The Dallas Cowboys played a largely sloppy first half of football against the Jaguars before a Jalen Tolbert touchdown made it a one-score ballgame just before halftime. Perhaps the biggest disappointment from the opening 30 minutes was that Deuce Vaughn didn't see any action on offense.
In fact, Vaughn's only touch came on a kickoff return in the second quarter.
Thanks to some impressive jump cuts, Vaughn took the kick to the 25-yard line. The excitement around AT&T Stadium as Vaughn cut upfield was impossible to ignore. It was clear the fans in attendance wanted to see more of the rookie sixth-round pick.
That's exactly what they got coming out of halftime as Vaughn opened the third quarter as the starting running back after Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle split the first-half carries.
On his first carry, Vaughn left a Jaguars defender in the dust with a filthy spin move.
The Deuce is loose!@C_Vaughn22 | @dallascowboys
— NFL (@NFL) August 12, 2023
📱: Stream #JAXvsDAL on NFL+ https://t.co/bBFpXewtKp pic.twitter.com/6vHweeGkVp
Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn went off in the third quarter vs the Jaguars.
2,000 likes and counting. For a six-yard run. Only Deuce.
Vaughn has showcased his spin moves and elusiveness at training camp and he picked a perfect time to unleash another. The 5-foot-5 running back was sized up at the line of scrimmage and he managed to turn it into a six-yard gain.
On the drive, Vaughn totaled 20 yards on four carries. On each one of them, oohs and aahs rained down from the AT&T Stadium crowd.
Not many short-yardage carries in the first week of preseason would generate excitement among football fans, but Vaughn's performance on the second half's initial drive was all it took to strike a cord with Cowboys Nation.
There’s that bounce-off ability that we’ve gotten so used to seeing from Deuce Vaughn.
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) August 12, 2023
Had Erick Hallett looking like he was tackling a stick of butter.#DallasCowboys
Holy crap Deuce is so much fun lol
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) August 12, 2023
DEUCE VAUGHN SPINS OFF OF CONTACT AT THE LOS AND RATTLES OFF ANOTHER EIGHT YARDS AND YES I AM YELLING BECAUSE HOLD ME TIGHT THIS IS FUN
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 12, 2023
Me trying to remind myself that Deuce was a consensus All-American and *should* look good against guys playing in the second half of a preseason game. pic.twitter.com/5v47GI981b
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) August 12, 2023
Deuce Vaughn takes his first rep as a single-set RB and he rumbles forward for six-yard gain.
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 12, 2023
D-linemen can't find him until he pops out on the other side.
Deuce already looks fantastic.
— Defy (@defytalkcowboys) August 12, 2023
Later in the quarter, Vaughn broke loose (pun intended) for a 26-yard run.
Deuce Vaughn pic.twitter.com/ZOFV5yYsXf
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 12, 2023
A few plays later, Deuce found the end zone for his first NFL touchdown to give the Cowboys their first lead of the game, 16-14.
Dak Prescott is fired up for Deuce Vaughn pic.twitter.com/9WiEfiwjhv
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 12, 2023
Right out of a Hollywood movie script.
Despite riding the bench in the first half, Vaughn is the Cowboys' leading rusher with 50 yards on eight carries. That's good for 6.3 YPC.
Who knows what Deuce has in store for the final 10 minutes, but he's more than ready for the moment.
We knew that already, though, right?