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Talib finds another target LAWRENCE | Before the season started, Aqib Talib talked about the Big 12 wide receivers he most wanted to face. Texas’ Limas Sweed. Oklahoma State’s Adarius Bowman. Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly. Talib, a Kansas cornerback and Playboy All-American, didn’t mention Kansas State senior Jordy Nelson. On Tuesday, months later, Talib found himself surrounded by a hungry group of reporters, all wanting to know the same thing: “What do you know about Jordy Nelson?” Sensing that Saturday’s rendezvous with Nelson in Manhattan, Kan., would be one of his biggest showcase games of the season, Talib politely invited Nelson to his side of the field. “If you’re a receiver who’s putting up numbers and you’re in the Big 12,” Talib said, “I’ll be more than happy to play against you.” Jordy Nelson, welcome to Aqib Talib’s radar. Nelson’s performance in four games — he’s averaging 124.25 yards per game, good for fifth nationally — has put this one aspect of the Sunflower Showdown under the microscope more than any other. For one thing, you’ve got two NFL talents hoping to add a game’s worth of highlights to their draft mixtape. Then there’s the intrigue of Nelson’s physical, get-out-of-my-way mentality against Talib’s athleticism, anticipation and quick feet. “I think he’s a little different than most,” Nelson said. “He’s a little bigger, a little taller, lankier guy. It’ll be fun.” Talib admits that Nelson is different from most, too. Nelson drew praise from Kansas safeties coach Clint Bowen for the way he stiff-armed defenders in the Auburn and Texas games to get extra yards. “I guess I haven’t really been matched up against one like that,” Talib said. “So I guess we’ll see, huh?” But will we? Nobody from the KU side would commit to Talib being matched up on Nelson. “If I told you that,” KU coach Mark Mangino said, “then somebody else is going to know that, and it wouldn’t be smart to put strategy out in the public eye.” Mangino did offer this: “We’re not going to make drastic changes to our defense.” Why have an Aqib Talib if you’re not going to put him on a Jordy Nelson? Well, it’s not that simple. The Wildcats move Nelson around often, and he won’t always be lined up outside. “If coach wants me to follow him around,” Talib said, “I’m going to follow him around.” Said Nelson, “With the position I play, depending on what formation we’re in, I might not even be there on the outside with him.” Last year, KU did not make a point of matching Talib up with the opposing team’s best receiver. The result, at least against Bowman and the Cowboys, was disastrous. But the Jayhawks believe the players around Talib are better equipped to help out on Saturday. “Obviously, they’re going to end up across from each other on occasion,” Bowen said. “But we’ve got confidence in Chris Harris and the guys on the inside, like Darrell Stuckey.” Still, though, Talib is the preseason All-American, the guy who talked openly in the preseason about winning the Jim Thorpe Award. The junior has come a long way since his first career start two years ago in Manhattan. Saturday, he plans to show it. “My first game,” Talib recalled. “It was crazy. I got a fade caught on me, a curl. I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the last time I was there I didn’t have a good game. So I’m back. Let’s go.” To reach J. Brady McCollough, Kansas reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4363 or send e-mail to jmccollough@kcstar.com |
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J. Brady McCollough - jbrady@coveringsports.com (email) - 816-868-2621 (cell) |
