Lucky and Ganz Named to 2008 Award Watch Lists

[Husker_Power]

Maxwell Football Club Website

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Website

 

Lucky and Ganz Named to 2008 Award Watch Lists

 

Lincoln – Following record-setting junior seasons, senior I-back Marlon Lucky and senior quarterback Joe Ganz have been named to watch lists for prestigious college football awards. Lucky has been named to the 2008 Maxwell Award watch list, which is given annually to the nation's top player by the Maxwell Football Club. Ganz has been named to the watch list for the Jonny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the nation's top senior quarterback.

 

Lucky is coming off a stellar junior campaign when he averaged 84.9 yards per game on the ground and produced the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career at Nebraska. The North Hollywood, Calif., native was a true dual threat out of the backfield, hauling in a single-season school-record 75 passes for 705 yards, the most catches by a running back in the nation in 2007. The second-team All-Big 12 honoree amassed 1,743 all-purpose yards in 2007. It was the most yards by any player in 10 years at Nebraska and the seventh-best total in school history.

 

Lucky was at the top of his game late in the season, topping 100 all-purpose yards in each of the final five games. He ran 24 times for 111 yards and caught six passes on the road at Texas. Against No. 8 Kansas, Lucky caught six passes for 83 yards, including a career-long 62-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. He again caught six passes against Kansas State, including a touchdown, and also posted his fifth 100-yard rushing effort with 103 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns in the rout of the Wildcats. Lucky closed the year with 184 all-purpose yards at Colorado, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 115 yards.

 

After serving as a back-up to Sam Keller over the first eight games, Ganz was inserted in the Texas game following a shoulder injury to Keller late in the game. Quickly, Ganz lead the Huskers to a touchdown and converted a two-point conversion to pull the Huskers within three points in a 28-25 loss in Austin.

 

Ganz went on to start the final three games of the year against Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado. Ganz threw for more than 400 yards in all three games and produced three of the top five single-game passing records. For the year, Ganz connected on 58.6 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,453 yards and 16 touchdowns. Ganz rushed for 93 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns.

 

Ganz's 15 touchdowns in the final three games were a school record as he guided the Husker offensive assault to an average of 598.7 total yards per game. His top game came against the Wildcats of Kansas State in the Huskers' final home game of the 2007 season. Ganz competed 30-of-40 passes for a school-record 510 yards while connecting on a school-record seven touchdowns. With the addition of 18 yards on the ground, Ganz produced the top day in school history for total yards with 528.

 

Nebraska has had one winner of both the Maxwell Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Mike Rozier won the Maxwell Award in 1983 after rushing for a school-record 2,148 yards. Rozier also collected the Heisman Trophy and Walter Camp Award in 1983. Tommie Frazier was the Golden Arm Award recipient in 1995 after a season that included 92 completions on 163 attempts for 1,362 yards and 17 touchdowns in the air. Frazier added another 604 yards on the ground on 97 carries with 14 touchdowns.

[huskerman85]

Just another reason to be excited for the upcoming season

[DJR313]

Lucky is coming off a stellar junior campaign when he averaged 84.9 yards per game on the ground and produced the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career at Nebraska. The North Hollywood, Calif., native was a true dual threat out of the backfield, hauling in a single-season school-record 75 passes for 705 yards, the most catches by a running back in the nation in 2007. The second-team All-Big 12 honoree amassed 1,743 all-purpose yards in 2007. It was the most yards by any player in 10 years at Nebraska and the seventh-best total in school history.

 

Lucky was at the top of his game late in the season, topping 100 all-purpose yards in each of the final five games. He ran 24 times for 111 yards and caught six passes on the road at Texas. Against No. 8 Kansas, Lucky caught six passes for 83 yards, including a career-long 62-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. He again caught six passes against Kansas State, including a touchdown, and also posted his fifth 100-yard rushing effort with 103 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns in the rout of the Wildcats. Lucky closed the year with 184 all-purpose yards at Colorado, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 115 yards.

 

Yet some still criticize Lucky despite this. Unbelievable.

[huskernation20]

Lucky has gotten stronger and better every year. This year he will definately be looking to clinch a first round draft pick. We will see a Marlon Lucky that nobody has EVER seen before!

[admo]

Pretty impressive > "amassed 1,743 all-purpose yards"

 

Those were some tough yards to get.

[hack]

Lucky is coming off a stellar junior campaign when he averaged 84.9 yards per game on the ground and produced the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career at Nebraska. The North Hollywood, Calif., native was a true dual threat out of the backfield, hauling in a single-season school-record 75 passes for 705 yards, the most catches by a running back in the nation in 2007. The second-team All-Big 12 honoree amassed 1,743 all-purpose yards in 2007. It was the most yards by any player in 10 years at Nebraska and the seventh-best total in school history.

 

Lucky was at the top of his game late in the season, topping 100 all-purpose yards in each of the final five games. He ran 24 times for 111 yards and caught six passes on the road at Texas. Against No. 8 Kansas, Lucky caught six passes for 83 yards, including a career-long 62-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. He again caught six passes against Kansas State, including a touchdown, and also posted his fifth 100-yard rushing effort with 103 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns in the rout of the Wildcats. Lucky closed the year with 184 all-purpose yards at Colorado, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 115 yards.

 

Yet some still criticize Lucky despite this. Unbelievable.

 

some people just can't look past the 'win/loss' column. we lose, people automatically assume that nebraska sucks and the players for nebraska must suck also.

 

lucky is a horse for this offense, win or lose. he's gonna have a great year.

[MCAT800]

Pretty impressive > "amassed 1,743 all-purpose yards"

 

Those were some tough yards to get.

 

And yet people keep saying "it's time for him to step up!!!!"

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Lucky is a fantastic running back and it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up going in the first round after this next season. You never know..................there may be a small amount of Heisman talk???

[huskernumerouno]

I think they can both have outstanding seasons but I think come award time we will be left out unless the season is extra special.

[zoogs]

Lucky is a fantastic running back and it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up going in the first round after this next season. You never know..................there may be a small amount of Heisman talk???

 

He's going to shake off the perception that he's a poor man's Reggie Bush. Without the breakaway speed and the track record in big games, and even less toughness as a runner. I'm not saying that's true, but that's probably the perception. Reggie Bush catches a ton of passes, but he's struggling as a running back in the NFL. If people look at Lucky as being in that same mold, only not as good, then there's no way he goes in the first round. Lucky is going to have to put up some stellar games against stellar teams - rushing, not catching the dumpoff. 8 catches for 74 yards and a TD are great, but not all that helpful when paired with 8 rushes for 15 yards.

 

I hope he makes it, but chances for Heisman talk and 1st round draft status aren't looking too good at this point. Here's to a breakaway season for Lucky! :

[Igetbored216]

And yet people keep saying "it's time for him to step up!!!!"

 

He is going to have to step it up if the Huskers are to be successful this year. The main goal for the whole team (aside from increasing intensity) is to establish a really successful running game. If we can run the ball, the team will do very well. If the running game struggles, well, the team will too.

 

In my opinion, Lucky is the most important factor in deciding whether or not the Huskers will be successful this season.

[Husker_x]

1. By he own admission he was holding back last season. That alone qualifies this, his last season, as his season to leave it all on the field and step up his play.

 

2. Being that we didn't field a defense last season, our offense played ungodly amounts of time––often times in games which were utter blowouts. I'm sure Lucky is more than able to burn AtM's third string.

 

3. Lucky is a good back but his play has to be put in context. Keller threw to his checkdowns basically every play. Under normal circumstances backs often have to do more with less. Lucky had to do more with more last season.

 

I'm curious to see what happens when the offense places a higher emphasis on the run game. I really hope Lucky proves once and for all that he is the lightning back we hope he'll be, but so far I'm wary about undue enthusiasm.

 

But best of luck to Marlon. If he digs deep he could lead this team. I don't think we've seen what he's truly capable of yet.

[Hunter94]

"By he own admission he was holding back last season."

 

i don't know why anyone would do this, it speaks poorly of his character, IMO. now, foolishly, he only has one season to get it right and bust his butt. good luck to him, he needs to leave everything on the field this year.

[huKSer]

See next post

[huKSer]

"By he own admission he was holding back last season."

 

i don't know why anyone would do this, it speaks poorly of his character, IMO. now, foolishly, he only has one season to get it right and bust his butt. good luck to him, he needs to leave everything on the field this year.

If I remember correctly, he said it was so he could last the entire season.