-7 victory in which he put up 154 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, Sheppard was asked about the clip.

Yeah, so I saw the quote, I think on Wednesday, and then we actually saw the video, I think it was yesterday, on Friday, and it was the type of arrogance he had when he said it, and I think it rubbed the whole offense the wrong way," he said. "We were out there to prove a point."

Prove a point indeed, as the Blue Devils racked up 268 yards on the ground, led by their star running back, who leads the nation in all-purpose and rushing yards after Week 3. He came out strong from the start, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in the second quarter, including a 32-yard touchdown run that showcased his agility and speed and got the team on the board.

It's not exactly Sheppard's personality to look for a challenge. Still, he's already been given plenty this season, including being left off the Doak Walker Award Watch List for best running back in the country. The Louisiana native responded with a meme on Twitter and, to make sure voters were paying attention, was named Doak Walker Award Running Back of the Week after a 227-yard, two-touchdown performance against Tulane.

"I'm not looking for it, but if they're going to give it to me, I'm going to take it and run," Sheppard said.

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