Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
LJS: Taylor defends Husker game plan
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan spent Monday defending Saturday night’s offensive game plan against USC. Tuesday, it was his players’ turn.
OK, granted, it’s not like any Husker would openly criticize his coach. That would be neither smart, nor expected.
That said, Zac Taylor seemed pretty convincing in backing his coach.
“I’d take the same approach if we played them again,” said Taylor, the Nebraska senior quarterback.
Taylor attempted 16 passes, completing eight in the Huskers’ 28-10 loss at fourth-ranked USC. Both of those numbers were Nebraska career lows for Taylor, who entered the game with the nation’s seventh-best passing efficiency mark, having completed 72.6 percent of his passes (41-of-56) in two games against lesser competition.
Against the quick, physical, athletic Trojans, Callahan opted to run the ball. Nebraska ran 36 times for 68 yards.
“I understand why we did it,” Taylor said. “It made sense. We were in the game and had our shots.”
Last season, Taylor’s fewest passing attempts (20) and completions (10) in a game were against Pittsburgh. The following game, he was 36-of-55 for a school-record 431 yards against Iowa State.
Keep that in mind when you hear Callahan say each game calls for a different plan.
“The matchups are different, the problems are different, the schematics are different,” Callahan said. “It’s different every game.
“It’ll be different this week. Believe me, it will be different this week.”
Nebraska faces Troy on Saturday night. These Trojans aren’t as highly regarded as last week’s bunch, but shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Troy (1-2) gave both Florida State and Georgia Tech fits in road games before falling in the fourth quarter.
The Huskers tried to give USC fits and give themselves a chance in the fourth quarter by running the ball but didn’t play the needed perfect game.
“A lot of people want to criticize (Callahan) for not throwing the ball much more, but if you look at it, we had our chances,” Taylor said. “The game plan put us in a situation to win the game. We just didn’t make the plays when we needed to.”
Taylor pointed to a lost fumble on Nebraska’s first possession of the third quarter and his underthrown pass on fourth-and-9 later in the period as key plays.
“If we convert on those two drives right there,” Taylor said, “we’d have a pretty good shot at winning it.”
Sophomore receiver Nate Swift, who didn’t catch a pass, said he trusted the coaches’ game plan.
“I really, really wasn’t frustrated that much,” said Swift, the Huskers’ leading receiver last season. “It’s just when we were down that much (21-3), it seemed like we should’ve passed maybe a little bit more. But I mean, it’s all in the game plan. I trust Callahan. I know what he’s doing. He definitely knows what he’s doing out there.”
Swift wasn’t the only Nebraska receiver without a catch. Frantz Hardy and Maurice Purify also went without a reception, and tight end Matt Herian only had one.
Herian’s was a 36-yard catch, which followed a 31-yard pass from Taylor to Terrence Nunn, setting up Nebraska’s lone touchdown.
“It seemed like a couple of times we were throwing the ball, we had success,” Swift said. “Matt Herian deep, T-Nunn on the seam. But I mean, it was just here and there. Most of the time, we had too much pressure coming to the quarterback. You never know what could’ve happened.”
Taylor was sacked once and scrambled other times. Did coaches call fewer passing plays for fear that Taylor would get hit hard and possibly seriously injured?
“I don’t know,” Taylor said. “That might have had a little bit to do with it. (But) we knew that running the ball was going to put us in a situation to win, so I think that’s why we stuck with that.”
Taylor then praised the play of the offensive line, noting its improvement from last season, when he was sacked 38 times.
“They’re communicating well. That’s the biggest difference this year,” Taylor said. “They’re on the same page, and they know their assignments. Any game, USC is going to hit you. It’s going to happen, even against the greatest offensive line in the world. I was pleased with only getting hit two or three times.”
Taylor said he knows the coaches have confidence in the passing game. And Callahan said Taylor is a “team guy” who will do whatever’s needed.
“It doesn’t matter if we throw it 100 times or run it 100 times,” Callahan said. “He really doesn’t care. He has the team in his interest and heart.”
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan spent Monday defending Saturday night’s offensive game plan against USC. Tuesday, it was his players’ turn.
OK, granted, it’s not like any Husker would openly criticize his coach. That would be neither smart, nor expected.
That said, Zac Taylor seemed pretty convincing in backing his coach.
“I’d take the same approach if we played them again,” said Taylor, the Nebraska senior quarterback.
Taylor attempted 16 passes, completing eight in the Huskers’ 28-10 loss at fourth-ranked USC. Both of those numbers were Nebraska career lows for Taylor, who entered the game with the nation’s seventh-best passing efficiency mark, having completed 72.6 percent of his passes (41-of-56) in two games against lesser competition.
Against the quick, physical, athletic Trojans, Callahan opted to run the ball. Nebraska ran 36 times for 68 yards.
“I understand why we did it,” Taylor said. “It made sense. We were in the game and had our shots.”
Last season, Taylor’s fewest passing attempts (20) and completions (10) in a game were against Pittsburgh. The following game, he was 36-of-55 for a school-record 431 yards against Iowa State.
Keep that in mind when you hear Callahan say each game calls for a different plan.
“The matchups are different, the problems are different, the schematics are different,” Callahan said. “It’s different every game.
“It’ll be different this week. Believe me, it will be different this week.”
Nebraska faces Troy on Saturday night. These Trojans aren’t as highly regarded as last week’s bunch, but shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Troy (1-2) gave both Florida State and Georgia Tech fits in road games before falling in the fourth quarter.
The Huskers tried to give USC fits and give themselves a chance in the fourth quarter by running the ball but didn’t play the needed perfect game.
“A lot of people want to criticize (Callahan) for not throwing the ball much more, but if you look at it, we had our chances,” Taylor said. “The game plan put us in a situation to win the game. We just didn’t make the plays when we needed to.”
Taylor pointed to a lost fumble on Nebraska’s first possession of the third quarter and his underthrown pass on fourth-and-9 later in the period as key plays.
“If we convert on those two drives right there,” Taylor said, “we’d have a pretty good shot at winning it.”
Sophomore receiver Nate Swift, who didn’t catch a pass, said he trusted the coaches’ game plan.
“I really, really wasn’t frustrated that much,” said Swift, the Huskers’ leading receiver last season. “It’s just when we were down that much (21-3), it seemed like we should’ve passed maybe a little bit more. But I mean, it’s all in the game plan. I trust Callahan. I know what he’s doing. He definitely knows what he’s doing out there.”
Swift wasn’t the only Nebraska receiver without a catch. Frantz Hardy and Maurice Purify also went without a reception, and tight end Matt Herian only had one.
Herian’s was a 36-yard catch, which followed a 31-yard pass from Taylor to Terrence Nunn, setting up Nebraska’s lone touchdown.
“It seemed like a couple of times we were throwing the ball, we had success,” Swift said. “Matt Herian deep, T-Nunn on the seam. But I mean, it was just here and there. Most of the time, we had too much pressure coming to the quarterback. You never know what could’ve happened.”
Taylor was sacked once and scrambled other times. Did coaches call fewer passing plays for fear that Taylor would get hit hard and possibly seriously injured?
“I don’t know,” Taylor said. “That might have had a little bit to do with it. (But) we knew that running the ball was going to put us in a situation to win, so I think that’s why we stuck with that.”
Taylor then praised the play of the offensive line, noting its improvement from last season, when he was sacked 38 times.
“They’re communicating well. That’s the biggest difference this year,” Taylor said. “They’re on the same page, and they know their assignments. Any game, USC is going to hit you. It’s going to happen, even against the greatest offensive line in the world. I was pleased with only getting hit two or three times.”
Taylor said he knows the coaches have confidence in the passing game. And Callahan said Taylor is a “team guy” who will do whatever’s needed.
“It doesn’t matter if we throw it 100 times or run it 100 times,” Callahan said. “He really doesn’t care. He has the team in his interest and heart.”
