Best NU QB to NEVER run the Option

[TGHusker]

Ok someone suggested on the other thread - best QB to run the option - that we have a poll to choose the best QB who didn't run the option (as the primary offense).  So, I thought I'd get it going.  I'm not  including zone read QBs - as I see that as a type of option. 

It is difficult to evaluate these QBs as a group came from a time long ago  and a smaller group from more recent years with Option QBs in between. 

From a impact on the program aspect I look at Jerry Tagge and Dennis Claridge as having a huge impact on Husker football.  Claridge was the QB when the BobFather took the lowly Huskers on the road to success.  He deserves a lot of credit for the success of Devaney's early success.  Tagge - winning 2 back to back NC speaks for itself.  He was a leader and who can top his leadership in the Game of the Century. 

Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz are two of my all time favorite players regardless of position just because of their guts, leadership, toughness.  Without Z Taylor I believe BC would have had 4 losing seasons instead of 2.  He gave NU some level of respectability that it needed and he was a coach on the field.   Ganz should have been a 2 year starter - proving BC's ineptness for not playing him earlier.  Ganz on the 2010 team - I think we would have had a NC - he graduated too earlier!.  Great leader, passer and again a tough guy. 

 

[knapplc]

Gotta be Jerry Tagge.  Ferragamo was good, but Tagge has two national championships under his belt.  I have a soft spot in my heart for Zac Taylor, but his toughness alone isn't enough to take the top spot from Tagge. 

 

[JJ Husker]

Johnny Stanton ???

Seriously though I've got to go with Tagge.

 

[Cdog923]

This is tough. 

I'm voting for Zac Taylor. Tagge was great, but he had a much better supporting cast around him than Taylor did. If I had a second vote, it would probably go to Claridge. He did a yeoman's job to help Devaney build the program in those early years. 

 

[TGHusker]

I ended up going with Tagge.  Cannot argue one bit wt 2 NCs.  Taylor and Calridge would be my 2nd & 3rd.   I think Taylor wt a better supporting cast (esp OL- which always seemed to put him in danger- and a Fran Tarkington scrambler Taylor wasn't unfortunately) would be a NC caliber player.  Read the history on Calridge and you understand how much he contributed to Devaney's first teams.  It would be like Scott Frost having Himself as QB during his first 2 years at NU. 

Gotta be Jerry Tagge.  Ferragamo was good, but Tagge has two national championships under his belt.  I have a soft spot in my heart for Zac Taylor, but his toughness alone isn't enough to take the top spot from Tagge. 

Yes, I think Ferragamo may have been the best pure passer or pro-style QB we had. 

 

[RedDenver]

I voted Ganz as I can only remember Quinn, Taylor, and Ganz on that list.

 

[TGHusker]

I voted Ganz as I can only remember Quinn, Taylor, and Ganz on that list.

You are just too young!

 

[NUance]

Other:  Bruce Mathison.  He came to Nebraska as a pure passer slated to follow Vince Ferragamo.  But Osborne recruited Turner Gill when Ferragamo left, and took our offense in a different direction.  Mathison rode the pine during his whole college career.  Got drafted by the Chargers, and bounced around the NFL for half a decade.  He started for a couple different NFL teams.  LINK

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

 

[dvdcrr]

Would Blaine Gabbert count?

 

[Roll Skers]

Adrian Martinez

 

[Hans Gruber]

I voted for Ganz. I'm pretty sure Ganz did run the option a handful of times in his career, but it was rare.

I don't want to knock Tagge, but I think a lot of quarterbacks could have achieved the same amount of team success with the roster that Jerry had around him.

 

[huKSer]

Eric Crouch?  All I remember are QB trap plays - did he ever pitch the ball?

 

[TGHusker]

Eric Crouch?  All I remember are QB trap plays - did he ever pitch the ball?

Yes, they called that play the 'fumble play'.   Fumble counter, fumble sweep, fumble option  --  Ok I'm being a bit harsh there.  But to your point - he ran much and he wasn't the best option QB as discussed in the other thread. 

 

[beorach]

I have to abstain from voting due to ignorance but wanted to share my appreciation for the thread with more than a plus.  I like reading about these guys I didn't see.  Thanks for sharing!  p.s. - I think I do remember Jeff Quinn playing basketball at Millard South in some kind of exhibition game.  Maybe they played the Indians or some teachers?  I remember my dad telling me he thought JQ might be able to dunk anyway.