There still is hope

[Vince from ShamWOW]

I remember when we thought Scott Frost was worthless at one time also. It takes a while regardless of the talent. But I also know that Keller was the qb until his injury giving Ganz his shot. Who was in charge of that decision or who was the qb and offensive coordinator at the time? Another example. Sheffield or Potts. Until Pott's concussion Sheffield was carrying a clipboard. Need more examples. Look at Colorado. I'm sure all those coaches saw every practice snap also. I just think what hinders this offense is a lot deeper than a change at qb will fix. But then again maybe a spark is all that it takes. In other words....

 

 

Nice post.

[JTrain]

It's not a bad idea, especially considering how average our receivers have been this year. Depending on what type of athleticism Lee has, maybe he could be a solid receiver. He has the benefit of knowing the offense well already.

 

I question that Lee is the better athlete, at least when it comes to the attributes needed on the football field (and specifically at quarterback). Maybe Lee runs a better 40, has a higher bench press or vertical leap... but Green looks like the better football runner to me, from the limited play he's received to this point. I believe Green's had the longest run of the two, even with way less snaps.

[HuskerNMO]

The biggest issue with the NU QB's is the lack of a QB coach that has played the position at a high level, that can fix their mistakes, and groom them into being better QB's. Watson knows the play book but is not a QB coach. Until NU gets a great QB coach we will continue to see mediocre QB play.

 

The only counter-argument I offer is that I think Zac Taylor did a pretty good job considering his physical tools. If you gave him the physical tools of say, a Zac Lee, I think Taylor would have been a phenomenal quarterback. Just my opinion though.

 

 

Nice post. Where I am coming from is that Lee is aiming the ball more than he is throwing the ball. So far Watson hasn't been successful in correcting this. When he warms up he zips the ball. In the spring game he was throwing the ball with authority. In this years games he is aiming the ball rather than throwing the ball.

I just thought of something, has Watson been the OC since Callahan got here? If not, I guess that kind of lost some validity with my Zac Taylor comments lol. I think he has been here that long though, right?

 

And I couldn't agree more. He seems to be over-analyzing where he wants to throw instead of just doing it. He seems to be thinking of all the things that COULD go wrong instead of just focusing on making plays. It is frustrating to watch.

 

Wats has not been the OC since BC. It was originally Jay Norvell.

 

But i think Watson has been the OC since 2006 which was Zac Taylor's final year

 

Nope, Watson was TE coach and Recruiting Coordinator in 2006, he took the reigns in 2007 when Norvell went to UCLA.

 

People forget that Lee has been on campus for almost 3 years now, he was here for Spring ball in 2007 (granted he was hurt, but so was Green this Spring). He SHOULD know the offense, he's had the same amount of time to prepare as Ganz did basically. The fact that CG is a close as he is to unseating him with limited knowledge of the playbook and so little time with Watson, should show you that he's obviously more physically gifted.

 

With that said I hope Zac and Cody continue to push each other and may the best player win.

[Alex 4.0]

I can agree that the thing holding Lee back is above his shoulders. He has never had that kind of pressure on him (big time games). There is still a chance that he could produce for us.

 

With Helu being injured/sick the last couple of weeks, our running game has really taken a hit. This does not do our QB, OL, or WR's any favors. I bet Zac Lee misses Q more than anyone else in the state of Nebraska.

 

I know one thing that WON'T help, and that's the boo birds when Lee takes the field...

[Inwar1]

Those two comments about moving Lee to reciever are absolutely rediculous! Think having our #2 QB playing WR is a good idea? What happens if he gets hurt? Then where down to a LB playing QB. That wouldn't be very smart. It would be much better just to move up some of our younger WR's than make that kind of bone headed move...LOL

 

Sure am glad were just fans and they are the coaches...

[HuskerNMO]

Those two comments about moving Lee to reciever are absolutely rediculous! Think having our #2 QB playing WR is a good idea? What happens if he gets hurt? Then where down to a LB playing QB. That wouldn't be very smart. It would be much better just to move up some of our younger WR's than make that kind of bone headed move...LOL

 

Sure am glad were just fans and they are the coaches...

 

Yeah, cause it turned out so bad for Kansas?

 

Kerry Meier- tied for 2nd in the nation in catches with 54 (best ever full season WR for NU, Swift with 63), and tied for 3rd in TD's with 6. Over the last 1.5 years Meier has caught 151 passes, for 1625 yards and 14 TD's. Not too shabby for a backup quarterback.

[zoogs]

Move Green to receiver? Why not.

[Enhance]

People forget that Lee has been on campus for almost 3 years now, he was here for Spring ball in 2007 (granted he was hurt, but so was Green this Spring). He SHOULD know the offense, he's had the same amount of time to prepare as Ganz did basically. The fact that CG is a close as he is to unseating him with limited knowledge of the playbook and so little time with Watson, should show you that he's obviously more physically gifted.

 

Couple of things I'd like to touch on, as they were all mentioned on USC today.

 

1) Lee has been here for a long time, and I'm positive he knows the playbook, so knowing what to do each play isn't the problem. The problem is in his head. He has all the physical tools, but he just doesn't use them to their potential.

 

2) CG said in the Tuesday press conference that he knows "roughly" 260-270 plays. To me, that is a damn good enough amount to give him a chance to start. Even if he is going to make mistakes, he is still showing more big play potential against good teams than Lee is.

 

3) Why hell does he even have to know that many plays to begin with? Is the offense really that huge, and if so why? Granted, some of those plays may be the same just flipped, but still. I would rather have CG run 30 plays he knows very well than have 300 some odd plays that Lee can run, but not effectively.

[huskernumerouno]

I think maybe we are jumping the gun on this Lee is terrible and Green needs to be the starter. This is Lee's 1st year starting and really getting any game experience at all. He has big shoes to fill behind Ganz, also remember how long it took Ganz to really get things going. Ganz had 3 games his junior year where he started and we didnt know if he was going to be any good going into his Senior year and the offense didnt click untill the TTech game which would have been Ganz's 9 start. I know we dont want to think it will take 9 games to get into a rythm and i dont really think it should either, but Lee is a 1st year QB along with alot of other new parts to this offensive system this year. So i think we can still cut Lee some slack, he definitely needs to pick it up, but so do alot of other players that would help Lee tremendously.

 

On the other hand the amount of time it appears to take a 1st time QB to get acclimated maybe Green should start from here on out. Get through this season and then we have 3 years with one starter. Whatever Bo's decision is i think i can handle it and be able to make an argument for both sides, with the exception of rotating QB's, that is a garaunteed disaster.

 

don't wanna be the thread police but there are like 4 of them discussing that

Then why bring it up. If you do not like a thread or topic don't reply to it. Maybe the original poster wanted to discuss a certain part of what is going on and not have to deal with or take away from another posters original topic.

[Incandenza]

If the argument is Lee or Green is more athletic than Zac Taylor, then yes, both of them are. And Taylor was a better than both of them at this point. Taylor was a pretty unathletic player, but I still think he was better than even Ganz.

If the argument is Lee is more athletic than Green, that may be true, but I think Green has more tools to work with than Lee. Maybe he doesn't have as much practice experience as Lee but I think Green's cieling is much higher and that should be taken advantage of.

[Enhance]

Lee might be more athletic, but as far as running the football, he hasn't seemed like he is more athletic.

 

When Lee runs the football, he usually only gets a few yards and then takes a header into the ground to avoid contact and squeak through defenders.

 

From what limited role we have seen of CG running the football, he is more instinctual and takes the hit if it is coming.

 

The play that emphasizes this perfectly was the zone read that CG scored on against ULL. The way he ran that play gave me a little Tommie Frazier/Eric Crouch hard on. Granted, it was against a dejected defense in garbage time, but I doubt Lee would have scored on that play.

[Spartness]

I am not questioning what Vince is saying. Lee may very well be more athletic -- at least without shoulder pads on. But as I was saying, among others, he doesn't seem to have the ability to avoid tacklers when he is running. Could it be in his head? Possible. But from my observation, Green has shown more athletic talent on the football field.

 

P.S.: Vince: Do you use ShamWOWs? Do they work as well as advertised?

[Fuzzy]

Its been mentioned before that Zac Lee has the ability to run and scoot if he needs to. He proved during the first few games of the season. But for some reason, after the VaTech loss, he seemed to stay in the pocket or if he came out of the pocket and crossed the line of scrimmage he went back to buy more time to pass it. I see that as a coaching mistake. I don't know who instilled it into his mind, but its a mistake. I've always learned as a QB, if the pocket begins to breakdown around you and you have an open field to run and pick up a few yard or the first down, especially if your in shotgun, you run for it. Eventually the scooting up a few yards is gonna to cause the LB's or safeties to play closer to the line of scrimmage and open up the passing game.

 

But like i said Saturday after the game, Lee needs to use his wheels when he has the oppurtunity to do so. We also need to see better use of the TE's or 2 RB's in the shotgun formation.

[Vince from ShamWOW]

I am not questioning what Vince is saying. Lee may very well be more athletic -- at least without shoulder pads on. But as I was saying, among others, he doesn't seem to have the ability to avoid tacklers when he is running. Could it be in his head? Possible. But from my observation, Green has shown more athletic talent on the football field.

 

P.S.: Vince: Do you use ShamWOWs? Do they work as well as advertised?

 

I got some just to try them and they work pretty well. Nothing like on the commercial, but they do work.

[Billyball]

Football athleticism is not just about running a straight line and jumping so high. If that were it all a recruiter would need is a stop watch and a tape measure. Some kids are just "natural football players", seeming to be instinctively better in game situations. We've all seen it--wide recievers who are not the fastest but always know how to get open. QBs that don't have the elite arm but make instantaous decisions that are more often right than not. Runners in the open field that sense when to cut and which way.

 

I think that is the case with Cody Green. If Lee gets through the LOS with the ball, he's pretty much done. If the ball is in CG's hand my feeling is that there is a good chance of making a decision that gets more yards--and occasionally take it to the house. If that is true, and nobody knows until CG plays significantly against good competition, it is a difference maker. Additionally, though Green might throw the ball downfield more and have more interceptions, or confuse a play and zags when the reciever zigs, from what I have seen of Lee, he is not going to make great decisions. He seems scared of a mistake or scared of getting hit against good defenses. You have to have a confident (not false confidence) player willing to take some risks and not be scared of a d*** thing to play big time football. Lee can start this year and next year and for years after if the NCAA would let him and I don't think he will be a Div I QB.

 

Now where this all falls down is that the coaching staff has been watching both all fall and have elected to start Lee. They may know a weakness that we just haven't seen enough of CG to understand. On the other hand, look at what "Sticks" did when Potts went down at TT. If not for the injury Potts was not likely to get his job back. Until they start and are allowed to play an entire game, you just don't know much about a QB. I think it would be far better for CG and Lee to know all week (or after yesterday's scrimmage) who is going to start--and maybe they do and Bo doesn't want to answer a million Qs as to "Why are you.."

But it would be much better for Cody to know that he's the man now all week so there is no element of surpise come Saturday. Furthermore he should be told that he is not on a quick hook. He's out there to win a football game and play like a warrior. We've seen what I think is a timid approach gets us.

 

If it works as I think it might well, we have a 3 yr QB who will just get better and even if Gabbert switches we'll have next year to recruit a top QB to come in, RS one year, backup one year and then have 3 years to play. Would be great for this program. Continuity