Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
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.”
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.”
