Which Husker is most vital to the team?

[papersun87]

Well, we saw what happened without Martinez last year, though the entire offensive line deciding to collectively suck halfway through the season certainly didn't help.

[tschu]

In my view, this is 100% Rex and its not even close.

[husker_hurdler]

Logic answer is Rex Burkhead......

 

.....my answer is Carnes, once T-Mart goes off/gets hurt/quits/calls dad, Carnes better be ready to go

[The Maudfather]

Since the offensive line wasn't an option, I went with Taylor. I think we are going to be as good as Taylor allows us to be this year.

[zoogs]

Well, we saw what happened without Martinez last year, though the entire offensive line deciding to collectively suck halfway through the season certainly didn't help.

 

Yea, what happened was we beat Colorado 45-17.

 

I guess the other time we prepared for a game without Taylor, we beat Iowa State in OT, but I forget the score.

 

We were not otherwise "without Martinez" last year so much as we were without a healthy Martinez and decided to play with an injured one. All sorts of bad decisions made there, especially in retrospect, but it has little to do IMO, with the value that he has demonstrated.

 

We know Martinez has potential, but also that he can be inconsistent. The offense might be elite next year, but it's a longshot. Prepare and play with a healthy QB, and it won't be too much a dropoff from the decent-to-above average offense we could reasonably expect to field next year. Particularly with a backup that has shown as much promise as Brion. Heck, even RK3 maybe.

 

On the other hand, this team is counting on the defense to be elite, or at least to play at a very high level. If you had to choose A) keep the defense elite, but watch the offense drop to average, or 2) have the offense above average, but watch the defense drop to ordinary good, I'd have to say A. Having one unit that is a cut above the rest of the country makes up for things in ways that having two decent units just can't.

 

By that same logic I will keep stumping for Lavonte. CB already has questions, and DL has the potential to be great with or without Crick. On the other hand, that mid level of the defense, the linebackers...quite simply, will be an elite unit with Lavonte there, and will be ordinary without. With Lavonte there, it opens up the DL and the DB to be able to doubly contribute to the overall level of defensive play. With a mere ordinary LB corps, though, it puts pressure on them to make up for critical liabilities there, and sinks the whole level of the defense. We don't have the DL/DB firepower to make up for a middling LB corps anymore (as we did in '09), IMO. Lavonte is going to be crucial.

[Hercules]

I think you can make a compelling argument for any of the guys in the poll.

 

If the decision is based on what happened last year, on what we know for sure, than I think you have to go with Martinez. You can argue about whether we truly were without him or not, but it was clear to anyone watching that Martinez was the key to the offense. When he was healthy, the offense was dangerous, if not always consistent. When he was injured, the offense was inept. They couldn't establish a run game even with Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead healthy. The offensive line couldn't get a push and the wide receivers couldn't get open without the extra threat that Martinez's healthy legs posed.

 

You can argue about Colorado and Iowa State all you want Zoogies, but this year, Minnesota is the only team on our conference schedule that is even close to being that weak. The coaches started Green against those teams because they knew they could get away with it - they obviously didn't have enough confidence to put him up against the much better defenses fielded by OU and A&M. Even against Iowa State and CU, Rex Burkhead was the only thing that could get our offense first downs, and TD's. If you can't see that our offense completely changed and at times imploded after Martinez's injury, you're not looking at the big picture. Martinez's injury was the turning point of the season last year, period.

 

With that said, I think the most compelling argument you can make against Martinez being the key this year is Brion Carnes - but he's an unknown. We don't know for sure yet that the coaches are going to have any more confidence in his ability to run the offense than they had in Cody Green. I'm optimistic at this point, but it's still too early to tell whether he's going to provide the kind of depth we need should Martinez get hurt.

 

The same can be said for every other player on the list. If Burkhead, Caputo, Dennard, Crick, or David get knocked out (knock on wood), then we'd need an unknown player to step up and fill their shoes - it's hard to imagine who. Burkhead will probably have more responsibility than any of the other players, so I understand voting for him because I think it would be toughest to fill his shoes. I also have more confidence in our defensive staff than our offensive staff to adjust their scheme accordingly to take advantage of whatever talent they do have on the field should one of their best guys go down. Really though, I think we need all of the guys in this poll to stay healthy if we want to win the Big Ten championship.

[Scratchtown]

Remember guys, these young back have to learn how to pass protect more than ever to protect taylor. Rex is huge for us this year.

 

Or do they?

[NoLongerN]

If either Madtinez or Rex goes down it's a tough spot in the season ... double if Rex goes down with him able to take over and run the offense if TMart goes down.

[bshirt]

I think you can make a compelling argument for any of the guys in the poll.

 

If the decision is based on what happened last year, on what we know for sure, than I think you have to go with Martinez. You can argue about whether we truly were without him or not, but it was clear to anyone watching that Martinez was the key to the offense. When he was healthy, the offense was dangerous, if not always consistent. When he was injured, the offense was inept. They couldn't establish a run game even with Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead healthy. The offensive line couldn't get a push and the wide receivers couldn't get open without the extra threat that Martinez's healthy legs posed.

 

You can argue about Colorado and Iowa State all you want Zoogies, but this year, Minnesota is the only team on our conference schedule that is even close to being that weak. The coaches started Green against those teams because they knew they could get away with it - they obviously didn't have enough confidence to put him up against the much better defenses fielded by OU and A&M. Even against Iowa State and CU, Rex Burkhead was the only thing that could get our offense first downs, and TD's. If you can't see that our offense completely changed and at times imploded after Martinez's injury, you're not looking at the big picture. Martinez's injury was the turning point of the season last year, period.

 

With that said, I think the most compelling argument you can make against Martinez being the key this year is Brion Carnes - but he's an unknown. We don't know for sure yet that the coaches are going to have any more confidence in his ability to run the offense than they had in Cody Green. I'm optimistic at this point, but it's still too early to tell whether he's going to provide the kind of depth we need should Martinez get hurt.

 

The same can be said for every other player on the list. If Burkhead, Caputo, Dennard, Crick, or David get knocked out (knock on wood), then we'd need an unknown player to step up and fill their shoes - it's hard to imagine who. Burkhead will probably have more responsibility than any of the other players, so I understand voting for him because I think it would be toughest to fill his shoes. I also have more confidence in our defensive staff than our offensive staff to adjust their scheme accordingly to take advantage of whatever talent they do have on the field should one of their best guys go down. Really though, I think we need all of the guys in this poll to stay healthy if we want to win the Big Ten championship.

 

Yep...that pretty much says it all. Good post Hercules.

[skersfan]

Martinez is this team. Without him we are toast. Burkhead can not run the offense, he runs the wildcat.

 

Carnes, give me a break. He played well in the spring game, yea right against the 3rd and 4th defense. He is not ready or even close to as ready as Martinez was lasat year.

 

This season hinges on Martinez being healthy, recovered from his injuries and being protected by the Oline. Running backs are a dime a dozen. We do not have an experienced threat to go all the way on the field. Maybe we do, but I have not seen it on game day.

 

Loosing a Freshman All American QB on any other team would spell doom, but due to the hate for our QB we could do it without him. Amazing.

 

Mark my words, if Martinez should go down this year, the season will go right along with it. The bad part is that he is a marked man, considered frail. He will have a bulls eye on him, as most feel we will fail without him.

[knapplc]

This season hinges on Martinez being healthy, recovered from his injuries and being protected by the Oline.

 

Bingo. It's all about Martinez. I just don't see how anyone can attempt an argument for anyone else with a straight face.

[GMoose]

What if we lost Burkhead. Austin Jones? Meh. Basically a bunch of freshman who haven't even had a spring game yet.

 

Edit: If we lost Martinez, we at least have had a preview of Carnes in the spring. Granted, it was just the spring game, but it's more than we've seen from the 3 freshman IBs.

[NUance]

It's amazing that Dennard--among the best in the nation at his position--didn't get a single vote. (And Crick/Lavonte David got only a few votes.) This is a testament to our defense. That we could lose one guy and still be okay. Too bad this isn't the case with our offense.

[Hunter94]

Martinez is this team. Without him we are toast. Burkhead can not run the offense, he runs the wildcat.

 

Carnes, give me a break. He played well in the spring game, yea right against the 3rd and 4th defense. He is not ready or even close to as ready as Martinez was last year.

 

This season hinges on Martinez being healthy, recovered from his injuries and being protected by the Oline. Running backs are a dime a dozen. We do not have an experienced threat to go all the way on the field. Maybe we do, but I have not seen it on game day.

 

Loosing a Freshman All American QB on any other team would spell doom, but due to the hate for our QB we could do it without him. Amazing.

 

Mark my words, if Martinez should go down this year, the season will go right along with it. The bad part is that he is a marked man, considered frail. He will have a bulls eye on him, as most feel we will fail without him.

 

 

a run first QB.......what are the odds he plays every game and doesn't get injured or slowed along the way due to hits and punishment?

i say not very damn good......we better hope the 2nd string guy can carry us to some degree...

[knapplc]

a run first QB.......what are the odds he plays every game and doesn't get injured or slowed along the way due to hits and punishment?

i say not very damn good......we better hope the 2nd string guy can carry us to some degree...

 

Nebraska had 20 years of run-first quarterbacks that didn't wilt under the pounding they took. Jammal Lord and Eric Crouch are the two most recent examples, and probably two of the best examples. Martinez got injured last year on a fluke play, then re-injured on another fluke play. You can't exactly label him injury-prone because of that.