Shockley03

Zoogies, I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, I believe Jamal Turner's role should greatly increase! Taylor Martinez and Turner should be connecting on screen passes early. This will get Turner involved faster during the game. Anyway, only one catch for 27 yards in the Wiscy game this past weekend. That is unacceptable. And I know that Kenny Bell fans will rip me for saying this, but Bell will accumulate his receptions because of his ability to get open. He's just a natural receiver -- possession and stretch-the-field rolled up in one. Obviously, Quincy Enunwa will get his catches too being the excellent large possession wideout that he is. Even so, there is a factor to Turner's game that makes him like a running back -- an explosive running back at that! He looks like he is going to break one every time he touches the ball. I'd be using Turner like Irving Fryar! He's not a natural receiver like Kenny Bell, but you want to drive up his receiving totals because of his open field running and his YAC! If I were Martinez, I'd request to coach Beck to run a designed screen pass play involving Turner early in the game. As soon as Turner catches that ball, he will grab a feel for the game. You'll see the adrenaline in Turner if he gets that quick catch early in the game! He needs about four catches a game to reach his full potential. If Turner gets his touches, fans will see what I mean. He looks like he is going to break one every time he touches the ball. I say it...Martinez is leaving points off the scoreboard if the offensive coaching staff fails to find ways to work Turner into the game plan.

I like Trev Alberts -- if it can possibly be. Sure do hate to see coach Osborne leave. He's my favorite.

Just agreeing with RedRedJarvisRedwhine on here about Aaron Green. And for all of those that keep harping on Green's five star status, Nebraska has had several 5-star guys do quite fine in the system. Can anyone remember 5-star recruit running backs Ahman Green, Calvin Jones, and Lawrence Phillips? They were very successful in the college ranks if I'm right....? Now, I'm not discussing their NFL careers. I remember how Calvin Jones took a trip in early December 1992 to face Kansas in Japan in the regular season finale and suffered a bad knee injury that forwever changed Jones as a runner. I remember how he came back the next season (1993) and played with a big knee brace -- and wasn't the same. Jones played as a backup RB for Green Bay for about three seasons and was done.

Aaron Green's talent leve shouldn't be questioned here. Coach Ron Brown works very diligently with all of his running backs. I saw qualities of greatness from Aaron Green a year ago -- especially that nice one-handed grab and tight rope run to the corner of the endzone of a touchdown catch against Washington. Mistake #1 for Aaron Green: He didn't hang around. Even if you do slide down a depth chart of pretty talented performers, that gives a talented running back no true reason to exit. Running backs are competitive -- or atleast they are supposed to be. If talent exists around Green, then he's just supposed to work that much harder. Fact of knowing he has competition is supposed to be a blessing when Nebraska runs into a very physical defense that wears at a team's running backs. Additionally running backs are always going down to nagging injuries like sprained ankles and other leg injuries (reference LSU's Alfred Blue). He had a home at NU -- which has an established running back tradition that could have carried him to the next level. Basically, Green pulled off an Esau by not valuing his scholarship with Nebraska. He sold his birthright. He should have stayed put. Nebraska is a powerhouse football program by definition. TCU has had some success recently, but there is no guarantee of that holding up in the future.

So far through four games, the backups can be compared relatively speaking. Ron Kellogg III is a pedestrian 3-of-5 for 19 yards with a pick. Brion Carnes went 2-for-2 for 26 yards without an INT. Just throwing that up. Carnes did perform well when he took to the field last year. He was 1-for-1 for 19 yards against Chattanooga-Tennessee who has a starting cornerback (Chris Lewis-Harris) that I coached when he was in high school. Carnes' other completion was a 7-yarder against Minnesota last year. Kellogg III has got to scan the whole field before he launches it. He doesn't want to throw a pic 6. Carnes was safer throwing the ball IMHO as Nebraska's backup versus Kellogg III. Stats back that up.

Like I said, Lyons in the Sea.....I think Brion Carnes is homesick. He's a long ways from home. I don't think some of his teammates consider the challenges that stare down Carnes by simply being so far away from the people and a community that would build him up. It sounds like he needs that encouragement he isn't getting. I know that Georgia's current star linebacker Jarvis Jones has told us a story very similar to where I am getting at with this. Jarvis is from Columbus, Georgia. He made the decision to go to Southern Cal. After his linebacker coach left with coach Pete Carroll to the NFL, Jarvis lost a huge support group in that one man. Jarvis Jones told all of us in an interview that he felt all alone at Southern Cal. He transferred the next semester. He is now Georgia's star player on its defense, but it wasn't working out for him at USC. I tell you what, people need their support groups. We can all sit back and judge a 20-year-old kid, but have we looked closer at all of the details of what that person is dealing with at the same time?

I think Carnes' greatest challenge is that he's a long ways from home. A person's family encourages him. You miss your key family members when they are not around. Some on this message board are going to be critical of Carnes' effort on the field. They will antagonize Brion because he fell to 4th string. I have read their posts. Even so, when you are competing---that's when you need all the support from your family and friends the most. I feel that Brion is at a disadvantage there as he is from Bradenton/Manatee, Florida. All I want is to see Carnes to succeed....That's it.

I see, I get you. Thanks, Zoogies. I am just one of these that wants to see a person continue to try and make better of themselves. I really want Carnes to reverse his decision by seeking out coach Beck and make the decision himself to return to QB. I really think his decision came as the result of a knee-jerk reaction from not making the travel bus to the UCLA game. Carnes needs to recant on his decision to move the WR himself, especially with wide receiver depth not being an issue for Nebraska. I felt the stress of it all the moment I saw where Carnes had made the choice to move to wideout in updates on the internet. What he should do---if it's his heart on the matter---is go back to QB just by simply stating it so to the coaches---coach Beck & coach Ganz. Just based on what you said, it sounds like Carnes is a late bloomer instead of some instant contributor like his 2nd cousin Tommie Frazier. However, that shouldn't defeat him. Keithen McCant was a late bloomer---and he was Big Eight Player of the Year in 1991. Brion just needs to speak up then and make the matter known---if that is how he feels. I know I'd like to see him behind center again. I just want the chance to see him run around in the pocket. I bet he can move around all over the place, but he's got to make the final decision there. I know what you mean. I was so hopeful that Anthony Alford would sign a letter of intent with the University of Nebraska---as he seems to really have the dual threat QB skillset down. Recall that Anthony Alford came very close to signing with Nebraska back in January but ended up signing with Southern Miss----as everyone may recall Nebraska's opening game this year against Alford. Man, he has skills. Well, thanks for your input. Thanks for clearing me up on all of this.

Finally get my say. Carnes should be sharing snaps with Kellogg III bottom line. This is poor effort on the coaching staff with managing the QBs. I have two favorite teams -- Georgia (my alma mater) and the Cornhuskers obviously. I am a huge Mark Richt fan. He obviously knows what he's doing----and he's not going to kill the will of his talented players. He has a starter (Aaron Murray). His top backup (Hutson Mason) is redshirting for classification issue reasons. He allows the top two backups (Christian LeMay and Parker Welch) to compete for playing time all week long even though LeMay is listed as 2nd string. Actually in the last game (48-3 win over Vanderbilt), Welch got the nod to get in the game replacing Murray because he had a better week of practice. Coach Richt said it today during his live press conference that he lets the QBs compete during the week. Carnes has got a nice upside----in case no one has paid any attention to that. He's got nice mobility. He deserves the chance to play where his heart is at---quarterback. He came to Nebraska to play QB. At my Georgia, he would be a QB as we allowed D.J. Shockley (my favorite UGA player and mokiner on this website) to stay at his natural position even though we had a 4-year starter who was ahead of him. Shockley still started his senior year at QB and has an SEC Championship ring from that season! It's crazy that only one player comes in to replace T-Mart after a game for Nebraska. The coaches should allow these kids to compete at practice even while the season is still going. They are killing the will of Brion Carnes. It makes me sick. Coach Richt would never do that to a key player----Not ever! It's poor managenment of talent. At worst, Carnes should still be given reps at QB in case of a 73-7 score as in the Idaho State game. I know he is working some at receiver, but he should still be working at his natural position QB----which is where his heart is. He's got enough talent to be there. I don't see UGA 4th stringer Parker Welch being some just-out-of-this-world playmaker, but the coaching staff rewards his hard working effort by getting him on the field based upon his effort at practice each outing. Carnes deserves some reps after Ron Kellogg III has seen the field. It's the least they can do for the time he's been in the system some 2-plus seasons. We would never do D.J. Shockley this way.