Dailey/Taylor

[Eric the Red]

Similar stats equal different sentiments for Dailey, Taylor

 

ROBIN WASHUT

October 13, 2005

 

 

It’s been nearly six months since the pressure and constant criticism finally became too much for Joe Dailey to handle.

 

On Sept. 3, Zac Taylor officially put it all on his shoulders.

 

Through the first five games of both Taylor and Dailey’s inaugural years as Nebraska’s starting quarterback, their numbers are surprisingly similar.

 

Even so, there is an obvious difference in the feeling around the Cornhuskers this season than a year ago.

 

Maybe it’s because the Huskers are one win better than they were at this point last season.

 

Or because Taylor’s five fewer interceptions than Dailey make it seem as though the West Coast offense could actually work at Nebraska?

 

Whatever the reason, Taylor has avoided the onslaught of negativity that ran Dailey out of Lincoln.

 

“It’s tough to say why that is,” Taylor said. “Everybody is just more confident in the offense than they were a year ago. I don’t know how much of that has to do with me. I think that everybody is just more confident in their roles.”

 

When looking at the numbers, it almost comes as a shock that Taylor and Dailey’s statistics through five games are nearly identical.

 

Taylor completed just 18 more passes on 27 more attempts than Dailey.

 

His 1,059 yards are only 127 better than Dailey’s five-game total, and Taylor’s 53.6 completion percentage is a little more than two points better than his predecessor.

 

Even the obvious differences in some way even themselves out.

 

While Dailey did throw seven more interceptions (12) than Taylor (5), at the same time, Dailey’s nine touchdown passes dwarf Taylor’s five.

 

So what, if any, are the differences between the two that has allowed Husker Nation to put more trust in Taylor than it ever did in Dailey?

 

They’re different in demeanor, personality and their play on the field.

 

Most importantly, they’re entirely different in circumstance.

 

For Dailey, his responsibility was to learn one of the most complicated offenses in football from scratch and lead an inexperienced and often overmatched team in a year of the most dramatic transition period in the program’s history.

 

Then there is Taylor, a junior college transfer who spent years running offensive schemes similar to NU’s West Coast offense.

 

Better equipped and suited for the job, Taylor also has had the benefit of playing during a time when expectations for the Huskers have been the lowest in more than four decades.

 

Above all else, Taylor has been getting better with each and every game.

 

Dailey, on the other hand, only got worse as the season progressed. After the Huskers’ 56-21 win over Baylor, Dailey threw for just 731 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions in NU’s final five games.

 

“(Taylor) has taken control of this offense,” senior I-back Cory Ross said. “You’d never know this was his first year here. He’s done a great job of coming in and doing all the things a quarterback needs to do.”

 

Another difference between the two is a characteristic that can’t be measured in box scores.

 

One of the biggest knocks against Dailey was his reluctance at times to take a hit.

 

Whether under the instruction of his coaches or simply looking out for his personal well being, Dailey showed a tendency on several occasions to run out of bounds to avoid contact and to throw the ball away when pressured – even if it meant taking an intentional grounding penalty.

 

The most glaring of example of this – which subsequently led to Husker fans’ sudden disenchantment with Dailey – was NU’s final offensive play of the Huskers’ 21-17 loss to Southern Miss in the second game of the 2004 season.

 

On a fourth-and-15 from the Southern Miss 17-yard line, Dailey scrambled for 10 yards before running out of bounds, avoiding contact and giving the Golden Eagles the ball and the upset victory.

 

Despite his admission that “mobile” would be one of the last words he’d use to describe himself, Taylor has shown a fearlessness to tuck the ball and run when he has to.

 

He’s also shown that he’s not afraid to take a hit to gain valuable yardage, rushing for a touchdown, a 20-yard run and several key third-down conversions.

 

“He’s a very confident player,” NU Coach Bill Callahan said of Taylor. “That’s a real attribute that he possesses. As a coach, when you come into the game plan room on Tuesday morning and you lay out what you want to accomplish against an opponent, he can absorb it pretty rapidly.

 

“That’s the uniqueness of Zac Taylor, and that allows us to do more with that type of player and that type of makeup.”

 

While it’s almost impossible not to compare Taylor and Dailey – as well as the NU offense under their leadership – it is important to keep in mind the situations in which both quarterbacks began their careers at Nebraska.

 

Taylor was recruited by Callahan because of his experience and proven ability to throw the ball.

 

Dailey was recruited by former NU Coach Frank Solich to run an option offense.

 

Then again, Nebraska’s enormous expectations of its quarterbacks were the reason that Taylor wanted to be a Husker.

 

They’re also why Dailey is now 1,200 miles away.

 

“They’re completely different players under completely different circumstances,” senior wide receiver Mark LeFlore said. “We haven’t even finished the season yet, so I don’t think it’s valid to compare them.

 

“Joe was a good player, but Zac has such a command of the offense that’s easy to see. That’s what I like about him.”

[Hunter94]

zac gets better every game, Dailey sucked, never showed any improvement through the whole season........at least to me that is the case.......

 

 

hunter

[skersfan]

I don't think we are counting the touchdowns thrown to the other team by Daily.

[ownagebomb]

I don't think we are counting the touchdowns thrown to the other team by Daily.

 

I think that people hated Daily because of Jamal Lord. During Lords last season there was an outcry for Daily to be put in. I prayed many nights for Lord to go away to give daily his chance. When Joe didn't live up to the hype the backlash was bigger than anything that he could of foreseen.

[AR Husker Fan]

I really feel for Dailey - a kid recruited to one offensive system and then required to try and run a completely different system for which he lacked the skills, training or experience. And while there were a couple of ill-advised cases when he shied away from a hit, for the most part I thought he gave it his all. Wrong circumstances, and not of his making. I wish him well.

[nu4everfan15]

i feel bad for dailey too... he just wasnt suited for the new offense and they didnt tweak any of it for him which most coaches do... atleast for the first year... but i do feel much more comfortable with zac in there this year... he seems confident and only makes a few mistakes a game which definately has helped to the increase in winning thus far.

[Nate]

Even tho they do have similar stats, theres NO COMPARING these 2 quarterbacks, I see a totally different Nebraska team when Zac is under center, they play with more heard and determination than with Dailey, it looked like when Dailey was under center the team just laid down and gave the games to the other team, I dont see that with Taylor, Nebraska is just a flat out better team with Zac, and Zac is just a flat out awesome qb, he just needed a little time to settle into the Husker offence in game situations, I only seeing him get better each game he plays, and next season, I have high hopes for this kid. Heisman cantidate perhaps? Who knows.

[NU fan in Denver]

zac gets better every game, Dailey sucked, never showed any improvement through the whole season........at least to me that is the case.......

 

 

hunter

Agreed. There has been improvement with this team. Especially the last 2 games. With last years team there wasn't any improvement. One week they looked the next week they looked bad. The key stat to the comparison is int's. Dailey had 7 more. We aren't giving other teams more easy opportunities to score. The td passes don't bother me so much because we are starting to get the ball in the endzone. I don't care how we score, just score.

[AR Husker Fan]

Interceptions aside, I wouldn't be surprised to find that the number of "three-and-out" series are less this year...

[roadrat]

This is kind of a funny comparison. Taylor's played the WCO for what 3 yrs and Dailey had one season to pick it up? I'm surprised the numbers are that close.

[skersfan]

Hey I like Joe. He did everything he could but just did not have the talent to run the WCO. I honestly do not feel he will ever play another down of QB at a major program. He could not run the Nebraska offense the times it was intrusted to him. Frank did not offer him to Ohio. He knew the true talent level. Also he was not recruited to run the option. He was recruited supposedly to run a more balanced offense. The talent was not there no matter how they try to make them look the same, Taylor is light years ahead of Joe and always will be.

[skersfan]

Running a balanced attack in Junior College and running the WCO under BC are two totally different things. Terminology would be the main problem. His only advantage is that he knows how to pass and can distinguish the different colors of the uniform. You are thinking of Beck with all the WCO experience I think.

 

Frank did not have the ability to recruit a quarterback. None of his have been able to play the position period. Crouch was not a quarterback no matter how much we want to call him that. He was a great athlete directing an offense that allowed him to run. We could not depend on his arm to win a game.

 

I personally never felt Joe would make it and have always stated so. God knows I wanted him to but he almost always threw behind the reciever. He was not fast enough nor durable enough to run the option or QB keeper of Franks.

 

There is absolutely no comparison between these two kids.

[Nate]

Crouch was not a quarterback no matter how much we want to call him that. He was a great athlete directing an offense that allowed him to run. We could not depend on his arm to win a game.

I agree with you there, but at the end of his career he showed quite a big improvement from his previous seasons.

 

And yes Frank never could recruit a QB, I love the fact that we have Blake to do our recuriting for us, Blake got OU Jason White, Nate Hybl, and Josh Heupel, not to mention all their great WR's over the past few years.

 

If he can do that for us, look out.

[nu4everfan15]

yep who cares if they werent successful in the nfl... we only need them till they graduate!

[skersfan]

True quarterbacks in college are drafted to play QB. Brook was the last that had that ability.