MIKE TAYLOR T wenty two.
The number didn't compute with UW linebacker Mike Taylor because there was no concept of what he was doing while he was doing it beyond
taking every play for what it was. No more, no less. "You just think about it as one play,'' Taylor said. "That's all it is.'' 22. Did it feel like he had that many tackles at Ohio State? "You really don't know,'' Taylor said, "because you really don't think about it.'' 22.
Nobody has had that many tackles in a game for the Badgers since Bob Adamov in 1998. Adamov, a drop linebacker, had 23 tackles; most of them coming on Purdue wide receivers. That's because Drew Brees completed 55 of 83 passes for 494 yards in a 31-24 loss. Adamov's 23 tackles were the most since 1990 when safety Scott Nelson had 23 against Iowa. Dave Crossen, a linebacker, holds the school record with 28 tackles against Purdue in 1977. 22.
Does Taylor remember ever having that many tackles at Ashwaubenon High School? "I don't think they kept track in high school,'' he said.
But he did remember one number. "My previous high before this year was nine,''
said Taylor, who had nine tackles against Wof- ford in 2009 and nine against Michigan in 2010. His high this season was 14 against Nebraska. In this context, Taylor conceded, "I think any- body would be surprised (with his 22).'' Surprised, too, because high tackle totals are harder to come by today. "You used to leave it up to coaches to tally tackles,'' said Bielema, a former linebacker as- sistant and defensive coordinator. "I'd always get a kick out of certain teams.''
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"If you do your job and make plays, others will feed off that and everyone will start making plays," Taylor said. "There will be kind of a snowball effect.''
Teams, he noted, that would inflate the totals
to draw attention to one of their players on de- fense. Whenever Bielema would break down the film, "It didn't quite add up.'' Taylor's did and the 22 tackles were the fourth-
highest single-game total in college football this season. New Mexico State's Donyae Coleman posted the high mark — 24 against Nevada on Oct 11.
Bielema is fond of players who "talk with their pads.'' Getting Taylor to talk at all can sometimes be a challenge.
Is it fair to say that he's just quiet by nature?
