Martinez looked "clueless"

[BlackHand]

I agree that Martinez looked bad. I may never forget his "deer in headlights" look. He was in a continuous state of panic on passing plays. How did the coaching staff help him out? They continued to put him in obvious passing situations. Our coaching staff did nothing to help the kid out Saturday. I'm not, particularly, a big Tmart fan but the backlash from this game is asinine. He played like a freshman qb whos coaches left him on an island to get slaughtered. As poorly as he played we could have easily still managed to win if it wasn't for the play calling.

[NEBRASKANHEAT]

I agree that Martinez looked bad. I may never forget his "deer in headlights" look. He was in a continuous state of panic on passing plays. How did the coaching staff help him out? They continued to put him in obvious passing situations. Our coaching staff did nothing to help the kid out Saturday. I'm not, particularly, a big Tmart fan but the backlash from this game is asinine. He played like a freshman qb whos coaches left him on an island to get slaughtered. As poorly as he played we could have easily still managed to win if it wasn't for the play calling.

 

 

T-tragic was a mess. Freshman or not.

 

 

Imo we are in the exact same position we were last year at this time. Needing to find a qb. Tragic's only real skill is his speed, which seems to be negated rather easily vs. athletic defenses. He has no ability to manage a game. Can't hang onto the football and is unable to even find 2nd options much less 3rd and 4th options...

 

 

I'm not completely wanting to give up on him. But at the very least, that position needs to be up for grabs again come this spring.

[Glendower]

I agree that Martinez looked bad. I may never forget his "deer in headlights" look. He was in a continuous state of panic on passing plays. How did the coaching staff help him out? They continued to put him in obvious passing situations. Our coaching staff did nothing to help the kid out Saturday. I'm not, particularly, a big Tmart fan but the backlash from this game is asinine. He played like a freshman qb whos coaches left him on an island to get slaughtered. As poorly as he played we could have easily still managed to win if it wasn't for the play calling.

 

 

T-tragic was a mess. Freshman or not.

 

 

Imo we are in the exact same position we were last year at this time. Needing to find a qb. Tragic's only real skill is his speed, which seems to be negated rather easily vs. athletic defenses. He has no ability to manage a game. Can't hang onto the football and is unable to even find 2nd options much less 3rd and 4th options...

 

 

I'm not completely wanting to give up on him. But at the very least, that position needs to be up for grabs again come this spring.

 

T-Ragic would have been funnier.

 

I don't blame him-- I think he should have been pulled out, but I don't blame him at all. I think his ankles and feet were probably bound to the point of immobility. I mean, think about if you dinged up your left thumb that you use to play Madden with... it would be like that but more. Athletes get used to being able to perform within and to the extremes of their limits, you move those limits, it can have a catastrophic result. The whole system goes out of whack, he now has to think about his abilities because they aren't exactly the same ones that he had at the start of hte season or during high school or whatever. When all you have (or are defined by) your mobility and suddenly one ankle is taped up nearly cast-like and the other foot... well, I don't know what they do for turf toe, but it probably sucks too.

 

I wasn't trying to be a smart donkey about the Madden thing, either. I'm sure we've tried to do low-stakes, fairly easy activities like play video games with something as minor as a paper cut on one of our fingers-- it sucks! It throws your game off. I just try to imagine something like that extended to something as major as the lower part of the leg to a runner... that's gotta throw your game way off. The pain screws with concentration, your concentration is even more limited because you have to think about trying to run earlier than your well-trained reflexes are used to telling you to run, and then you're trying to run the game as a freshman.

 

No, I don't blame him at all... that had to be rough. But I do blame the staff for not taking him out when it seemed that he was struggling-- not because he "sucks" or is "clueless" but because it's like he was playing the game with a different skill set and, essentially, in a different body. It had to be frustrating and sending him down a mental spiral. I think he will be great, but that was just really unfortunate circumstances.

[Hercules]

He's going to be something special...give him time.

 

I don't know about this one. Plenty of people have had killer games against crappy teams in their careers and they never turned into special players.

 

Not as killer as Martinez, and not as a freshman.

[Hunter94]

Taylor obviously wasnt healthy enough to play seems as tho he got chased down by a DE. His throws are consistently behind his receivers. Kid couldnt hit the red side of a barn. Get off Taylors jock he is not the future of our program. True freshman im sick of hearing that...Look at rex, basically played as our QB in last years bowl game. Must have a fluke? Tommie Frazier another fluke? It doesnt take 2-3yrs to learn to throw the ball away when your getting sacked..Dont they teach you that in Jr. High? Im so sick of every other post on this message board being about your guys love for Taylor Martinez? My bet is Biron Carnes or Bubba will take his spot next year.

 

Just grow up and be MEN!

 

 

Bubba be signing with the Yankees, real soon.....he will never take a snap.

[broganreynik]

Did this thread really need to be started. I mean all the other threads ragging on the guy who poured his heart and soul into that game weren't enough? You're not enamored with a wounded QB, but you want Zac Lee in? I've never been so ashamed of my fellow Husker fans as I am today. I don't know how long of a memory any of you guys have, but with the whole taking sacks thing, Joe Ganz did that when Bo first got here. Just about everyone got on him about it, then he gets rid of it and throws a pick against Texas Tech in overtime. How quickly we all forget.

[NEBRASKANHEAT]

I agree that Martinez looked bad. I may never forget his "deer in headlights" look. He was in a continuous state of panic on passing plays. How did the coaching staff help him out? They continued to put him in obvious passing situations. Our coaching staff did nothing to help the kid out Saturday. I'm not, particularly, a big Tmart fan but the backlash from this game is asinine. He played like a freshman qb whos coaches left him on an island to get slaughtered. As poorly as he played we could have easily still managed to win if it wasn't for the play calling.

 

 

T-tragic was a mess. Freshman or not.

 

 

Imo we are in the exact same position we were last year at this time. Needing to find a qb. Tragic's only real skill is his speed, which seems to be negated rather easily vs. athletic defenses. He has no ability to manage a game. Can't hang onto the football and is unable to even find 2nd options much less 3rd and 4th options...

 

 

I'm not completely wanting to give up on him. But at the very least, that position needs to be up for grabs again come this spring.

 

T-Ragic would have been funnier.

 

I don't blame him-- I think he should have been pulled out, but I don't blame him at all. I think his ankles and feet were probably bound to the point of immobility. I mean, think about if you dinged up your left thumb that you use to play Madden with... it would be like that but more. Athletes get used to being able to perform within and to the extremes of their limits, you move those limits, it can have a catastrophic result. The whole system goes out of whack, he now has to think about his abilities because they aren't exactly the same ones that he had at the start of hte season or during high school or whatever. When all you have (or are defined by) your mobility and suddenly one ankle is taped up nearly cast-like and the other foot... well, I don't know what they do for turf toe, but it probably sucks too.

 

I wasn't trying to be a smart donkey about the Madden thing, either. I'm sure we've tried to do low-stakes, fairly easy activities like play video games with something as minor as a paper cut on one of our fingers-- it sucks! It throws your game off. I just try to imagine something like that extended to something as major as the lower part of the leg to a runner... that's gotta throw your game way off. The pain screws with concentration, your concentration is even more limited because you have to think about trying to run earlier than your well-trained reflexes are used to telling you to run, and then you're trying to run the game as a freshman.

 

No, I don't blame him at all... that had to be rough. But I do blame the staff for not taking him out when it seemed that he was struggling-- not because he "sucks" or is "clueless" but because it's like he was playing the game with a different skill set and, essentially, in a different body. It had to be frustrating and sending him down a mental spiral. I think he will be great, but that was just really unfortunate circumstances.

 

 

 

At what point did his ankles go bad? Vs. S. Dakota st.? Because he was locking on receivers, throwing balls into crowds and generally being roughed up trying to run against them too..

 

Now you can argue I'm picking out games that fit my arguments and I'll grant you that. But then I ask, what did he show in practice that convinced the coaches he was the best (and apparently only) option for the championship game?

 

Was his injuries so obvious then? Shouldn't they have been if by your argument, he was obviously affected so badly by them?

 

If Taylor practiced at any point like he played in the game, he never would have started. Which tells me it was either not the injuries that caused his performance, or we need to re-evaluate our practices and how we make sure our starting qb is really fit to play a game.

[Husker_x]

We got what we should have expected out of a freshman. He's green. He's not ready. He doesn't seem to have an iota of football smarts in the pocket or in reading coverages. That part of it will come with time, but in the meantime I hope that Pelini starts taking this competition mantra very seriously going into next year, because we need more than pure speed from a QB. We need a complete player. If Taylor is that guy, so be it. If not, have the stones to play the best player.

[Blackshirtsguru]

Taylor didn't start Taylor......Bo and Watson did. Taylor didn't keep himself in the game.....Bo and Watson did!

[husker_hurdler]

I don't buy into the freshman arguement. Any college football team should put the best 22 players out on the field regardless of how old they may be.

 

As a former Divison 1 athlete (Track and Field), it did not matter if the kid next to me on the track was a Frosh or a Senior. It was all about competetion. With that being said, once the team was assembled for BIG XIIs the expectations were the same across the board. You show and compete! There was no participation award for being a freshman, cause it didn't matter. Everyone was equal.

 

I get sick and tired of hearing about freshman mistakes. Its a myth. Its just plain mistakes!

[NUance]

Wow. It sure is a lot colder in December than it was back in September/October.

[huskerSoldier321]

He's going to be something special...give him time.

 

I don't know about this one. Plenty of people have had killer games against crappy teams in their careers and they never turned into special players.

Yea but they didn't play for Nebraska under coach Palini.

[knapplc]

Tommie Frazier heard much the same kind of criticism after the 1992 season, especially after the 1993 Orange Bowl in which he looked very much like a Freshman. At this point it's not fair to compare Taylor to Touchdown Tommie, but even the great ones have had very, very bad games. And even the great ones faced criticism early in their careers.

 

Let's put this thread to rest. If you want to bash the kid, there are plenty of other threads to do it in.