Paul has career day in Lawrence
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By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Ted Gilmore never worried about Niles Paul maintaining his confidence through some rough spots this season.
“That’s not his issues,” the Nebraska receivers coach said. “I don’t ever have to worry about that part of it.
“If anything, I’ve got to reel him in. He’s got a lot of confidence. Niles likes Niles Paul.”
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Saturday afternoon, so did Gilmore, and a bunch of people dressed in red.
Where should we start with Paul’s career performance in Nebraska’s 31-17 victory at Kansas?
Let’s work backward and highlight the junior’s 44-yard, fourth-quarter kickoff return, after Kansas had taken its first lead, 17-16.
“They tried to pooch it, and I went up and got it,” said Paul, who fielded the kickoff at the NU 20-yard line. “That’s my job. I had great blocking out there. Those guys block hard for me. Those guys gave me a lane, and I just took it.”
That return, which set up Roy Helu’s go-ahead 20-yard touchdown run, was part of Paul’s career-high 244 all-purpose yards, bettering the 208 he had three weeks ago against Iowa State.
Ah, Iowa State. That forgettable game when Paul fumbled after a 72-yard reception. That, of course, happened a week after Paul fumbled a lateral that Texas Tech returned for a touchdown.
We revisit those ugly moments in Nebraska’s only two conference losses to illustrate the resiliency Paul has displayed.
“My ups and downs have definitely helped me become a better player,” Paul said. “I realize it’s football. You’re always going to have some downs, but there’s also going to be some ups.”
Saturday, with Nebraska utilizing “big” personnel sets — two tight ends, two running backs — Paul was the lone wide receiver, facing single coverage.
“It’s a week-by-week thing,” Paul said. “Sometimes the corners play off, sometimes they play up.
“The corners were coming up and trying to get in our face and jam us. We just had to show them that they couldn’t do that.”
Like on NU’s first play from scrimmage, when quarterback Zac Lee connected with Paul on a 35-yard pass. That set up a touchdown, the Huskers’ first on their opening series since the second game of the season.
“I wasn’t originally supposed to run a go route, but he (the KU defensive back) came up and pressed,” Paul said. “The intentions were that if he was going to come up and press, we were going to make a statement.”
Paul made that statement three more times with receptions of 37, 37 and 45 yards, and he finished with 154 receiving yards — a career high, and the sixth-most in Nebraska history.
Paul’s last two catches led to field goals.
“We challenged him all week: ‘You could be the playmaker. You could be the difference-maker,’” Nebraska tight ends coach and former receivers coach Ron Brown said.
“Niles is a big-time hitter. He comes in, and he cracks people and smacks people around. He had those safeties jumping up, trying to avoid his hits. And that’s when he was able to split down the pipe for the big play.”
Paul has three 100-yard receiving games this season, and he has nine receptions of 20 yards or longer.
Now, back to the kickoff return: Paul said he’d studied film of Kansas kicker Jacob Branstetter and was expecting the shorter pooch kick.
“A huge way to answer,” Nebraska special-teams coach John Papuchis said. “It changed the momentum.
“On those short kicks we work hard on getting a hat on every guy to that side. Our guys did a great job of adjusting to the return and getting a hat on everybody and just letting Niles find his crease.”
Now, it’s time to let Niles find his groove.
“I just got the opportunities to make plays,” Paul said. “I’ve been saying it all year, you give me the opportunity, I’m going to do my best to make plays.
“I felt like I was back in high school. It was a great feeling to be out there making plays like that.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at brosenthal@journalstar.com or 473-7436.
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