Oklahoma remembers cool Taylor

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

OWH

 

Oklahoma remembers cool Taylor

 

BY MITCH SHERMAN

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

 

 

LINCOLN - Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor remembers Oklahoma linebacker Rufus Alexander for all the wrong reasons.

 

Last year in the Sooners' 31-24 victory in Lincoln, Alexander hounded Taylor all day. He recorded three sacks, one-third of his career total in 37 games, as OU buried Taylor nine times in all.

 

Turns out, Alexander remembers Taylor, too, but not in the way you might imagine.

 

"He's got a grasp of the offense, knows all the checks to make," Alexander said. "He knows who he's looking at on defense. That's a mature quarterback, with another year under his belt and another year in the system. That's a credit to him. That's a credit to their coaching staff.

 

"They've brought him along in a great way."

 

Alexander, Oklahoma's senior defensive leader, and OU coach Bob Stoops praised Taylor and the improved NU offense on Monday in discussing their Big 12 title game with the Huskers, set for 7 p.m. on Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

 

Taylor, the senior Nebraska captain, drew little recruiting interest from the Sooners five years out of Norman (Okla.) High School.

 

He's got their attention now.

 

"He's been outstanding," Stoops said, "from very few turnovers to all the touchdowns, the way he directs every play when he gets out there. He's been an excellent player for them. I'd say one of the better, for sure, offensive players in the league, without question."

 

A frontrunner for All-Big 12 quarterback honors and the league's offensive player of the year, Taylor has accumulated an NU-record 2,789 yards and 24 touchdown passes this year while throwing just four interceptions and completing 62.2 percent of his passes.

 

Under Taylor's direction, Nebraska ranks ninth nationally in scoring (33.9 points per game), and he sits ninth in pass-efficiency rating.

 

Oklahoma harassed Taylor repeatedly a year ago, but he still helped bring the Huskers back from a 24-3 deficit in the third quarter to trail by just seven points with the ball in the final three minutes.

 

Taylor was sacked twice on Nebraska's final drive as NU turned the ball over on downs.

 

Still, Alexander recalls more of what Taylor did well in completing 25 of 45 passes for 245 passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

 

"He understands the system," Alexander said. "He moves guys everywhere. Like every snap, he's moving guys. He's got to know where everybody's at.

 

"He does a great job of just managing the game, not throwing anything that's going to get him beat. He's out there making a ton of plays throwing the ball - something that you don't normally see out of Nebraska."

 

 

[FriscoTXHusker]

way cool. thanks for posting.

[Syzygyone]

Very good article. Sounds like OU maybe taking this game pretty seriously.

I sure hope the O line is up to the task of stopping this guy this year. Maybe the improved NU run game will keep him out of the backfield.

 

[gamecocks]

Hopefully we can keep Taylor on his feet in this game.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

I'm hoping maybe that OU will want to FORGET about Taylor after he tears them up in the CCG. But yea, the O-line needs to proctect him.

[Glendower]

This is why I like the NU-OU rivalry. There has been almost perpetual respect from both sides. CU, OTOH, bleh. Smack from fans, coaches, and players. Is there something in the water? I was thinking about that 0-5 comment that hte coach made... why in the hell did that even come up when they were 0-5?

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I was thinking about that 0-5 comment that hte coach made... why in the hell did that even come up when they were 0-5?

 

 

Because as Carlos Mencia would say "He's a Dee-Dee-Dee!"

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Good article.........I think OU has to take us seriously because of our weapons on offense........They have a better defense than us, but we have a better offense than them so it's going to come down to turnovers and TOP........

[huskernumerouno]

I have to agree BRI

[Touchdown Tommie]

Great article....it is nice to play a team that has respect for its opponent, unlike some schools (cough, sCUm, cough). BRI, you are exactly correct.

I believe if the line can protect ZT and make some holes for the RBs, the TOP will be ours as it has most of the season.