Shockley03

Knoxville Husker; let's just run the Alabama Crimson Tide test on this situation regarding the two co-No. 2 QBs. If either Ron Kellogg III or Tommy Armstrong had to take the reigns for Nebraska facing the hostile #1 ranked Alabama team (3-0) and its explosive defense led by C. J. Mosley, then which of these two would be the right choice (besides Taylor Martinez -- who could also pilot Nebraska's offense in this situation IMHO)? I think Kellogg III has gained way too much weight since last fall. The game would be way too fast for Kellogg III. I would have to close my eyes. Armstrong's improvisational skills though would allow him to survive this swarming and explosive defense -- though that would be a great test too because of the opponent. Still, I like Armstrong's chances of survival versus Kellogg III (not taking anything away from his 8-of-9, 139 yards passing performance yesterday against SD St.).

Hi EbylHusker. About what you just said, that's just who coach Bo Pelini is. He is a 1 quarterback guy for a head coach. I too have been waiting to see him drop different guys in at the position during the course of many games -- the way coach Dr. Tom Osborne always did. But that's just coach Pelini for you. I wanted to cry during the Nebraska-Wisconsin debacle a few years ago when Russell Wilson just overwhelmed Taylor Martinez in that blowout loss. I kept thinking, isn't there something we can do? Unfortunately, no adjustments were made at all---and we suffered through it. Now, I love what coach Pelini does on defense --- and Randy Gregory is going to be a star....but his lack of willingness to work in several different players on offense has always placed me in a bewildered state of mind. I remember how Tom Osborne would exercise depth to where if he saw QB #1 was struggling (Mike Grant for instance back in 1990), he would shift in QB#2 (Mickey Joseph). And later on in 1997, coach Osborne would sometimes use Frankie London as a relief pitcher to come in for Scott Frost to assist in the flow of the game as that combo worked in Nebraska's win over Daunte Culpepper and Central Florida. I am very hopeful though that Pelini will adjust in the future and become more flexible with the use of Armstrong to assist T-Mart. The way Nebraska QBs get hit so often, it would make sense to use more than 1. I mean, coaches rotate at every other position like at RB, WR, and OL....Why not at QB too?

Wow! I just bought the Big Ten Network package so I could catch Tommy Armstrong's debut. Wow is all I can say at this point. Krc1995, he reminded me of the player inside your picture. I'm referring to Turner Gill. Gill was my hero! He started for Nebraska when I was in the 8th grade. Tommy Armstrong is another Turner Gill. Things look good in Husker-ville, Lincoln, Nebraska again! I'm excited about it. The only challenge from here on out is just a matter of hoping that our coaching staff will figure out what to do with all of their talent in that position. I still remember (and this one's for you Bucky from Wis.) Russell Wilson just laying waste to Taylor Martinez a few years ago in a regular season matchup with Wisconsin. (I already knew plenty about Russell Wilson's skillset from being with NC State earlier) It was such a rude awakening---an ugly blowout loss. If Cornhusker fans want to continue on this road down a pathway that leads to uncertainty, then can we stick with T-Mart? He's built up great stats -- and wins and losses record overall too. But T-Mart struggles mightily when the stage is bigger. The bigger the stage, the tougher it is for him. Is this what we want for the rest of the year? I recall when Florida State (about a decade ago) had a brilliant talent in a QB named Chris Rix. But all through his career in Tallahassee, Rix gave his fan base so much unrest because -- like T-Mart -- he just seemed to struggle mightily when the stage got bigger. He made turnovers in times when coach Bobby Bowden could least afford them. FSU didn't reach its potential a decade ago because of Rix's inconsistency. People don't want us to discuss this, but we know what we have in T-Mart. All of us do. I remember when Mike Grant stepped aside for Tommie Frazier back in 1992. Grant did it with so much class. And Mike Grant was a good runner too. Grant could explode. I also recall Grant having the deer-in-the-headlights look against Washington in early Sept. of that year in a 29-14 loss in that away game. It really comes down to the coaches with all of this. I just remember my older brother explaining to me about Bobby Bowden's and Florida State's delimma with its 4 year starter in senior Chris Rix those approximate 10 years ago or so. He said to me, "You know---here's the problem.....Florida State's QB Chris Rix is as average as grits."

This will be fun to watch. With Tommy Armstrong, he is a different type of quarterback. And this makes him a "must see." He's been brought up his whole life being trained at this position, but Armstrong is actually cornerback material -- which makes him lethal as a scrambler and at running the option. I've always wanted to attend a Nebraska game when the Cornhuskers had the extremely gifted, athletically inclined quarterback that has similar moves to that of a basketball point guard (i.e. Syracuse' guard Pearl Washington)---and we saw that in the likes of guys like Steve Taylor, Turner Gill, Nate Mason, Tommie Frazier, Mickey Joseph, etc. The aforementioned men could easily move to corner-, nickel-, or dime-back in the defensive backfield --and yet they use their Deion Sanders-improvisational skills at QB. Nebraska's fun to watch offensively due to their "pipe-line" offensive line and this specific aspect in the backfield once it's set in place.

I can't wait to see Tommy Armstrong play Saturday against South Dakota State. The brother has got skills!

T-Magic & Co. led 21-3 late in the half, but were not able to hang on in this loss to UCLA. He is kind of like former Clemson QB Charlie Whitehurst. Both Martinez and Whitehurst are pretty good quarterbacks that never could reach the level of the big stage while starting almost their entire careers at their respective schools. Whitehurst, though, had a positive ending to his 9-4 senior campaign by knocking off Tennessee in the Peach Bowl some 9, 10 seasons ago. Maybe Martinez can have a solid finish for NU. He faced a tough-nonconference opponent. Hopefully, the defense can improve. They are talented, and I was very impressed with them even though the box score won't reflect them as having a good performance versus UCLA.

I see exactly what you guys mean. Tommy Armstrong is easily my favorite player on Nebraska's team. He had a pretty good debut. I too was wanting to see him just throw one pass, but his rushing stats (4 carries, 23 yards) were pretty good. He certainly looks like a Dr. Tom Osborne style QB to me! It's going to be an exciting year for Nebraska this year.

I love this Darius Wade quarterback for Nebraska! He -- in my humble opinion -- is just what the doctor ordered for NU. Exciting, explosive mobile QB that can return Nebraska to its glory days of Turner Gill, Steve Taylor, Tommie Frazier, Mickey Joseph, Eric Crouch, Scott Frost, and Jammal Lord! He's a runner and a passer. He'll be able to compete with Ohio State's Braxton Miller when the game is in "crunch time." I love this situation for Nebraska! Get those 350 pound offensive linemen pounding and pushing---and Wade will have the option of rushing for yards or passing down field as he shows on high school film footage off YouTube.com. I hope the Delaware athlete signs with Nebraska tomorrow! This is the very news I have been waiting on as a Georgian for Nebraska! He's in the mold of a Dr. Tom Osborne quarterback!

Just listening to all the conversation about the turnover issues. Just like "Dawg to the Bone," I too am a Georgian for Nebraska. Y'all really took up the slack for me during the '90s when coach Ray Goff was in charge of Georgia. Remembering explosive athletes Turner Gill, Nate Mason, McCauthorne Clayton, Steve Taylor, Mickey Joseph, Keithen McCant, and Mike Grant just operate the option-I offense with their lateral speed, extreme quickness and strong, powerful I-backs! That was golden ... Nebraska football at its best! And then came along Tommie Frazier. Can y'all remember the fall of 1992? I know it's a very long time ago, but recall that back in the fall of '92, Tommie Frazier, Derek Brown, Lance Lewis, and Calvin Jones went all the way through October without having a single lost fumble! They displayed tremendous ball security ... and Lance Lewis was the Rex Burkhead of that era. He was a beast. Again, no fumbles from Frazier and the Huskers from Sept. to late October of 1992.

Yes. I love Nebraska almost as much as I love my alma mater -- Georgia ... and that will not change. I've been a Georgian for Nebraska going back to the Turner Gill, Irving Fryer, Mike Rozier and Roger Craig-led team of 1981 -- so this was a very interesting experience for me. I saw that wonderful offensive line just crush my UGA defensive wall at times which sent me into flashbacks of remembering NU offensive linemen Chris Dishman, Zach Weigert, Dean Steinkuhler, Aaron Graham, and Dave Rimington. On a few inside tackle runs, the Nebraska offensive line opened up an avenue for speedy Ameer Abdullah and rugged Rex Burkhead. I felt pretty helpless for my UGA alma mater late in the 3rd quarter when Nebraska led, 31-23. I felt like the former Arizona State coach (he looked like Hollywood actor Burgess Meredith) who said he was "under an avalanche" back when Tommie Frazier and Nebraska layed waste to ASU, 77-28, in 1995. Nebraska and Georgia are my two teams. I really feel that Taylor Martinez can lead NU to a Big Ten conference title and that coach Bo Pelini can pull off his dream of stealing the league away from his alma mater Ohio State next season, but offensive coordinator Tim Beck has got a star in Taylor Martinez. I'll admit, I am a huge Tommy Armstrong fan, but I also feel that Martinez has turned the corner -- if coach Beck can devise some kind of game plan for T-Magic to stick to. T-Magic needs to -- run more when it's not there. I felt sad for him late in the (I mean I'm happy for Georgia that we came out on top of course) game against Georgia when T-Magic elected to throw deep into coverage -- as UGA corner Damien Swann came away with the interception. I saw Aaron Murray make the same mistake at the end of the 1st half in the SEC title game against Alabama -- and that killed us. We put Bama right back into the game, and they rolled the rest of the way. Both T-Magic and Murray can learn from this concept. Either throw it to a safety valve receiver or race for the sideline to pick up 3 or 4 yards and keep the drive going -- or just chunk it in the stands. I'm convinced that Beck's got himself a winner, but T-Magic needs to be reminded that he's run a 4.32 before -- and just race out abounds. I haven't checked the stats yet, but if T-Magic can limit his throws to about 25 a game just like Bama did with A.J. McCarron against us, then that would bless him so much. His touch throws are on the money. T-Magic made some amazing throws for scores in the game today against Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings, and Damien Swann that were all jaw dropping, but Beck needs to coordinate that offense to T-Magic's strengths. He's a wonderful passer when he sets his feet. He's not Tommie Frazier though to where he can throw a nice pass off the run such as the waggle play, but he's very accurate in the pocket -- when he's not rushed. He's got blinding speed though, and his passing is getting much, much better. Coach Beck just needs to scheme better. Martinez can be a very bruising runner. Coach Beck needs to figure this out and maximize Martinez as a weapon, getting back to old school Nebraska ball control and the controlling of the clock. Ameer Abdullah is nice, but it'll be a wonderful thing to see when coach Beck and coach Bo Pelini get a Trung Canidate type running back into the backfield with T-Magic. This would help Ameer -- as one star back can't do it alone. He still gained over 1,000 yards rushing this year which is great. I like Ameer. Still, I'd like to see a Husker running back like Mike Rozier who could really assist T-Magic and Ameer, and help out them out next year. I still feel that Taylor Martinez is a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy, but that he just needs a little more around him -- mainly in the backfield. Nebraska and SEC speed. I hear a lot about this -- Husker fans and Georgia fans. I was telling my family this today ... that Nebraska is about the fastest non SEC team in the country! I've been arguing this point with Auburn and Alabama fans going back some 20 years. Nebraska recruits speed. We saw that speed today. Ciante Evans can run. P.J. Smith can motor. Husker defenses in the 90s were amazing! Ralph Brown, Tyrone Williams, Tyrone Legette, Tony Veland, Erwin Swinney, Toby Wright, Terrell Farley ... Nebraska is the fastest non SEC team in the country -- and their defense was not intimidated by our speed on the outside deep into today's game. And why the NU coaching staff didn't have P.J. Smith covering out in the flat at safety on 3rd down and 10 on the play where Georgia's Chris Conley caught the ball and raced 88 yards for a score, I'll never know ...? That was a break down that shouldn't have occurred. Up to that point, Nebraska had easily matched Georgia's speed. I'll never forget the night I saw 5-8 corners Barron Miles and Kareem Moss match up with Miami and its SEC-like speed in the 1995 Orange Bowl when Nebraska topped the Hurricanes, 24-17. Nebraska has speed, but they need to -- as Tommie Frazier said on his X's and O's program recently -- continue reruiting for it.

Hey Husker fans; I hope y'all are doing OK. Y'all already know me from past posts -- as I am the Georgia / Nebraska fan as they are my #1 and #2 favorite teams since 1981. My younger brother's two teams are Georgia and Notre Dame, so he's having the time of his life right now! I don't know why my UGA fan base is blogging on here with comments of criticism aimed at my beloved head coach -- Mark Richt -- and his offenses. Richt does the best he can in a very competitive league that beats up its teams very much. The teams in the SEC beat on each other constantly. Richt has spoiled us at Georgia with great success -- but many Bulldog fans are discontent because of the lack of titles (only two SEC titles under coach Richt since 2001). These fans have unrealistic expectations because coach Richt hasn't won a national title, but you all in Nebraska could admire his body of work easily and recall that it took your very own legend Dr. Tom Osborne some 20 years of coaching (1994) before he finally claimed that championship. It's just that some newcomer coaches such as Urban Meyer and Les Miles entered the SEC recently and won quick and surprising national titles the last few years, and it's caused some of my UGA fan base to react in irrational ways over the pursuit of a national title. Some of our fans can't see the forest for the trees. I remember the dismal days of the 1990s as a Georgia fan, so I have no problem with coach Richt. Our quarterback Aaron Murray is a sight to behold operating the passing attack for Georgia. T-Magic has been exciting to watch this year with his mobility, but I can't wait to see Tommy Armstrong take the controls for Nebraska in the near future. Also, I hope that Big Red can rebuild the psyche of its defense. In the past, Nebraska had steady performers like John Reece, Toby Wright, Trev Alberts, and Kareem Moss. I hope Nebraska can improve on defense. And I still think that coach Pelini should insert more athletes in at RB and QB during the course of a game. He only uses one QB the entire game where as coach Osborne would play atleast two a game -- I remember watching Scott Frost and Frankie London -- and Tommie Frazier / Brook Berringer, and Eric Crouch / Bobby Newcombe, and Turner Gill / Nate Mason, and Steve Taylor / Jerry Gdowski. And these guys were tremendous athletes too! Osborne kept things fresh, and that offense took off to higher levels. It sounds like they need coaching up on defense with Ciante Evans and Co. struggling against Wisconsin as much as they did Saturday. Does coach Carl Pelini's absence mean that much to NU's defense this year? Y'all just got to keep your heads up.

I wished Brion Carnes would just come on back home to us in the South. Now, I am a big Georgian for Nebraska fan -- and want to see Nebraska's glory and its past return with quarterbacks like Turner Gill, Nate Mason, and Steve Taylor directing them to BCS bowl games, but I care about this young man -- Tommie Frazier's 2nd cousin Carnes. It just didn't work out for Carnes at the University of Nebraska. Now, he's having to take cheap shots from the fans on this blog. Come on home, Brion. You can enroll at nearby South Florida or Florida Atlantic. There is a school in your home state that will allow you to play the zone read option quarterback's position. Enough bashing of Carnes. I'm tired of it.

Lawrence Phillips (6-0, 225, 4.3/40) was a great, great running back. Still, Mike Rozier is the best I've ever witnessed at the University of Nebraska. Rozier is Nebraska's version of Vincent Bo Jackson who former Auburn coach Pat Dye recently said is "the greatest running back that has ever lived."

Impressed with 3-star QB recruit Damian Williams (6-1, 215, 4.55 40, claims he can make all the throws) from Metairie, Louisiana. Nebraska offered him in April, and I hope Damian will sign with Nebraska. I watched his video clips -- and he is a talented playmaker. October reports show it's between Nebraska and Kansas St. to see who lands this one. I sure hope he chooses Nebraska. This wll make me feel a lot better, having two Tommy Armstrongs instead of just one.

I agree. This was Taylor Martinez' signature win over a 6-2 Northwestern team this season. He was turnover free throwing 37 times without an interception, scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes, and got payback from the Wildcats over a sour loss from the season before. Kudos to Martinez. His passing ability is what is really shining in my opinion. He finally just stuck those throws right into places where they needed to be placed. I've compared him to Steve Young before, but his passing ability needs to match the BYU and San Fran legend a little more -- and it's starting to come around. Now, I don't know if he'll completely become that good and play on Sundays some day soon, but it sure helps to keep the Big Red Train rolling! He displayed leadership, and tons of it!

It's real simple. Coach Bo Pelini needs to be as coach Brian Kelly has been with his ace Everett Golson! Coach Kelly redshirted Golson a year ago, and now he plays! He didn't start game #1 as Tommy Rees was Notre Dame's starter at first. Notre Dame is now ranked #5 and is 6-0. Golson is doing it all! My little brother is just ecstatic over Golson's play -- his misdirection running ability, passing accuracy -- and tendency to avoid making mistakes -- as a redshirt freshman. What coach Pelini can do is tell Armstrong that next year, he's in. It's that simple. Now, I am not saying that Pelini must sit Taylor Martinez. That's crazy! Martinez will be prepped for the Heisman Trophy, but coach Pelini can work Armstrong in every -- or almost every game -- (except the close ones, of course) to prep Tommy to take over as the team's starter in 2014 when college football gets its Final Four! Wow! How about that? And, give Armstrong a chance to run an entire drive in most of these games instead of the wildcat. He's not a running back. He can get his feet wet a lot quicker as a QB engineering entire drives as a RFr. much better this way than being a situational guy. This is how Georgia prepped D.J. Shockley in 2002. It was a smooth transition as Shockley led Georgia to an SEC Championship as the starting QB in 2005. It works, and it will keep Armstrong from leaving Nebraska. This is how we kept Shockley from transferring to NC State -- which his father Don Shockley was working real hard upon to make that happen. Thank God, D.J. didn't bolt for NC State! And surely Armstrong will wait and be patient to take over for NU when his time comes -- which is very soon.

I feel like if we can just survive this season -- everything will be just so much better like it is at Notre Dame right now where the Irish are 6-0. Surely T-Magic can secure this year's team's season and get out of it with our reputation unscathed. I'm counting on him. I think everything is there for Nebraska to have a breakout year in 2013. And coach Bo Pelini and coach Tim Beck maybe could work out some kind of role for Tommy Armstrong to where he could be given a drive all his own during next season's games somewhere early in the 2nd quarter similar to the way coach Mark Richt worked in D.J. Shockley during Georgia's 2002 season. That method helped for a very smooth transition as Shockley won Georgia an SEC championship season when he took over as the team's starter. I've noticed that coach Brian Kelly is doing something similar with Everett Golson at Notre Dame though it's more extreme in that coach Kelly has made Golson (RFr.) the starter over redshirt junior Tommy Rees though Rees sees valuable playing time in key moments of Notre Dame's games. "T-Magic" Taylor Martinez is established where Tommy Rees couldn't get it done during his early years at Notre Dame. He'll get Heisman Trophy consideration next year. I just hope that coach Beck will work Armstrong in similar to the way coach Kelly has used Golson this season -- though not quite as much since T-Magic is a special talent himself. I'm just thinking that with Armstrong's explosiveness (4.43 40), it would benifit NU to work that athlete in next season along with the explosive Martinez (similar 4.42 40). Our Nebraska (my official 2nd team behind my Alma Mater - UGA; that makes me a true Georgian for Nebraska as I've been so since 1981!) will be ready to explode in 2013 -- and I wouldn't want to miss that for anything in the world. They can still make this a good season in spite of what Braxton Miller and Ohio St. were able to accomplish the other day ago. We almost have an offense just as good, and I am pretty sure that it will be next year -- if not much better! Again, I am excited about this team's future. Hopefully, Martinez can manage the game against Northwestern. He's got to do that. He had things rolling a year ago before the Wisconsin game where he managed games -- and Nebraska had good success. Then he witnessed Russell Wilson's play and put too much pressure on himself. I've seen him do that some this year too. I think it's playing the turnover game that can bring Martinez the success he needs. D.J. Shockley aced this part of his game his senior year by only throwing 5 interceptions in 310 passes (1.6%) -- and that is what I need to see from T-Magic. He managed the game against Northwestern last season but Northwestern played flawlessly on offense winning 28-25. I think if T-Magic does that again (zero turnovers), NU wins this time. Go Huskers in tomorrow's game against the Wildcats!

Iowa State was 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big 8 in 1992 FWIW...

I agree with you HuskerNationNick, That sounds like a solid plan. Key thing is to keep Burkhead healthy, and he is an excellent wildcat running back. I watched him several times last year and the year before. He even throws a pretty good redzone pass too.

Yeah, but Rex Burkhead has been dealing with a nagging MCL sprain injury. Do you really want to put anymore on his plate? Talk about risk taking...? Again, I liked Dr. Osborne's no-nonsense ways of handling this. Coach Pelini is going to put too much on the back of Burkhead. I don't like it. Rex deserves a better career in the NFL, but then we will wear him out in the Big Ten before he even makes the pros. It's just not right. Coach Pelini needs to spread the duties around his athletes better on offense. It's crazy. Go ahead and place more wear and tear on the poor guy. I cannot understand why the coaching staff wants to use just a select few to manipulate the zone-read offense when they have recruited a number of high school quarterbacks that could handle that role nicely -- and help Burkhead focus on just being a running back. He's got to get through this season unscathed -- and he'll need help from the coaching staff to do so.

Guys, you all aren't thinking ahead. You're all focused on the right now with everything unfolding nicely after five games. What if injuries occur after game eight or so at the QB spot? Again, I don't think that Armstrong will want to burn his redshirt, and who could hardly blame him after he's missed an entire season practically? Working with Jamal Turner right now, developing a few plays with him in this way --- and all of a sudden, you have a little extra depth at what your offense can do. If T-Magic goes down, then Nebraska is set in this hypothetical scenario as RK3 and Turner could manage the QB duties to help Nebraska win the final games of its regular season. Kellogg III would be the passer while Turner could rush in and take over Martinez' running plays in the playbook. If they work with him in this way in early October, then Turner the burner is ready to step in later in the season when he's needed. Is there no imagination on this blog? I think it's a sign of wisdom to plan ahead -- and what appears to be gimmick-like can actually be seen as a way to ready another mobile QB just in case there is a need for one down the road. Why limit the offense? I thought the Nebraska offense was predicated upon a mobile QB anyway, and that coach Bo Pelini was returning NU to its roots offensively and away from the pass happy version that coach Callahan offered. Having two ready mobile QBs was a way of life during the Osborne administration. Here are some of the examples from Dr. Osborne's years as a head coach. I'll show you: 1982: starter - Turner Gill; backup - Nate Mason (explosive athlete) 1983: starter - Turner Gill; backup - Nate Mason (ditto) 1985: starter - McCathorne Clayton (fast); backup - Steve Taylor (very fast) 1988; starter - Steve Taylor; reserve - Mickey Joseph (fast) 1989; starter - Jerry Gdowski (athletic); Mickey Joseph 1990; starter - Mickey Joseph (fast); co-starter Mike Grant (relatively fast) 1991; starter - Keithen McCant (fast); backup - Mickey Joseph 1992; starter - Tommie Frazier (very mobile); backup - Mike Grant; reserve - Tony Veland (4.5 40) 1993; starter - Tommie Frazier; backup - Brook Berringer, backup - Tony Veland (4.5 40) 1995; starter - Tommie Frazier; reserve - Frankie London (4.5 40) 1996; starter - Scott Frost (fast); backup - Frankie London 1997; starter - Scott Frost; backup - Frankie London; reserves - Eric Crouch and Bobby Newcombe My point is, we had plenty of speedsters available to operate the up-tempo, explosive backfield that never gave out via attrition or whatever. Coach Osborne's offense was a fine tuned, high scoring operation that even Oregon coach Kelly would be envious of if the past with Osborne were happening today. My ideas are not terrible ideas. I just remember a glorious past for NU.

But that's the point totally! T-Magic is a huge part of the attack. If Martinez goes down to -- let's say, a Tim Tebow concussion late season -- then what? RK3 cannot run the full offense of Nebraska like T-Magic. He lacks the foot speed. And if this happens late season or extreme late season (rules out Tommy Armstrong/redshirting), then you better make use of that athlete WR/QB Jamal Turner. That's why he was recruited. We are setting ourselves up for disaster if we don't come up with some kind of better plan to address pure depth behind T-Mart. RK3 is a passer. If Jamal Turner is in at QB, then it's a race to the endzone! Man, he was recruited for this reason -- and he'd be there to help out T-Magic in the same kind of way in which Martinez wins games --- with his feet. Martinez' 38 yarder was a thing of explosion this past Saturday. Don't you want more of that? As a fan, that's what I have always enjoyed most about Nebraska football besides such a rich tailback tradition.

Well, the thing is, you'll never know if you do not try them out. I mean, what can it hurt for Jamal Turner to come in and run the zone read option play out of the pistol -- and gain five yards? He will then come out of the game. It might be just the rest T-Magic needs to be able to finish off the UCLA Bruins. It takes imagination to create a complete football team. You have to work with your kids as a coaching staff. You have to make believers out of them. If you never give them shots, you'll never find out. It's that simple.

Still on the topic of WR. Senior Tim Marlowe is a heck of a player. With my Alma Mater (Georgia), we have a guy (Michael Bennett) similar to Marlowe in role -- fantastic possession wide receiver who makes all the catches when your team desperately needs it. Sadly Bennett is down with an ACL (this Tuesday), and I hear Marlowe is trying to recover from an injury to return during Big Ten play. Those players' value can't be described, and the fans quickly see their value! However, staying on the topic of Jamal Turner -- my younger brother was asking this question about the development of other players behind center to assist the explosive Taylor Martinez. My brother was wondering about what coach Bo Pelini does to develop other QBs for 'the future' as he put it...? Those were good, very good questions --- I think. Why hasn't there been some kind of way to work in Jamal Turner with a number of plays behind center just to give Martinez a break in case he takes a vicious hit -- or a slobber knocker -- as I have heard high school players I coached put it? With Martinez having 13 rushes for 107 yards against Wiscy, it just seems like a no-nonsense idea to allow Turner to be an explosive playmaker and run QB out of the pistol. He could give Martinez a breather - and race 30 yards down field while running the zone-read option play. Then, Martinez would resume the drive. Can anyone imagine how that would have helped Martinez against UCLA after T-Magic went 92 yards for a score against the Bruins? I would like to see the coaching staff invest in these ideas with Turner used as a QB to run zone-read option plays once or twice a game to help with the flow of the offense and to give T-Magic breathers during a physically tough Big Ten game. Turner has got skills. I don't think this will work with the slower Ron Kellogg III -- as RK3 is just a passer. And T-Mart does a great job of passing the ball, so you don't want to bring RK3 in. With Tommy Armstrong redshirting, we should create a QB role for Jamal Turner! He's an explosive runner! I hope someone can spread the word on this idea. I remember when Alabama had that explosive football team in 1999 that won an SEC championship going 10-3. Andrew Zow -- who was mobile -- was the starter. However, WR Freddie Milons was so explosive that Bama used him at QB about three plays a game. Milons went wild. I am pretty sure that Turner would go wild too. And you can't use true frosh Armstrong for this role because he is redshirting. Instead, let's use Turner!

With being thankful for how things are going for our current running back corps, I must say I am intrigued by true frosh Imani Cross. He's done what I have advertised to many of my Georgia-based athletes that I know from my hometown state in the Southeast. Imani is from Gwinnett County which is real close to where I used to live while I was in Metro Atlanta for a four year period two years ago. Imani made the wise decision to go to Nebraska. Other kids that I've known have had opportunities presented such as LaFayette High's James Spates to attend school at Nebraska --- and then for whatever reason, they blow that opportunity. To me, it's a relief, sigh of relief to see one such running back from nearby Gainesville, Georgia make the common sense move to travel off to Nebraska. I am so proud for Imani. So far, Imani has 228 rushing yards in 30 carries including a 44 yard run and two scores. He's frame is full at 6-1, 225 pounds. He's been clocked at a 4.53 in the 40. Imani Cross reminds me of former Nebraska running back, Collins, Mississippi product Correll Buckhalter. Buckhalter was awesome! I always liked Buckhalter during the days of Scott Frost and Eric Crouch. He just ran over people. I hope Cross can get worked back into the rotation for the Ohio State game as he had no carries against Wiscy. However, he is a true freshman, so I can understand the coaching staff for going with upperclassmen only--- especially with the way Ameer Abdullah and Rex Burkhead are picking up the yards at such a rapid pace.