Is there a quarterback controversy?

[WCHusker]

ask Cody Green

[Hercules]

There is no QB controversy.

[JOEY]

For the millionth time NO!

[Hingle McCringleberry]

Having seen Taylor Martinez pulled twice for performance, is it a given that he starts next week at Okie Lite, or for that matter, for the rest of the season?

 

Who knows, does he start next week, sure, if the rumors of a sideline meltdown by T-Mart, along with a huge blow up after the game, where Bo, him ,and his folks all had a private meeting, then I wouldn't be so sure he stays in that slot. For now I am sure Bo is behind him, he is a 19 y/o kid, who potentially had a great game passing, but his teammates let him down, I would be pissed also. Although if that type of behavior continues I would think they start to look elsewhere...

[zoogs]

No, there is no QB controversy. Pelini already said Taylor is starting next week.

 

The same guy who yanked his quarterback in the 3rd quarter is saying there is no controversy.

 

I'd be curious to know what his definition of a controversy is.

 

My definition is when you have no idea who is going to be under center from one series to the next.

 

Zac won't be here next year, Taylor will be. Taylor is the guy. He is a freshman and we are going to take some lumps with him. Not sure how I feel about him being benched, but he clearly didn't have it.

 

Choosing to bench a guy this year just because he won't be here next year...or starting a freshman because he's a freshman and will struggle like one...it makes no sense.

 

You always play for this year. One game at a time, and one season at a time, for that matter.

[gratefullred]

I will look to last year when Bo shut down the offense. Martinez is a fumbling machine, a very exciting fumbling machine. Lee is boring and inept, but less likely to put it on the turf. What do you think Bo will do when turnovers cant be overcome and he decides to shut the offense down?

[zoogs]

The interesting thing is, if we do switch to Lee, it will be opening up the offense.

 

The offense is limited with Taylor because he is not far along at all as a quarterback and as a passer. With Taylor, we rely HARD on certain things - mostly, his explosive athletic ability. Without the right reads, and against a stout defense, even that is taken away, and when it is, we see there's nothing left.

 

The trouble is our playmakers on offense, in the pass catching dept., need to get over their funk. It's not a matter of ability really, more so of confidence right now, IMO.

 

If Taylor had Lee's understanding of the position down, it would be frightening and deadly. Unfortunately, that simply is not in the cards this year. With another year or two, it certainly is possible.

[Hercules]

The interesting thing is, if we do switch to Lee, it will be opening up the offense.

 

The offense is limited with Taylor because he is not far along at all as a quarterback and as a passer. With Taylor, we rely HARD on certain things - mostly, his explosive athletic ability. Without the right reads, and against a stout defense, even that is taken away, and when it is, we see there's nothing left.

 

The trouble is our playmakers on offense, in the pass catching dept., need to get over their funk. It's not a matter of ability really, more so of confidence right now, IMO.

 

If Taylor had Lee's understanding of the position down, it would be frightening and deadly. Unfortunately, that simply is not in the cards this year. With another year or two, it certainly is possible.

 

If we catch the ball, that opens up our offense. End of story.

 

Lee may be a better passing game, but the passing game isn't available without the threat to run. And Taylor gives us our running threat more than our offensive line does. We're playing with the same mediocre running team we had last year, but with a home run threat at QB. Martinez keeps teams from playing us like they did last year, and that opens up our passing game. Just have to catch the ball - that's all.

[GHOST]

would we be saying the samething if some guys caught the ball on key plays ?? What about that ? should came out with that pitch out qb toss then the hurry up draw newways gotta catch the ball lol we need to get the ball off faster

[th3r0m]

Taylor gives us the best chance to win. We're obviously not suited to be a passing team. I don't believe Zac is a better passer anyways. We need to get away from running that zone read even when it fails though.

yeah Martinez also deserves a chance to run the zone read under the same conditions as Lee. When Lee got in there Watson changed the scheme so every one was blocked rather letting one man run free. I believe Martinez would have better results and more room to recover from mistakes if that man is blocked.

 

If I recall correctly, in the zone read that man is always unblocked - that is the "read" part of the play - and he was still unblocked when Lee was in (although some have said Texas changed up their defense against Lee, I personally didn't see any big changes). It makes no sense that Watson would leave a guy unblocked against Martinez, but not against Lee when Martinez is the bigger running threat ie if that guy being blocked sprung Lee for 3-4 yards a pop, then it would likely spring Martinez for 6-10 if not more. In truth, what you saw was Lee making the correct read versus Martinez not making it.

[zoogs]

th3r0m is on the money. Two zone reads, both times with Burkhead, both times with the DT free, are very good illustrations of this.

 

Play 1) Martinez hands off to Rex, with the DT already bearing down on him. The exchange is barely complete before Rex is drilled to the turf in the backfield.

 

Play 2) Lee puts the ball in Rex's gut, and the DT crushes him. However, Lee's got the ball and is being tackled several yards upfield.

 

The zone read's failures under Taylor were all on Taylor's shoulders. I know we don't like a QB controversy and it seems there won't be one for the time being - Taylor being the starter until further notice - but you are sippin' something HARD if you can look at all that's happened this year and say "No worries." The worst part is we will probably see the problems covered up in games against poor D's, so we'll see some more extreme stats from Taylor. But come up against another good team and it will be the same result.

[bshirt]

I will look to last year when Bo shut down the offense. Martinez is a fumbling machine, a very exciting fumbling machine. Lee is boring and inept, but less likely to put it on the turf. What do you think Bo will do when turnovers cant be overcome and he decides to shut the offense down?

 

I think that's fair.

 

Exciting/ultra-fast/mistake-prone vs boring/inept/slow

 

Fumbles would seem to sit Tmart for Lee but otoh with wrs who simply can't catch the ball & Lee having zero running ability......well.....it's a tough call.

 

Do we revert to last year's "3 & out" machine and hope the defense wins it for us? Sadly, while still very good, the blackshirts aren't the overwhelming force they were last year. I think we should take our chances with Tmart but the real question is what do we do with an offense that is grossly inept vs any good defense for years now?

[bshirt]

Taylor gives us the best chance to win. We're obviously not suited to be a passing team. I don't believe Zac is a better passer anyways. We need to get away from running that zone read even when it fails though.

yeah Martinez also deserves a chance to run the zone read under the same conditions as Lee. When Lee got in there Watson changed the scheme so every one was blocked rather letting one man run free. I believe Martinez would have better results and more room to recover from mistakes if that man is blocked.

 

If I recall correctly, in the zone read that man is always unblocked - that is the "read" part of the play - and he was still unblocked when Lee was in (although some have said Texas changed up their defense against Lee, I personally didn't see any big changes). It makes no sense that Watson would leave a guy unblocked against Martinez, but not against Lee when Martinez is the bigger running threat ie if that guy being blocked sprung Lee for 3-4 yards a pop, then it would likely spring Martinez for 6-10 if not more. In truth, what you saw was Lee making the correct read versus Martinez not making it.

 

And with Lee making perfect reads we get.....3 yds.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

No, there isn't a controversy in my opinion. I just have to wonder what Martinez can do to not allow the defenses to stop him now. Between SDSU and Texas they've given the rest of our schedule the blueprint to stop us. He's got to get more comfortable throwing the ball............and I don't care what he threw as a Senior in high school. That's high school, not D-1 football, big difference. If the offensive line would do their jobs that would help, along with the receivers and backs.

[Hercules]

No, there isn't a controversy in my opinion. I just have to wonder what Martinez can do to not allow the defenses to stop him now. Between SDSU and Texas they've given the rest of our schedule the blueprint to stop us. He's got to get more comfortable throwing the ball............and I don't care what he threw as a Senior in high school. That's high school, not D-1 football, big difference. If the offensive line would do their jobs that would help, along with the receivers and backs.

 

He could throw the ball 20 yards downfield and then run and catch it. Probably better that than to leave it up to one of his WR's to catch the ball.