QB race

[np_husker]

Posted by: Brian Christopherson on July 27, 2010 at 10:34AM CST

 

The biggest thing I took out of Nebraska's appearance at these Big 12 Media Days was Bo Pelini saying the QB race could carry through September.

 

Pelini said that hopefully the quarterback situation would be settled for sure by the time conference play starts. That would be Oct. 7 at Kansas State.

 

The quarterback race might be more like a half marathon than a sprint.

 

“I think it will eventually be pretty obvious as to who the guy needs to be,” Pelini said. “There’s going to be somebody who’s going to line up as that starter in the first game. Is that necessarily the guy who’s going to be the starter in game 3, 4 or 5? No, not necessarily. My goal is it’s all pretty much solidified by the time we get into Big 12 play, because that’s when it really starts to count.”

 

A distraction? No way, Pelini said.

 

“It might be a distraction for you guys,” Pelini said. “It won’t be a distraction for our team. It’s kind of how we handle every position. We’re not going to handle the quarterback position different than how we handle tight end, wide receiver, defensive back. You compete on a daily basis.”

 

What you think? When do you think the cutoff date should be to pick a guy? Or does Nebraska have to even pick just one guy?

 

I think they do. And I think that it'd be most advantageous to have a pretty good ideas as to who that is when the Huskers roll into Seattle on Sept. 18.

[zoogs]

Wow. All the fans and writers are hanging on to every little bit of coachspeak Bo Pelini dangles at us.

 

It's no different from past years. Competition at every position. Heck, even with Joe Ganz returning that was the case. Obviously with an injured returning starter who didn't put up great stats last year, why does he deserve the safety of a guaranteed spot? Make him earn it. Competition breeds success; complacency weakens the team.

 

But every little comment from Bo like this - is there really anything else he could say - and people start getting besides themselves with excitement. The lovefest over anybody but Zac is inexplicable. And let's face it. Taylor Martinez could have the arm strength to throw the ball just fifteen yards, and people would still be going ga-ga over him because he runs like Crouch.

[knapplc]

I don't know how I feel about this. I will feel OK if all three guys have similar skill sets and we're just seeing which one leads better.

 

But the concern I have, based on our offensive philosophy shifts in each of the past three years, is that we appear not to have a firm grasp on what flavor of offense we're going to focus on, and we're in limbo waiting to see which QB is best. Once we decide that, we'll tailor the offense around him.

 

This fails on many levels. If we go with Zac Lee, presumably we'll have the full gamut of run/pass offense Watson wants to run. Lee is the more accomplished passer of the three, and (according to the bowl game) capable of running the ball.

 

If we go with Green, he is the 2nd best passer and probably the 2nd best runner, but has a good overall game. We'll have to shelve some of the passing offense, and if we do that mid-season, that means we've wasted practice time on passing plays when we should have been running more zone read, which seems to be Green's best bet.

 

If we go with Martinez we'll have to almost entirely scrap the passing game. While he's not horrible, we don't want a redshirt freshman running a pass-happy West Coast ball-control offense. Not gonna work, and it wouldn't be prudent. Again, if we go with Martinez and we don't do it NOW, we're wasting practice time.

 

It's the end of July. We should know without question right now what our offense is going to look like, and we should be perfecting our blocking schemes, and not wasting practice time on anything else.

 

Please, let's not have a replay of the offensive Three Card Monty we've had to suffer through over and over and over. Let's get this crap figured out and get going.

[Lil' Red]

I don't know how I feel about this. I will feel OK if all three guys have similar skill sets and we're just seeing which one leads better.

 

But the concern I have, based on our offensive philosophy shifts in each of the past three years, is that we appear not to have a firm grasp on what flavor of offense we're going to focus on, and we're in limbo waiting to see which QB is best. Once we decide that, we'll tailor the offense around him.

 

This fails on many levels. If we go with Zac Lee, presumably we'll have the full gamut of run/pass offense Watson wants to run. Lee is the more accomplished passer of the three, and (according to the bowl game) capable of running the ball.

 

If we go with Green, he is the 2nd best passer and probably the 2nd best runner, but has a good overall game. We'll have to shelve some of the passing offense, and if we do that mid-season, that means we've wasted practice time on passing plays when we should have been running more zone read, which seems to be Green's best bet.

 

If we go with Martinez we'll have to almost entirely scrap the passing game. While he's not horrible, we don't want a redshirt freshman running a pass-happy West Coast ball-control offense. Not gonna work, and it wouldn't be prudent. Again, if we go with Martinez and we don't do it NOW, we're wasting practice time.

 

It's the end of July. We should know without question right now what our offense is going to look like, and we should be perfecting our blocking schemes, and not wasting practice time on anything else.

 

Please, let's not have a replay of the offensive Three Card Monty we've had to suffer through over and over and over. Let's get this crap figured out and get going.

 

I agree. That's why I'm hoping we just go with Lee since he's the most proven QB out of the bunch and that way we have less of a risk of us have to swap QB's mid-season. We have a pretty good team this year and I don't want to blow our season trying to figure out if Green or Martinez could work.

[In the Deed the Glory]

I don't know how I feel about this. I will feel OK if all three guys have similar skill sets and we're just seeing which one leads better.

 

But the concern I have, based on our offensive philosophy shifts in each of the past three years, is that we appear not to have a firm grasp on what flavor of offense we're going to focus on, and we're in limbo waiting to see which QB is best. Once we decide that, we'll tailor the offense around him.

 

This fails on many levels. If we go with Zac Lee, presumably we'll have the full gamut of run/pass offense Watson wants to run. Lee is the more accomplished passer of the three, and (according to the bowl game) capable of running the ball.

 

If we go with Green, he is the 2nd best passer and probably the 2nd best runner, but has a good overall game. We'll have to shelve some of the passing offense, and if we do that mid-season, that means we've wasted practice time on passing plays when we should have been running more zone read, which seems to be Green's best bet.

 

If we go with Martinez we'll have to almost entirely scrap the passing game. While he's not horrible, we don't want a redshirt freshman running a pass-happy West Coast ball-control offense. Not gonna work, and it wouldn't be prudent. Again, if we go with Martinez and we don't do it NOW, we're wasting practice time.

 

It's the end of July. We should know without question right now what our offense is going to look like, and we should be perfecting our blocking schemes, and not wasting practice time on anything else.

 

Please, let's not have a replay of the offensive Three Card Monty we've had to suffer through over and over and over. Let's get this crap figured out and get going.

 

Knappy, sir, sometimes it scares me how you think because it seems to mirror my own thought process. First thing I thought when I heard this September thing was, great here we go changing offenses after a couple losses again. I just hope we can do as you say, identify with a scheme and stick with it. As a player there is comfort in knowing that you have a system to fall back on. I don't believe we have had that since Solich was here.

[junior4949]

I want the QB that gives us the best opportunity to win playing. However, my biggest strike against the current coaching staff revolves around their inability to get the second and third string QB's some valuable gametime experience. Two years ago when Ganz was running the show, neither Witt or Lee gained much/any experience. If Lee is the starter this year which I'm inclined to believe he will be, it is imperative that both Green and Martinez get quite a bit of gametime experience.

[In the Deed the Glory]

I want the QB that gives us the best opportunity to win playing. However, my biggest strike against the current coaching staff revolves around their inability to get the second and third string QB's some valuable gametime experience. Two years ago when Ganz was running the show, neither Witt or Lee gained much/any experience. If Lee is the starter this year which I'm inclined to believe he will be, it is imperative that both Green and Martinez get quite a bit of gametime experience.

 

Lee did have a blown out knee and was redshirting that year...but I do agree that, whether its because game situations haven't allowed it or what, we do not get many reps for our backups.

[zoogs]

Lee wasn't redshirting that year, it was his sophomore season. He got two carries for 17 yards as the third-string or something. But that was a year where Ganz, the starter, was low on experience too and needed all the playing time early in the season to develop that he could get.

[kansas husker]

I think this is a lot of coach talk, there may already be a good idea of who the starter is and Bo just wants to keep everybody guessing.

[EZ-E]

Something that I found on another board.

 

Zac is Back

[n.e.husker]

Something that I found on another board.

 

Zac is Back

 

That great to hear!

Nice find EZ-E

[GSG]

Dr. Saturday from Yahoo Sports has an article about our QB picture. Basically a rehash of what's been said from the end of the Holiday Bowl up to the media day yesterday.

 

I watched the first half of the VaTech game over lunch. It seemed like Lee had almost no time to throw the ball. Our O-line was whiffing left and right. I just hope we can put most of the pieces together this year and at least score some points when our D gives us good field position.

 

 

 

Edit: Does anyone have any links to videos of Lee's JUCO or high school highlights?

[Landlord]

It's no different from past years. Competition at every position. Heck, even with Joe Ganz returning that was the case.

 

 

 

While I agree with you, this part of your post is incorrect. Before the 2008 season Bo Pelini said numerous times, and I quote, "Joe Ganz is our starting quarterback."

[mmmtodd]

i think the biggest hooha has been made over martinez throwing ability. Some make it sound like he has no arms at all...when people much more involved/knowledgable say nothing but good things about him and that hes a quarterback-period.

[REDSTEEL]

There was no problem with Zac Lee arm, everytime Nebraska was in a passing situation, Zac would point out where he was going to curlup and fall down. He was perfect every time with that arm.