Is the QB race over?

[NamelessHusker]

Is the Husker QB race already over?

BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

Sunday, Aug 07, 2005 - 10:15:22 am CDT

 

 

Zac Taylor captured Nebraska football fans' imaginations with a dazzling display of passing in the Red-White Spring Game in April. In doing so, he seemed to put a stranglehold on the Huskers' starting quarterback job.

 

So why does Nebraska coach Bill Callahan say the race for the starting position remains "wide-open?" Why not simply anoint Taylor?

 

One key reason: true freshman Harrison Beck.

 

"We talked to Harrison about having the ability to compete (for the starting job) when we recruited him," Husker offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. "That's basically what we're doing."

 

During the infant stages of preseason camp, Beck — already a household name in Husker Nation at age 17 — finds himself among a pack of players chasing Taylor, a junior college transfer who seized the top spot on the depth chart with his breakout spring.

 

Callahan said Taylor entered preseason camp last week with "the upper hand" on his quarterback counterparts. Through three days of drills, Taylor has taken most of the snaps — by far — with the first-string offense, while Beck, sophomore Beau Davis and redshirt freshman Joe Ganz have spent most of their time with the second and third strings, Ganz said.

 

Taylor, though, said he takes nothing for granted, and Callahan said Saturday it is too early to draw any conclusions.

 

Of those chasing Taylor, Beck is easily the most widely known and heavily recruited. He actually captured Nebraska fans' imaginations long before Taylor entered the picture. Remember, Beck was Callahan's first headline recruit early last June.

 

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Beck, of Clearwater, Fla., has impressed Husker teammates since his arrival, first during informal summer workouts and now in preseason drills.

 

"He's confident, and he's a strong kid for being that young," said Taylor, who is also 6-2 and 210. "When I came out of high school (in 2001), I wasn't even near his league. I mean, in my first practice last spring, my head was spinning. I think he did a better job than I did my first day.

 

"Once things start slowing down for him, it'll really start to show."

 

Taylor is particularly impressed with Beck's arm strength.

 

"Coming out of high school, I couldn't throw a 12-yard ‘out' route — it would fall off the receiver's feet," Taylor said. "But that's something Harrison does well. His strong arm will help him out."

 

Added Davis, "Right now, Harrison's struggling a little with accuracy. It's tough for a new guy to come to a new place and learn a lot of new things. But he has a strong arm, and he's learned the offense pretty quickly."

 

Both Davis and Ganz make clear their intention of competing for playing time. As for the abundant attention Beck receives from fans and media, Davis and Ganz both seem indifferent.

 

"It doesn't rub me wrong at all," Ganz said. "He was a big-time recruit. The coaches are going to bring in great competition here. It's Nebraska. And Harrison's a good kid. We all get along. It'd be a lot different if he was kind of cocky, which he's not. He's a great kid."

 

Added Davis, "He's just another quarterback out there. He's competing like the rest of us. Nobody's job is definite."

 

Members of Nebraska's 2005 recruiting class were shielded from media interviews last week during the first few days of preseason camp. Beck will be among newcomers allowed to meet the press this week.

 

Taylor, meanwhile, is interviewed almost daily. He said he understands why Nebraska coaches are keeping the quarterback race "wide open."

 

"Sometimes, when a coach comes out and says, ‘So and so is the starter,' that causes guys to relax a little," he said. "I think it's smart what Coach Callahan is doing. It keeps us all working hard and kind of keeps us guessing."

 

Taylor, a native of Norman, Okla., labors diligently to refine his overall game. He loathes mental errors. One mental error is one too many, he said.

 

"With the quarterback, everyone has to have faith in you," he said. "They have to know that you know where you're going with the ball on a play. I need to make sure that 100 percent of my snaps are perfect. I need to make sure I'm going to the right receiver, that my feet are right."

 

Taylor, who led Butler County (Kan.) Community College to the NJCAA championship game last season, completed 20 of 27 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns April 16 in the Red-White Game. Receivers seldom had to break stride on his completions, and Taylor managed the offense with poise — areas where Joe Dailey struggled last season as Nebraska limped to a 5-6 record.

 

Dailey has since transferred to North Carolina.

 

"Zac's got all of the intangibles to be a great quarterback and a great leader," Ganz said. "He's vocal, so the offense knows it's his offense. But he's not trying to be overassertive. He lets (running back) Cory Ross and (tackle) Seppo Evwaraye be leaders, too. He realizes there are other leaders on offense. But when something needs to be said, Zac's the one to say it."

 

Asked what Taylor, or anybody else, needs to accomplish this month to be named starter for the Sept. 3 opener against Maine, Norvell said, "We're just looking for a quarterback who's as solid as a rock — a guy who can operate without making mistakes. That guy has to really understand our offense and be able to communicate and allow everybody else to do their jobs efficiently.

 

"We're not looking for someone to be Superman. We're just looking for someone to be a leader and operate the offense without making major mistakes. That's really all we want from that position."

 

Taylor, through the first few days of practice, seemed confident and at ease in the spotlight, as he did toward the latter part of spring practice. He knew before he arrived in Lincoln that Nebraska starting quarterbacks tend to receive more attention than the state's governor.

 

"Growing up in Norman, you see the Oklahoma program and the attention those guys get," he said. "It's almost on a bigger scale here. People are more into football here than down there. It comes with the territory."

 

The thing is, Taylor's not the starter — at least not yet. Not officially. He may seem like the definitive starter already. He clearly has the lead in the race at this stage. Now, it's a matter of him locking down the job — and thereby holding off a touted freshman from Florida, among others.

 

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.

[Washusker]

Boy, would it be nice if Taylor does turn out to be our Huepel...

[Pedro Guerrero]

Neither have played a game so I would say it is still wide open. Until they show what they can do in a game then it isn't a done deal.IMO

[Eric the Red]

Taylor is so comfortable under center right now. He should be fine against the first two opponents, but Pitt should show alll of us Husker fans if Taylor has got what it takes to play in the Big 12. If he craps his pants, we could be introuble, especially since were at home.

[Hunter94]

i don't think that will happen, they will have plenty of plays to take the pressure off him by then, especially with glenn, lucky and ross in the backfield to run/throw to, i don't think Taylor has to be spectacular, just solid and make no major mistakes, especially early in the season, which will allow his confidence to grow, i also think and hope the running game re-emerges and becomes a big force in the offense, you may in fact see the running game set up the passing game, something we used to see alot of here at NU.....if Billy C is smart he will use our strengths while the qb's get acclimated to D-1 ball......it will be challenging for them, make no mistake about that........

 

 

hunter

[JR 5]

Taylor is so comfortable under center right now.  He should be fine against the first two opponents, but Pitt should show alll of us Husker fans if Taylor has got what it takes to play in the Big 12.  If he craps his pants, we could be introuble, especially since were at home.

You might be surprised at how good Wake Forest is.

 

Their record was 4-7, but they lost to Clemson by 7 (2ot), NC State by 6, Va Tech by 7, FSU by 3, UNC by 7, and Maryland by 6.

 

So in each of their losses (other than Miami, 52-7), they were close and easily could have won. We cannot take them lightly.

 

We should be able to handle them, but it'll be closer than most think.

 

And I doubt Taylor will crap his pants against Pitt. They have a really good QB, but I'm not sure how good the Pitt Defense is.

[Hunter94]

you are very correct about wake forest, as i said earlier this summer, that will be a damn tough game.......damn tough

 

 

hunter