The QB's

[HuskerNMO]

if Wats play calls for Green like last week he is destined to fail....Wats is the real problem

Watson installed a game plan for Martinez, they repped during the week plays that Taylor would do well in. Taylor got hurt, and Cody and Watson took some time to get going, I thought Cody was settling down and playing well, but then we went back to Martinez.

If you haven't figured it out by now, Bo has little confidence in Cody, don't expect much this week. Bo will rely on his defense to win the came, and Cody and Watson won't get a chance to show what could be done.

And that's why it wouldn't shock me to see Watson leave after this year.

Good info, jliehr.

I have been wondering if all Green needs is a little more rope and faith. The way he's performed in game has been a problem but at the same time, you wonder if those problems are a reflection, in part, of how he is being handled.

I did think we saw some passes and relatively few zone reads with Green in the last game, but I don't have any numbers handy, so I don't know. I hope we don't run a lot of those, because it seems to be a fumble risk and something that would rely on lateral speed he doesn't have.

So after reading this, I'm assuming that it's not Green, it's a rift between Bo and Wats?

I wouldn't go that far, Watson is doing what Bo tells him to do. The game plans we moved to this year were to take advantage of Taylor's running ability. Barney's line schemes, Watson's play calling and just about every facet of the offense was geared towards a run oriented offense we didn't have a backup that was suited to run that when Taylor got hurt. It's awful hard to completely switch gears and continue to be productive when that happened. People think that offense should be like an XBOX game, where you can pick any play and formation and the guys magically know how to execute it, timing is always the same so on and so forth. It's not that easy in real life, and while it would have been great to develop "depth" by splitting reps more, that's rough to do when you have a RS frosh that you have to get up to speed in a hurry.

Watson has done a fantastic job given what he had to work with, namely 2 QB's that very few other schools thought could play QB and Lee that just can't stay healthy and doesn't fit what the HEAD coach wants to do. Cody was brought in to run our Joe Ganz style offense, with a little more run mixed in. Taylor impressed Bo, so he wanted to move to what we look like today despite a lack of depth.

Is Watson perfect? Absolutely not. Does he get unfair criticism by people who can score 50 on a video game and think that it's easy to do it in real life? Definitely.

 

[zoogs]

That's an interesting take on the decision to go to our offense of the future this year. I wondered if it was premature based on Taylor being young, but the argument that it was premature because we didn't have anyone else at QB to back him up is interesting as well.

I suppose we weren't counting on Zac being injured like this and would have been fine if he didn't get hurt again. But it certainly looks like a factor in depth from there on down.

 

[HuskerNMO]

That's an interesting take on the decision to go to our offense of the future this year. I wondered if it was premature based on Taylor being young, but the argument that it was premature because we didn't have anyone else at QB to back him up is interesting as well.

I suppose we weren't counting on Zac being injured like this and would have been fine if he didn't get hurt again. But it certainly looks like a factor in depth from there on down.

Correct, and Cody getting hurt against Iowa State didn't help either.

This is just my opinion, but if Watson was given free reign, we would look a lot like the 08 offense with either Lee or Green with Taylor mixed in for specific packages. In fact, until about 3-4 weeks left before the season, I'm fairly certain that was the plan of the offensive staff. But Taylor impressed Bo too much with what his legs could do to Bo's defense, some other things happened and away we went.

 

[Army Husker]

That's an interesting take on the decision to go to our offense of the future this year. I wondered if it was premature based on Taylor being young, but the argument that it was premature because we didn't have anyone else at QB to back him up is interesting as well.

I suppose we weren't counting on Zac being injured like this and would have been fine if he didn't get hurt again. But it certainly looks like a factor in depth from there on down.

Correct, and Cody getting hurt against Iowa State didn't help either.

This is just my opinion, but if Watson was given free reign, we would look a lot like the 08 offense with either Lee or Green with Taylor mixed in for specific packages. In fact, until about 3-4 weeks left before the season, I'm fairly certain that was the plan of the offensive staff. But Taylor impressed Bo too much with what his legs could do to Bo's defense, some other things happened and away we went.

And away we did go...this year. You can't tell me that the play calls that we've had the last couple years, like the 08 offense you mentioned, are lost just because 3-4 weeks before the season Bo like what he saw in Taylor, and told Wats to adjust to that. Is it really that hard to shift back due to an injury in Taylor? Many of the offensive players that played that offense are still here...shouldn't it be like riding a bicycle?

 

[HuskerNMO]

That's an interesting take on the decision to go to our offense of the future this year. I wondered if it was premature based on Taylor being young, but the argument that it was premature because we didn't have anyone else at QB to back him up is interesting as well.

I suppose we weren't counting on Zac being injured like this and would have been fine if he didn't get hurt again. But it certainly looks like a factor in depth from there on down.

Correct, and Cody getting hurt against Iowa State didn't help either.

This is just my opinion, but if Watson was given free reign, we would look a lot like the 08 offense with either Lee or Green with Taylor mixed in for specific packages. In fact, until about 3-4 weeks left before the season, I'm fairly certain that was the plan of the offensive staff. But Taylor impressed Bo too much with what his legs could do to Bo's defense, some other things happened and away we went.

And away we did go...this year. You can't tell me that the play calls that we've had the last couple years, like the 08 offense you mentioned, are lost just because 3-4 weeks before the season Bo like what he saw in Taylor, and told Wats to adjust to that. Is it really that hard to shift back due to an injury in Taylor? Many of the offensive players that played that offense are still here...shouldn't it be like riding a bicycle?

Think of 11 people trying to ride bikes in specific patterns in different areas that they haven't practiced, with 11 people on the other side trying to push them off.

Execution takes repetition, our OL and receivers and QB's (minus Lee) weren't running with the 1's were they? Sirles, Green, Henry, Caputo, Reed, Kinnie, Cotton? McNeill was a TE back then

So Paul, Williams and Jones maybe have been ok.

 

[Army Husker]

That's an interesting take on the decision to go to our offense of the future this year. I wondered if it was premature based on Taylor being young, but the argument that it was premature because we didn't have anyone else at QB to back him up is interesting as well.

I suppose we weren't counting on Zac being injured like this and would have been fine if he didn't get hurt again. But it certainly looks like a factor in depth from there on down.

Correct, and Cody getting hurt against Iowa State didn't help either.

This is just my opinion, but if Watson was given free reign, we would look a lot like the 08 offense with either Lee or Green with Taylor mixed in for specific packages. In fact, until about 3-4 weeks left before the season, I'm fairly certain that was the plan of the offensive staff. But Taylor impressed Bo too much with what his legs could do to Bo's defense, some other things happened and away we went.

And away we did go...this year. You can't tell me that the play calls that we've had the last couple years, like the 08 offense you mentioned, are lost just because 3-4 weeks before the season Bo like what he saw in Taylor, and told Wats to adjust to that. Is it really that hard to shift back due to an injury in Taylor? Many of the offensive players that played that offense are still here...shouldn't it be like riding a bicycle?

Think of 11 people trying to ride bikes in specific patterns in different areas that they haven't practiced, with 11 people on the other side trying to push them off.

Execution takes repetition, our OL and receivers and QB's (minus Lee) weren't running with the 1's were they? Sirles, Green, Henry, Caputo, Reed, Kinnie, Cotton? McNeill was a TE back then

So Paul, Williams and Jones maybe have been ok.

The OL should be able to ride the bicycle towards a pass play or run play. It's not like Taylor has done nothing but only run. I do agree with the rest of what you said though. I've never been sold on Green. I feel it's more on him than the rest of the offense not being used to a style of play that involves him. But, that's prob why I'm not a coach.

 

[Malth]

I lol @ everyone who says they just need to take the reigns off of Green.

 

[Apathy]

have to agree with bballbacker. Wats needs to take the handcuffs off for Cody and call plays that he will excell at. Cody throws pretty well on deeper routes than the quicker timing routes it seems. Let him open the field off of play action and even loosen up sCUm's secondary by going deep. I also think the zone read will only be ran out of the Wildcat, if anything Cody only runs on scrambles and a QB draw or two.

Again this all is predicated on if Watson goes butt tight and keeps the cuffs on Cody and the offense or sprouts a pair and let's him attack the Buffs. Hell I think he let Cody do more in his first start against Baylor then he does now.

I think Cody will do well in a game plan that caters to him more than trying the TMart game plan.

I agree. I don't think Cody Green is built for the zone read like Martinez. Martinez has the extra gear to zip by defenders where when Cody fakes the hand off and keeps it, it looks like he's wearing a backpack full of bricks and he barely gets to the line of scrimmage.

I believe that Cody would play better under center dropping back to hand it off or with a play action pass. He just seems more like a drop back passer than a zone read QB.

 

[Lincolnite]

Cody just needs to gain some confidence. There's a good chance he won't ever be the type of player we envisioned when he first committed to Nebraska, but he's a lot better than he's shown thus far. The Nebraska coaching staff should definitely be criticized for Green's lack of development and low self-confidence. It's almost like they put him in no-win situations. Put him in at the 5 yard line. Pull him after one mistake. Run a bunch of plays designed for a mobile, cat-like quarterback instead of catering to his strengths. I could go on and on.

 

[Micheal]

this kid had so much potential coming in and I just can't believe we've seen all he can do as a Husker.

 

[mmmtodd]

i lol at everyone that thinks bo wont sh#t can watson.

 

[Lincolnite]

i lol at everyone that thinks bo wont sh#t can watson.

Watson's inability to adjust mid-game infuriates me, but he's hardly the only problem. Cotton and Saunders are worse.

 

[Jadler]

Ron Kellog!!!!

 

[Inwar1]

i lol at everyone that thinks bo wont sh#t can watson.

Watson's inability to adjust mid-game infuriates me, but he's hardly the only problem. Cotton and Saunders are worse.

Saunders being mentioned as a problem is absolutely ridiculous! He has been key in the development of one of the best secondaries in the country. He is probably going to be a leading candidate to replace Carl if/when he moves on.

 

[girlknowsfootball]

The QB situation may be rough for the remainder of the season including the bowl game. However, you have to consider that our staff is still in the transitional state of the offense. When Watson recruited Zac Lee he recruited him for a WC/Spread passing offense. When they recruited Cody Green they had just run that offense with Joe Ganz and were talking about using it again... in fact they did. Last year for a large part of the season Nebraska ran a Spreast Coast as they called it. After the Big 12 Championship we started seeing the Wildcat and a little zone read in the Holiday Bowl.

Thus, it wasn't until after the regular season last year that the coaching staff began to transition to the type of football we're playing now. So if you look at the QB's behind Taylor Martinez (Kellogg, Spano, Lee, Green) all of them are the type of QB's that are drop back passers, scramble when needed to avoid a sack and gain a few yards, hand off to the RB type of guys. Martinez is the first guy we have brought in who is a Run first, Pass second QB. Brion Carnes is our second, Bubba Starling/Jamal Turner have the speed and ability to be this as well. Thus, we need to have patience with the QB depth. We are close to having plenty of backups behind Taylor to get it done just as he gets it done, but until recently we just didnt recruit those players. We can't expect Green (4.6-4.7 speed) to break down field like Taylor does. We can't expect Lee to gain more than a few yards when he runs it. And for these 2 guys to be used as their abilities dictate it means going to a spread/drop back or Pro-Style passing/running offense... which would affect way more than just the QB position. It changes how the Offensive Line learns to block, it changes the routes the WR's run, it changes a lot!

Next year we will have a lot more guys behind Taylor that can step up and eliminate the drop off. Brion Carnes has been tearing it up in practice this year, has legit 4.4 speed, juke moves, he's the second best passer on the team, and has been given that valuable redshirt year to learn the system. Jamal Turner has been described as a "zone read nightmare" for defenses...he's a Russell Shepherd clone, so athletic he can play several positions like Taylor can, and will be here in January for winter conditioning/Spring training so he'll have a semester ahead of him to come in and learn.