Well, where do I begin.
When Bo Pelini took over as Nebraska football’s head coach, we knew there would be losses. In a few cases bad losses were going to happen. There was the 52-17 loss to Missouri in Game Five last season at home. There was also the 62-28 loss at Oklahoma in Game Nine. Both opponents entered those respective games No. 4.
The common denominator in those games was that Nebraska had very little of any chance of winning those contests. The Huskers were still finding their way under Pelini. Both Missouri and Oklahoma were juggernauts at the time Nebraska faced those teams.
The most recent loss, however – 31-10 to the unranked Texas Tech Red Raiders at home? This has to be the low point in Pelini’s brief tenure as head coach. Make no mistake, I still believe that Pelini is the right guy to lead the Huskers back to prominence but Saturday’s loss flatout sucks for the following reasons:
On offense, Nebraska has had seven crappy quarters out of their last eight. The Huskers scored 27 points in a come-from-behind 27-12 win over Missouri and only 10 points in a 31-10 loss Saturday against Texas – seven in garbage time. Against two mediocre defenses!
Defensively, the Huskers held an always potent Texas Tech offense to 24 points. Keep in mind, Red Raider linebacker Daniel Martin scored on an 82-yard fumble return when Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee threw a backward lateral to wide receiver Niles Paul that the latter dropped with nary a defender within five yards.
Nebraska also recorded five quarterback sacks and held the Red Raider offense to 62 yards (258 for the game) of total offense and seven points in the second half and still could not capitalize on that rare ineptitude.
So here we have Nebraska, 4-2 after six games. Not expected per se but the Huskers will face a crossroads with Iowa State at home and Baylor on the road. The former beat the latter 24-10 in Ames, Iowa on Saturday. The Huskers should win both games.
Of course there’s also the whole matter of starting quarterback Zac Lee, a junior, getting yanked in favor of Cody Green, a freshman. Keep in mind, some zealots have been calling for such a move but if the offensive line is not providing holes for running backs or pass protection for quarterbacks, you can put Joe Montana back there and it won’t matter.
So what needs to happen offensively?
We need to make changes and just pick an offense, going back to the days of Tom Osborne is not going to happen and would not be productive with the talent we have. Let's take this for what it was -- a letdown and loss. I am upset and disgusted like everyone else, but we can't take a step back and run to TO. These coaches will get it figured out.
Craig James during ABC’s broadcast made a comment that I liked, Pelini has the defense heading in the right direction -- now they just need to figure out how the offense can support them.
I say, what a difference a couple years makes! A couple of years ago our defense was on the sideline with their heads down and no hope of being great. Now we just need to find a middle ground with an offense to score points for our defense.
Let’s face it, “It hurts more to lose than it feels great to win.”
Showing posts with label Cody Green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cody Green. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Lee the man unless trouble hits
Don’t you find it mildly strange how the media is frequently ready to draw premature comparisons when a perceived young stud quarterback enters the picture?
Nebraska enters this week’s home game against Arkansas State fresh off a 49-3 season-opening win over Florida Atlantic. Making his first start on the Div. I-A level, Zac Lee completed 15-of-22 passes for 213 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Playing at No. 2 behind Lee (a junior) is true freshman Cody Green, who saw action late in the game, completing 2-of-3 passes for 18 yards. He also had an explosive 49-yard run.
Never mind that the run came in garbage time but both the Lincoln Journal Star: http://huskerextra.com/articles/2009/09/09/football/doc4aa70694e7889308066200.txt and Omaha World Herald: http://www.omaha.com/article/20090908/BIGRED/709089819 ran stories that featured Green. “Unpsportsmanlike Conduct,” which is an Omaha based sports talk show did two segments on the matter.
I didn’t necessarily have a problem with the way either story was presented. Plus, being a mainstream media member myself, I respect the job they have to do as far as filling sports pages and filling air time.
I just think it’s a little premature to feature Green not matter what his high school resume suggests.
My biggest issue comes on message boards, which in one respect has replaced going to the bar and having conversations. Well, not replaced per se, but an outlet nonetheless.
At any rate, various message board posters have posed the question throughout the offseason and even now that at what point does Green (a true freshman) start?
We’ve all heard the football axioms of how, “The most popular guy on the team is the backup quarterback,” and “If you have two capable middle linebackers it’s a competition but if you have two capable quarterbacks it is a controversy.”
The thing that really chaps me about the aforementioned Nebraska media, which does a very good job more often than not, and the message board postings is that yes Green showed his dynamic talent in his limited time – but it was in garbage time. Just like Lee’s snaps last season in relief of Joe Ganz and Patrick Witt. I can understand going gaga if say he came in to flash that ability with the game in the balance.
I’m not saying this to knock Green. He appears to be a talented young man but going gaga over him under the circumstances does him no good either.
Granted, Green won the No. 2 job in camp hut Lee is also familiar with the entire playbook (which has 320 plays) while Green admitted himself that he has only 15 plays that he feels comfortable with. Just doing the math, that’s 15 divided by 320. That’s not even five percent of the playbook, folks! Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson might not desire Bill Callahan like volume but he does not strike me as the type that will scale down the playbook.
Bottom line, barring injury, Green will not start at quarterback this year or maybe even next year.
I’m all for playing a freshman over a junior if he is a better athlete but quarterback is a much different animal. Yes, Tommie Frazier took over as the Huskers starting quarterback five games into 1992 – supplanting Mike Grant. Frazier went on to lead Nebraska to two National Championships. More recently, Terrelle Pryor took over as Ohio State’s starting quarterback as a true freshman and led the Buckeyes to the Fiesta Bowl. Vince Young started as a true freshman at Texas and led the Longhorns to two Rose Bowl wins, the second of which was a National title. Matt Barkley is USC’s starting signal-caller. This year’s Trojans have been considered “down” but they have enough talent to be 10-3 if they have a bad year.
The difference is this. Those teams had strong supporting casts. The current Nebraska team has a good but not great supporting cast.
Husker fans that truly know the sport understand that Lee will see about 90 percent of the snaps. Do you play Green in meaningful situations? Sure but do so with one of the 15 plays where he is comfortable and perhaps around the goal-line.
However, if Green is starting, it’s not a good sign for Nebraska because it means that Lee is either injured or ineffective and that the Huskers have opted to move forward.
Nebraska enters this week’s home game against Arkansas State fresh off a 49-3 season-opening win over Florida Atlantic. Making his first start on the Div. I-A level, Zac Lee completed 15-of-22 passes for 213 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Playing at No. 2 behind Lee (a junior) is true freshman Cody Green, who saw action late in the game, completing 2-of-3 passes for 18 yards. He also had an explosive 49-yard run.
Never mind that the run came in garbage time but both the Lincoln Journal Star: http://huskerextra.com/articles/2009/09/09/football/doc4aa70694e7889308066200.txt and Omaha World Herald: http://www.omaha.com/article/20090908/BIGRED/709089819 ran stories that featured Green. “Unpsportsmanlike Conduct,” which is an Omaha based sports talk show did two segments on the matter.
I didn’t necessarily have a problem with the way either story was presented. Plus, being a mainstream media member myself, I respect the job they have to do as far as filling sports pages and filling air time.
I just think it’s a little premature to feature Green not matter what his high school resume suggests.
My biggest issue comes on message boards, which in one respect has replaced going to the bar and having conversations. Well, not replaced per se, but an outlet nonetheless.
At any rate, various message board posters have posed the question throughout the offseason and even now that at what point does Green (a true freshman) start?
We’ve all heard the football axioms of how, “The most popular guy on the team is the backup quarterback,” and “If you have two capable middle linebackers it’s a competition but if you have two capable quarterbacks it is a controversy.”
The thing that really chaps me about the aforementioned Nebraska media, which does a very good job more often than not, and the message board postings is that yes Green showed his dynamic talent in his limited time – but it was in garbage time. Just like Lee’s snaps last season in relief of Joe Ganz and Patrick Witt. I can understand going gaga if say he came in to flash that ability with the game in the balance.
I’m not saying this to knock Green. He appears to be a talented young man but going gaga over him under the circumstances does him no good either.
Granted, Green won the No. 2 job in camp hut Lee is also familiar with the entire playbook (which has 320 plays) while Green admitted himself that he has only 15 plays that he feels comfortable with. Just doing the math, that’s 15 divided by 320. That’s not even five percent of the playbook, folks! Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson might not desire Bill Callahan like volume but he does not strike me as the type that will scale down the playbook.
Bottom line, barring injury, Green will not start at quarterback this year or maybe even next year.
I’m all for playing a freshman over a junior if he is a better athlete but quarterback is a much different animal. Yes, Tommie Frazier took over as the Huskers starting quarterback five games into 1992 – supplanting Mike Grant. Frazier went on to lead Nebraska to two National Championships. More recently, Terrelle Pryor took over as Ohio State’s starting quarterback as a true freshman and led the Buckeyes to the Fiesta Bowl. Vince Young started as a true freshman at Texas and led the Longhorns to two Rose Bowl wins, the second of which was a National title. Matt Barkley is USC’s starting signal-caller. This year’s Trojans have been considered “down” but they have enough talent to be 10-3 if they have a bad year.
The difference is this. Those teams had strong supporting casts. The current Nebraska team has a good but not great supporting cast.
Husker fans that truly know the sport understand that Lee will see about 90 percent of the snaps. Do you play Green in meaningful situations? Sure but do so with one of the 15 plays where he is comfortable and perhaps around the goal-line.
However, if Green is starting, it’s not a good sign for Nebraska because it means that Lee is either injured or ineffective and that the Huskers have opted to move forward.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Huskers show many positives in opener that will need to continue
Nebraska will certainly face more stringent tests throughout the 2009 than the one it faced in Saturday’s 49-3 season-opening route over the Florida Atlantic Owls.
The next game, which is Saturday’s home contest against Arkansas State, might not tell us any more before the rubber truly meets the road one week later on Sept. 19 when Nebraska visits Virginia Tech.
Arkansas State routed Mississippi Valley State 61-0 Saturday but keep in mind it has been 25 years since Jerry Rice suited up at the college game. Then again, Arkansas State went into College Station and upset Texas A&M 18-14 last season, sending the Aggies reeling to a 4-8 season. Plus, College Station is on par with Nebraska as far as tough environments for a visiting club. The Red Wolves lost 35-0 at Alabama, also a hostile environment, later that season.
One game does not a season make but we learned a few things from Saturday and still need to learn.
-- The good news was that the Blackshirts had far fewer assignment busts that plagued them at times last season and also made the Owls settle for a field goal after reaching the Husker 3-yard line. Not recording a sack was a bit disturbing but producing three takeaways was encouraging. Nebraska faced a strong quarterback-receiver combo against Florida State. Arkansas State, meanwhile, will try to be more physical. To be fair, Nebraska was pretty basic in its game-plan Saturday and probably will be this week too before unveiling a few wrinkles for VaTech.
-- The Nebraska offense seems to be in solid shape with Zac Lee at the controls. Lee complete 15-of-22 passes and very easily could have had three more completions if not for dropped passes. Lee looked a little tentative early, which is to be expected from someone making their first Div. I-A but otherwise showed veteran-like poise. However, the question becomes, will he maintain that poise if Nebraska finds itself in a tight game be in this Saturday’s home game or in a hostile road environment?
-- Running back Roy Helu, who carried 16 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns, looks like Lawrence Phillips – minus the disgraceful baggage of course. Another difference too is that Phillips played behind an offensive line that was so good he was often 10 yards into the secondary before even being touched. In Helu’s career, Nebraska has had some good individual linemen but chemistry among that unit is still a work in progress. Point being, Helu is a slasher and can get eight yards when there’s only four.
-- Nebraska’s depth seems a lot better than last season. So much so that the team can probably survive an injury in some spots. Not that we are wishing of course. Don’t be surprised if senior Phillip Dillard is a factor at some point. Dillard slid on the depth chart after falling out of favor with the coaching staff but appears to be back in the staff’s good graces. Nonetheless, since the Husker linebacking unit is chock full of redshirt freshmen and sophomores, those individuals might have bumpy roads at some point.
-- Last season, the Huskers were a largely experienced club in that numerous seniors play key roles, which could be a plus or minus. Plus, because they were experienced but a minus because they were coached a lot of bad habits by the previous coaching staff. This year, the Huskers seem to be taking on a youth movement in that only six seniors are playing significant roles. Again, that can be a plus or minus. The plus side is that the players have potential. The downside, young players will make mistakes you have to live with. Another plus, the coaching staff will groom them their way from the beginning.
-- Speaking of two of those young players, quarterback Cody Green and running back Rex Burkhead got plenty of snaps, most of which were after the Huskers gained control of the game. However, both flashed some serious ability. Could that mean snaps with the game in the balance in the future?
Again, many positives out of the first game, they’ll need to continue.
The next game, which is Saturday’s home contest against Arkansas State, might not tell us any more before the rubber truly meets the road one week later on Sept. 19 when Nebraska visits Virginia Tech.
Arkansas State routed Mississippi Valley State 61-0 Saturday but keep in mind it has been 25 years since Jerry Rice suited up at the college game. Then again, Arkansas State went into College Station and upset Texas A&M 18-14 last season, sending the Aggies reeling to a 4-8 season. Plus, College Station is on par with Nebraska as far as tough environments for a visiting club. The Red Wolves lost 35-0 at Alabama, also a hostile environment, later that season.
One game does not a season make but we learned a few things from Saturday and still need to learn.
-- The good news was that the Blackshirts had far fewer assignment busts that plagued them at times last season and also made the Owls settle for a field goal after reaching the Husker 3-yard line. Not recording a sack was a bit disturbing but producing three takeaways was encouraging. Nebraska faced a strong quarterback-receiver combo against Florida State. Arkansas State, meanwhile, will try to be more physical. To be fair, Nebraska was pretty basic in its game-plan Saturday and probably will be this week too before unveiling a few wrinkles for VaTech.
-- The Nebraska offense seems to be in solid shape with Zac Lee at the controls. Lee complete 15-of-22 passes and very easily could have had three more completions if not for dropped passes. Lee looked a little tentative early, which is to be expected from someone making their first Div. I-A but otherwise showed veteran-like poise. However, the question becomes, will he maintain that poise if Nebraska finds itself in a tight game be in this Saturday’s home game or in a hostile road environment?
-- Running back Roy Helu, who carried 16 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns, looks like Lawrence Phillips – minus the disgraceful baggage of course. Another difference too is that Phillips played behind an offensive line that was so good he was often 10 yards into the secondary before even being touched. In Helu’s career, Nebraska has had some good individual linemen but chemistry among that unit is still a work in progress. Point being, Helu is a slasher and can get eight yards when there’s only four.
-- Nebraska’s depth seems a lot better than last season. So much so that the team can probably survive an injury in some spots. Not that we are wishing of course. Don’t be surprised if senior Phillip Dillard is a factor at some point. Dillard slid on the depth chart after falling out of favor with the coaching staff but appears to be back in the staff’s good graces. Nonetheless, since the Husker linebacking unit is chock full of redshirt freshmen and sophomores, those individuals might have bumpy roads at some point.
-- Last season, the Huskers were a largely experienced club in that numerous seniors play key roles, which could be a plus or minus. Plus, because they were experienced but a minus because they were coached a lot of bad habits by the previous coaching staff. This year, the Huskers seem to be taking on a youth movement in that only six seniors are playing significant roles. Again, that can be a plus or minus. The plus side is that the players have potential. The downside, young players will make mistakes you have to live with. Another plus, the coaching staff will groom them their way from the beginning.
-- Speaking of two of those young players, quarterback Cody Green and running back Rex Burkhead got plenty of snaps, most of which were after the Huskers gained control of the game. However, both flashed some serious ability. Could that mean snaps with the game in the balance in the future?
Again, many positives out of the first game, they’ll need to continue.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Huskers to open with solid win
It’s here ladies and gentlemen. Gameday in Lincoln, Nebraska as the Huskers start Year Two of the Bo Pelini.
Nebraska took a step toward respectability in going from 5-7 in 2007 to 9-4 last season. The big issue now is building on last season’s success and continuing that forward momentum on Saturday in the season opener against Florida Atlantic.
There are plenty of things that stand out about this game. Owls quarterback Rusty Smith is being tabbed as one that has the ability to play in the NFL. The question is, will they be able to protect him? With Nebraska’s dominant defensive line, I think not. If the Owls opt to double-team defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, that opens it up for defensive end Pierre Allen and vice versa. If the double both, Jared Crick or Barry Turner will beat one-on-one blocks.
What about the linebackers and secondary? The Huskers have a ton of youth at linebacker which is significant because linebackers are asked to do a lot in Pelini’s scheme. However, Nebraska’s dominant defensive line will take pressure off both the linebackers and safety.
And what about the secondary forcing turnovers? Takeaways came by the bushel in 2003 when Pelini was the defensive coordinator as the Huskers produced 47 that season but only 17 in 2008. Reports from the Husker camp have been that the defensive backs have shown improvement on getting to the football, which is encouraging. And frankly necessary.
Turning to the offensive side, true freshman Cody Green is listed as No. 2 behind Zac Lee. Will he see action? Probably so but will it be by design early in the game, say the third or fourth series or if it’s a blowout?
Another thing I find compelling was that after the two-deep depth chart was released, the word “or” appeared 17 times. In one respect, that number shows that the team has many interchangeable parts, which is great but at some point roles need to be defined to prevent chaos.
Prediction: This game could either be close for a half before Nebraska wears down the Owls or the Huskers could get a big lead early and it’s an even game thereafter. Regardless, Nebraska wins 45-20.
Nebraska took a step toward respectability in going from 5-7 in 2007 to 9-4 last season. The big issue now is building on last season’s success and continuing that forward momentum on Saturday in the season opener against Florida Atlantic.
There are plenty of things that stand out about this game. Owls quarterback Rusty Smith is being tabbed as one that has the ability to play in the NFL. The question is, will they be able to protect him? With Nebraska’s dominant defensive line, I think not. If the Owls opt to double-team defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, that opens it up for defensive end Pierre Allen and vice versa. If the double both, Jared Crick or Barry Turner will beat one-on-one blocks.
What about the linebackers and secondary? The Huskers have a ton of youth at linebacker which is significant because linebackers are asked to do a lot in Pelini’s scheme. However, Nebraska’s dominant defensive line will take pressure off both the linebackers and safety.
And what about the secondary forcing turnovers? Takeaways came by the bushel in 2003 when Pelini was the defensive coordinator as the Huskers produced 47 that season but only 17 in 2008. Reports from the Husker camp have been that the defensive backs have shown improvement on getting to the football, which is encouraging. And frankly necessary.
Turning to the offensive side, true freshman Cody Green is listed as No. 2 behind Zac Lee. Will he see action? Probably so but will it be by design early in the game, say the third or fourth series or if it’s a blowout?
Another thing I find compelling was that after the two-deep depth chart was released, the word “or” appeared 17 times. In one respect, that number shows that the team has many interchangeable parts, which is great but at some point roles need to be defined to prevent chaos.
Prediction: This game could either be close for a half before Nebraska wears down the Owls or the Huskers could get a big lead early and it’s an even game thereafter. Regardless, Nebraska wins 45-20.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Playing redshirt roulette
Omaha World Herald columnist Tom Shatel had a great sense of timing this week.
Earlier this week, Shatel reasoned that Nebraska might not have the luxury of redshirting true freshman quarterback Cody Green http://omaha.com/article/20090810/SPORTS/708109892. If there is one thing we know about second year Husker head coach Bo Pelini is that it will be a rare set of circumstances that he does not redshirt a true freshman.
The Huskers enter the 2009 campaign with junior Zac Lee as the clear cut favorite to be the starting signal-caller with redshirt freshman Kody Spano, Green, junior LaTravis Washington (a converted linebacker) and true freshman Taylor Martinez battling for the No. 2 spot. The best case scenario would be Lee proving that he is more than ready to play at a high level with Spano being the No. 2 man while redshirting Green.
Spano, however, will miss the season with a torn ACL. The injury, which took place Tuesday, came in the same left leg that Spano suffered an ACL tear in during spring ball. Pelini expects to have him back in the fold by winter conditioning. Spano might pursue a medical redshirt but that’s a discussion for another day.
It was a non-contact injury suffered while running, Pelini said, which occurred during Tuesday's practice. The injury leaves Washington and Green as the likely candidates to backup Lee since they were in Lincoln for spring ball.
Some media members that cover the team daily as well as message board posters have wondered if perhaps Spano rushed back to soon. Hard to say really because for all we know the structure of his knee might make him more prone to injury.
So does this mean Green redshirting is pretty much off the table, or does become the de facto No. 2 guy and you hope that you can redshirt Green by not having to play him?
The answer is pretty simple. Whomever wins the No. 2 job doesn't redshirt. I don't think the coaches can worry about anything else now; you have to get that No. 2 guy some reps in a game early in the season, just in case. You can't try to save Green or Washington for a redshirt, I don't think, like Bill Callahan tried to do with Harrison Beck in 2005. To be fair, Nebraska was seldom in a blowout situation in 2005.
Potentially, if the threesome of Green, Washington and Martinez are dead even for that No. 2 slot, you could play one of them as No. 2 this season, then redshirt him next season and play the other two behind Lee, thereby preserving everyone's redshirt. Had Spano remained healthy, and the No. 2 job was pretty even between him, Green, Washington and perhaps Martinez, then you could've tried to save the redshirts for Green, Washington and Martinez, using Spano in the mop-up role, since he already had redshirted. This re-injury makes that impossible.
I know some will look at this as Spano rushing his return, and he may have, but look at it this way. Spano had already used his redshirt. He knew this fall gave him a great shot at winning the No. 2 job. The doctors probably told him he might re-injure it and was pushing his return date, but he had a reasonable shot of staying healthy too. With his redshirt already burned, he probably figured the reward of being No. 2 was worth the risk of re-injuring it. If he had sat out another couple of months, he would've had little to no chance of being No. 2 this season, so he probably felt like pushing the return was worth a shot. I can understand why he did it - if he sat out another couple of months of rehab, 2009 would be pretty much a lost season for him anyway.
As for Green, I’d say he only burns a redshirt if he is so much better than Washington that the coaches have no choice or if Lee gets injured. If the guy is Terrelle Pryor, Vince Young or Tommie Frazier, then that is one thing but only the coaches will really know if he's that good this soon. If, in their estimation he's not going to be any less mistake prone than Washington then let Washington finish it out.
Let’s also not forget that Ron Kellogg Jr. might be an option too. Kellogg joins the Huskers as a walk-on from Omaha Westside High School, where he starred at quarterback. He also held scholarship offers from Northwest Missouri State and North Dakota and a walk-on offer from Iowa. Kellogg is the son of former Kansas basketball great and NBA player Ron Kellogg.Then again, we also have to truly understand the true meaning of the term “redshirt.”
There is no such thing as a redshirt in terms of being defined as one before the season starts. As long as a player does not play in a game (or gets a waiver for a medical redshirt because he was injured in an early game) and has not used his redshirt year, that player is considered to have used it when the season is over. So, theoretically, Green could be Nebraska's No. 2 QB and still use his redshirt year if he does not play during 2009.
When offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and Pelini think about this, I think this is the most likely scenario. If Nebraska is up big and it's garbage time, Washington and/or Kellogg will likely come in to finish the game. If, heaven forbid, Lee is injured and cannot go when a game is still close, I think you'll see Green. If a game's out of reach with NU ahead and Lee gets injured, I think Washington and Kellogg finish with Green taking over as the starter the next week if Lee isn't healthy. I don't think this automatically means Green does not use his redshirt year at all. There's nothing that says he won't use it next year even if he does have to play this year. This was the plan that was supposed to have been done at Virginia Tech with Tyrod Taylor. He wasn't supposed to play last year, it's just that Sean Glennon was so bad behind a young/poor offensive line that Taylor had to play because VaTech could use more rollouts/QB keeper plays and not have a drop-back passer get sacked routinely because their O-line wasn't very good early in the season.
Earlier this week, Shatel reasoned that Nebraska might not have the luxury of redshirting true freshman quarterback Cody Green http://omaha.com/article/20090810/SPORTS/708109892. If there is one thing we know about second year Husker head coach Bo Pelini is that it will be a rare set of circumstances that he does not redshirt a true freshman.
The Huskers enter the 2009 campaign with junior Zac Lee as the clear cut favorite to be the starting signal-caller with redshirt freshman Kody Spano, Green, junior LaTravis Washington (a converted linebacker) and true freshman Taylor Martinez battling for the No. 2 spot. The best case scenario would be Lee proving that he is more than ready to play at a high level with Spano being the No. 2 man while redshirting Green.
Spano, however, will miss the season with a torn ACL. The injury, which took place Tuesday, came in the same left leg that Spano suffered an ACL tear in during spring ball. Pelini expects to have him back in the fold by winter conditioning. Spano might pursue a medical redshirt but that’s a discussion for another day.
It was a non-contact injury suffered while running, Pelini said, which occurred during Tuesday's practice. The injury leaves Washington and Green as the likely candidates to backup Lee since they were in Lincoln for spring ball.
Some media members that cover the team daily as well as message board posters have wondered if perhaps Spano rushed back to soon. Hard to say really because for all we know the structure of his knee might make him more prone to injury.
So does this mean Green redshirting is pretty much off the table, or does become the de facto No. 2 guy and you hope that you can redshirt Green by not having to play him?
The answer is pretty simple. Whomever wins the No. 2 job doesn't redshirt. I don't think the coaches can worry about anything else now; you have to get that No. 2 guy some reps in a game early in the season, just in case. You can't try to save Green or Washington for a redshirt, I don't think, like Bill Callahan tried to do with Harrison Beck in 2005. To be fair, Nebraska was seldom in a blowout situation in 2005.
Potentially, if the threesome of Green, Washington and Martinez are dead even for that No. 2 slot, you could play one of them as No. 2 this season, then redshirt him next season and play the other two behind Lee, thereby preserving everyone's redshirt. Had Spano remained healthy, and the No. 2 job was pretty even between him, Green, Washington and perhaps Martinez, then you could've tried to save the redshirts for Green, Washington and Martinez, using Spano in the mop-up role, since he already had redshirted. This re-injury makes that impossible.
I know some will look at this as Spano rushing his return, and he may have, but look at it this way. Spano had already used his redshirt. He knew this fall gave him a great shot at winning the No. 2 job. The doctors probably told him he might re-injure it and was pushing his return date, but he had a reasonable shot of staying healthy too. With his redshirt already burned, he probably figured the reward of being No. 2 was worth the risk of re-injuring it. If he had sat out another couple of months, he would've had little to no chance of being No. 2 this season, so he probably felt like pushing the return was worth a shot. I can understand why he did it - if he sat out another couple of months of rehab, 2009 would be pretty much a lost season for him anyway.
As for Green, I’d say he only burns a redshirt if he is so much better than Washington that the coaches have no choice or if Lee gets injured. If the guy is Terrelle Pryor, Vince Young or Tommie Frazier, then that is one thing but only the coaches will really know if he's that good this soon. If, in their estimation he's not going to be any less mistake prone than Washington then let Washington finish it out.
Let’s also not forget that Ron Kellogg Jr. might be an option too. Kellogg joins the Huskers as a walk-on from Omaha Westside High School, where he starred at quarterback. He also held scholarship offers from Northwest Missouri State and North Dakota and a walk-on offer from Iowa. Kellogg is the son of former Kansas basketball great and NBA player Ron Kellogg.Then again, we also have to truly understand the true meaning of the term “redshirt.”
There is no such thing as a redshirt in terms of being defined as one before the season starts. As long as a player does not play in a game (or gets a waiver for a medical redshirt because he was injured in an early game) and has not used his redshirt year, that player is considered to have used it when the season is over. So, theoretically, Green could be Nebraska's No. 2 QB and still use his redshirt year if he does not play during 2009.
When offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and Pelini think about this, I think this is the most likely scenario. If Nebraska is up big and it's garbage time, Washington and/or Kellogg will likely come in to finish the game. If, heaven forbid, Lee is injured and cannot go when a game is still close, I think you'll see Green. If a game's out of reach with NU ahead and Lee gets injured, I think Washington and Kellogg finish with Green taking over as the starter the next week if Lee isn't healthy. I don't think this automatically means Green does not use his redshirt year at all. There's nothing that says he won't use it next year even if he does have to play this year. This was the plan that was supposed to have been done at Virginia Tech with Tyrod Taylor. He wasn't supposed to play last year, it's just that Sean Glennon was so bad behind a young/poor offensive line that Taylor had to play because VaTech could use more rollouts/QB keeper plays and not have a drop-back passer get sacked routinely because their O-line wasn't very good early in the season.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Quick hitters from the pre-spring press conference
Year Two of the Bo Pelini Era at Nebraska continues in earnest as spring drills get underway today.
Watching Pelini’s press conference Tuesday that also rekindled another reason why we Husker fans identify with him. Pelini does not shy away from the words “high expectation.” In an earlier “wine Country Husker” blog back in January, I posed the question, “what are your expectations?”
One thing that stood out to me when Bo Pelini was hired to replace Callahan was that he does not shy away from expectations. I remember very specifically an interview he did on the Jim Rome Show. For starters, I do not listen to Jim Rome because while he knows his material, his show reeks of too much adolescence for my taste. However, since Bo Pelini was his guest, I decided to make an exception and listen.I remember Rome using the word “rebuild” in one of his questions. Pelini replied with a statement to the effect of, “I’m not here to rebuild, I’m here to win now.” At the time I thought, well we probably won’t win big right away in 2008 or even 2009 but the fact that he’s not backing away from expectations was refreshing.
The Huskers started the Pelini era with a 9-4 record winning six of their last seven games including a come-from-behind 26-21 win over Clemson in the Gator Bowl.
It is refreshing to see the Huskers in a much different light than the psychologically wounded club that limped to a 5-7 season in 2007. Granted, the 2009 Nebraska squad will hardly evoke memories of the 1993-1997 teams that went 60-3 but you just get the sense that this Husker coaching regime is here to build a program as opposed to just survive from year-to-year.
A few other snap shots at what Pelini addressed as the Huskers begin spring practice:
-- The coaching staff is taking the right approach with true-freshman-to-be quarterback Cody Green, who is expected to miss at least the first week of spring drills with a hip injury. Green finished high school early and enrolled at Nebraska in December.
-- Linebacker LaTravis Washington (cousin of former Husker cornerback Fabian Washington) has moved to quarterback. Keep in mind, Washington was a high school quarterback. The departure of Patrick Witt also created a void. Does that mean the Huskers have fully closed the door on potential transfer Robert Marve (late of the University of Miami? Suffice it to say, I don’t think Washington makes the change if Witt is still in the program.
-- Offensive line was viewed as a position of solid depth but with Javoirio Burkes out indefinitely with a medical condition, the Huskers can ill-afford any more setbacks on the O-Line.
-- Lots of talk revolves around the quarterbacks but the best position battle might be at linebacker.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Marve to Nebraska -- would not be marvelous
I have one thing to say to the Husker coaching staff regarding former University of Miami quarterback Robert Marve considering coming to Nebraska – run!
Better yet – run fast!
The former Miami quarterback departed following his redshirt freshman season and according to various reports Michigan, Purdue, UCLA and Nebraska are among six schools still in the running for his services. Based on NCAA regulations, Marve will be eligible for two seasons, starting in 2010, meaning he has to sit out the 2009 campaign.
Marve started 11 games in 2008, throwing for 1,293 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions while splitting time with true freshman Jacory Harris. Marve was suspended for Miami's season opener and for the Hurricanes' Emerald Bowl loss to Cal for violations of team rules.
Sports Illustrated also reported that after Marve decided to transfer, Miami coach Randy Shannon refused to release him to any ACC or SEC school or to any school in Florida. An appeals panel amended Marve's release, allowing him to transfer on scholarship to any school except an ACC member, Florida, Tennessee or LSU.
The Huskers could use another quarterback after Patrick Witt decided to leave the program just three weeks ago. With the graduation of Joe Ganz, Nebraska has three inexperienced quarterbacks in Zac Lee, Kody Spano and Cody Green. Spano is a redshirt freshman while Green is a true freshman while fellow true freshman Taylor Martinez also wants a shot. Green, however, is already enrolled at Nebraska while Martinez is not – thus making him a longshot for this season.
Granted, those four players have a grand total of 15 snaps under their belts at the Division I-A level. However, Marve would be an odd fit because he is deemed a “pro style” quarterback but Nebraska seems to be leaning in the direction of the dual-threat QBs with the implementation of various concepts of the Spread. Keep in mind, Witt was considered a “pro style” quarterback but that likely would have made him the odd man out in 2009 and beyond.
Most of all, however, there is the baggage that Marve comes with in terms of twice getting suspended for violating team rules. For starters, we do not have information on what those rules are but getting suspended twice in your freshman season? Twice. One time you can consider an aberration but twice is a definite red flag. Plus, Shannon actually seems like a decent guy of character. Keep in mind; these are not the loose-ship Hurricanes of the Jimmy Johnson or Dennis Erickson eras.
Keep in mind, Nebraska already tried going the free agent route (well, the college version) with Sam Keller in 2006 and that didn’t work too well.
Keller brought some baggage with him too. Reportedly, Keller (who would have been a senior) had beaten out redshirt freshman Rudy Carpenter for the starting job in 2006. Keller was named the starter just before the start of the 2006 campaign. Then Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter, however, rescinded his decision and named Carpenter the starter after his parents had threatened to transfer schools as a result of the decision.
Keller then opted to leave and subsequently transferred to Nebraska. He redshirted the 2006 season and “beat out” Ganz for the starting job but I use that term rather loosely. Then Husker head coach Bill Callahan publicly emphasized that both were “competing” for the starting job but let’s face it, the “competition” part was lip service.
Not that Keller performed poorly in 2007 but he hardly lived up to the hype. Plus, the Huskers abomination of a 5-7 season in 2007 was more attributable to the defense being a sieve.
That said when Keller suffered a season ending injury in Game 9, Ganz shined and never looked back.
Marve throws the ball with some zip but the guy strikes me as one that had a hard time with the concept of competing for his job. That reason reportedly played a role in Witt’s decision to leave.
You see, if a player is going to have a problem having to earn his stripes (i.e. starting job), do not go anywhere near him because if he can’t handle competing for his job then how is he going to survive the pressure cooker of trying to lead a team 80 yards in two minutes.
Go back to Harrison Beck in 2006. Beck, who was a highly touted recruit in the Huskers 2005 class, transferred before the start of the ’06 campaign. Zac Taylor was Nebraska’s starter at the time and deservedly so. Yet, Beck’s mother makes statements to the effect of but “it’s not like he (Taylor) is as good as Matt Leinert or Brady Quinn.”
True, Taylor might not have had the careers of those two players but he had a pretty solid career at Nebraska and there is a reason why his teammates respected him.
Beck, meanwhile, transferred to North Carolina State. Did he do anything I missed out on there? Well, Beck is now on his way to Northern Alabama (a Division II school). Good luck, Harrison, it just confirms that your mom was wrong to moan.
Better yet – run fast!
The former Miami quarterback departed following his redshirt freshman season and according to various reports Michigan, Purdue, UCLA and Nebraska are among six schools still in the running for his services. Based on NCAA regulations, Marve will be eligible for two seasons, starting in 2010, meaning he has to sit out the 2009 campaign.
Marve started 11 games in 2008, throwing for 1,293 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions while splitting time with true freshman Jacory Harris. Marve was suspended for Miami's season opener and for the Hurricanes' Emerald Bowl loss to Cal for violations of team rules.
Sports Illustrated also reported that after Marve decided to transfer, Miami coach Randy Shannon refused to release him to any ACC or SEC school or to any school in Florida. An appeals panel amended Marve's release, allowing him to transfer on scholarship to any school except an ACC member, Florida, Tennessee or LSU.
The Huskers could use another quarterback after Patrick Witt decided to leave the program just three weeks ago. With the graduation of Joe Ganz, Nebraska has three inexperienced quarterbacks in Zac Lee, Kody Spano and Cody Green. Spano is a redshirt freshman while Green is a true freshman while fellow true freshman Taylor Martinez also wants a shot. Green, however, is already enrolled at Nebraska while Martinez is not – thus making him a longshot for this season.
Granted, those four players have a grand total of 15 snaps under their belts at the Division I-A level. However, Marve would be an odd fit because he is deemed a “pro style” quarterback but Nebraska seems to be leaning in the direction of the dual-threat QBs with the implementation of various concepts of the Spread. Keep in mind, Witt was considered a “pro style” quarterback but that likely would have made him the odd man out in 2009 and beyond.
Most of all, however, there is the baggage that Marve comes with in terms of twice getting suspended for violating team rules. For starters, we do not have information on what those rules are but getting suspended twice in your freshman season? Twice. One time you can consider an aberration but twice is a definite red flag. Plus, Shannon actually seems like a decent guy of character. Keep in mind; these are not the loose-ship Hurricanes of the Jimmy Johnson or Dennis Erickson eras.
Keep in mind, Nebraska already tried going the free agent route (well, the college version) with Sam Keller in 2006 and that didn’t work too well.
Keller brought some baggage with him too. Reportedly, Keller (who would have been a senior) had beaten out redshirt freshman Rudy Carpenter for the starting job in 2006. Keller was named the starter just before the start of the 2006 campaign. Then Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter, however, rescinded his decision and named Carpenter the starter after his parents had threatened to transfer schools as a result of the decision.
Keller then opted to leave and subsequently transferred to Nebraska. He redshirted the 2006 season and “beat out” Ganz for the starting job but I use that term rather loosely. Then Husker head coach Bill Callahan publicly emphasized that both were “competing” for the starting job but let’s face it, the “competition” part was lip service.
Not that Keller performed poorly in 2007 but he hardly lived up to the hype. Plus, the Huskers abomination of a 5-7 season in 2007 was more attributable to the defense being a sieve.
That said when Keller suffered a season ending injury in Game 9, Ganz shined and never looked back.
Marve throws the ball with some zip but the guy strikes me as one that had a hard time with the concept of competing for his job. That reason reportedly played a role in Witt’s decision to leave.
You see, if a player is going to have a problem having to earn his stripes (i.e. starting job), do not go anywhere near him because if he can’t handle competing for his job then how is he going to survive the pressure cooker of trying to lead a team 80 yards in two minutes.
Go back to Harrison Beck in 2006. Beck, who was a highly touted recruit in the Huskers 2005 class, transferred before the start of the ’06 campaign. Zac Taylor was Nebraska’s starter at the time and deservedly so. Yet, Beck’s mother makes statements to the effect of but “it’s not like he (Taylor) is as good as Matt Leinert or Brady Quinn.”
True, Taylor might not have had the careers of those two players but he had a pretty solid career at Nebraska and there is a reason why his teammates respected him.
Beck, meanwhile, transferred to North Carolina State. Did he do anything I missed out on there? Well, Beck is now on his way to Northern Alabama (a Division II school). Good luck, Harrison, it just confirms that your mom was wrong to moan.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Redshirt does not mean red flag
Husker fans have heard the word “culture” used quite a bit. There was Bill Callahan “flipping” the culture in his tenure as head coach from 2004-2007. Since Bo Pelini came aboard as Nebraska’s head coach, the word “culture” takes on a far different meaning.
Such as valuing the walk-on program. Such as mixing with the masses of the fan base. Such as scraping the “NFL mentality” that while I enjoy on one level, just does not work at college level. Especially at Nebraska. Such as fielding teams that outwork the opposition. Most of all, such as redshirting and developing incoming athletes.
Defense is Pelini’s forte and while Nebraska rising from 112th overall in 2007 to 55th a year ago was a welcome site, it’s no where near where Pelini aspires. Pelini said as much about Nebraska’s 9-4 finish in 2008. Again, it’s a good start under the new regime but not where the program ultimately needs to be. With the Huskers being talent deficient in some areas (i.e., linebacker), some fans wondered why Pelini did not burn redshirts and put talented freshmen on the field.
The reason? It’s about the process of developing them the right way. If you start a talent-limited but experienced senior over a potentially talented but inexperienced freshman, that suggests that the coach is here for the long haul. Pelini redshirted virtually his entire 2008 recruiting class and is likely to follow that trend for the 2009 class and as long as he is in charge of the Husker program.
Most people have wondered if true-freshman-to-be quarterback Cody Green suddenly has a shot at becoming the starting signal-caller since Patrick Witt left the program. The feeling here is that the job belongs to Zac Lee, with whom Witt was supposed to compete for the starting job. The feeling is also that the only way Green’s redshirt gets lifted is if Lee or redshirt freshman Kody Spano gets hurt.
Anyhow, back to this whole “culture” thing and how it pertains to redshirting freshmen. The current NCAA rules state that an eligible athlete has five years to complete four seasons. Therefore, student-athletes may practice for a team but not play in a game for one season, not counting against his or her four seasons of eligibility. This is known as a redshirt. Fans don’t see their contributions in that they do not happen on gameday but the redshirt season is a valuable year in a system in that it provides shelter against some of the harsh realities of jumping to a new level of football.
You see, some highly-touted high school studs make their college choices in the recruiting process based on early playing time. Some coaches promise it or tell the youngster he has a fair chance to compete for playing time. Others will demand an automatic redshirt. Pelini might not redshirt 100 percent of his recruits as freshmen but it’s going to be rare when he does not.
Pelini redshirted 50 scholarship players (including walkons) last season. As mentioned earlier, the Huskers were already thin at linebacker entering 2008. So thin they converted running back Cody Glenn to linebacker. Glenn, who earned the starting weakside linebacker job, was suspended late in the season and starting linebacker Phillip Dillard was limited the last half of the season with an ankle injury. Pelini still resisted the temptation of burning redshirts on talented players like Sean Fisher, Will Compton and Alonzo Whaley.
There are numerous reasons to redshirt freshmen. For starters, the college game moves a hell of a lot faster than high school, which means decisions have to be made faster. Therefore, the extra season working against starters in practice is a benefit.
Also, highly touted high school studs were often the stars of their team and their league. They were exponentially better than their high school peers. In college, everyone is at least as good if not better. That extra year of conditioning will give the youngster a better chance to handle the rigors of a 12-14 game college schedule.
The verbiage of a playbook (especially on offense) is also far greater in college than in high school as is the intricacy of reading the opposition. Some of that pressure can be alleviated during a redshirt season.
Then there is the whole matter of adjusting from high school to college away from the field. For some of these youngsters, it’s their first time away from home. All of the sudden cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and partying are a juggling act. Throw that in with trying to balance academics with athletics.
Pelini understands that the temptation to put the best talent on the field is tough to overcome. The development of a successful program, however, is not about talent alone but it is about the development of an overall player and his maturity to handle the pressures and demands of being a great college football player.
You sense the roster is being better managed under Pelini than Callahan and one of the biggest indications was beating a Clemson team that was obviously faster, more athletic than our team.
I am of the opinion that the star system only matters in high school and freshman year. I will take a three star senior with four years of good coaching over a five-star freshman that demands early playing time with huge expectations and not much else any day.
Such as valuing the walk-on program. Such as mixing with the masses of the fan base. Such as scraping the “NFL mentality” that while I enjoy on one level, just does not work at college level. Especially at Nebraska. Such as fielding teams that outwork the opposition. Most of all, such as redshirting and developing incoming athletes.
Defense is Pelini’s forte and while Nebraska rising from 112th overall in 2007 to 55th a year ago was a welcome site, it’s no where near where Pelini aspires. Pelini said as much about Nebraska’s 9-4 finish in 2008. Again, it’s a good start under the new regime but not where the program ultimately needs to be. With the Huskers being talent deficient in some areas (i.e., linebacker), some fans wondered why Pelini did not burn redshirts and put talented freshmen on the field.
The reason? It’s about the process of developing them the right way. If you start a talent-limited but experienced senior over a potentially talented but inexperienced freshman, that suggests that the coach is here for the long haul. Pelini redshirted virtually his entire 2008 recruiting class and is likely to follow that trend for the 2009 class and as long as he is in charge of the Husker program.
Most people have wondered if true-freshman-to-be quarterback Cody Green suddenly has a shot at becoming the starting signal-caller since Patrick Witt left the program. The feeling here is that the job belongs to Zac Lee, with whom Witt was supposed to compete for the starting job. The feeling is also that the only way Green’s redshirt gets lifted is if Lee or redshirt freshman Kody Spano gets hurt.
Anyhow, back to this whole “culture” thing and how it pertains to redshirting freshmen. The current NCAA rules state that an eligible athlete has five years to complete four seasons. Therefore, student-athletes may practice for a team but not play in a game for one season, not counting against his or her four seasons of eligibility. This is known as a redshirt. Fans don’t see their contributions in that they do not happen on gameday but the redshirt season is a valuable year in a system in that it provides shelter against some of the harsh realities of jumping to a new level of football.
You see, some highly-touted high school studs make their college choices in the recruiting process based on early playing time. Some coaches promise it or tell the youngster he has a fair chance to compete for playing time. Others will demand an automatic redshirt. Pelini might not redshirt 100 percent of his recruits as freshmen but it’s going to be rare when he does not.
Pelini redshirted 50 scholarship players (including walkons) last season. As mentioned earlier, the Huskers were already thin at linebacker entering 2008. So thin they converted running back Cody Glenn to linebacker. Glenn, who earned the starting weakside linebacker job, was suspended late in the season and starting linebacker Phillip Dillard was limited the last half of the season with an ankle injury. Pelini still resisted the temptation of burning redshirts on talented players like Sean Fisher, Will Compton and Alonzo Whaley.
There are numerous reasons to redshirt freshmen. For starters, the college game moves a hell of a lot faster than high school, which means decisions have to be made faster. Therefore, the extra season working against starters in practice is a benefit.
Also, highly touted high school studs were often the stars of their team and their league. They were exponentially better than their high school peers. In college, everyone is at least as good if not better. That extra year of conditioning will give the youngster a better chance to handle the rigors of a 12-14 game college schedule.
The verbiage of a playbook (especially on offense) is also far greater in college than in high school as is the intricacy of reading the opposition. Some of that pressure can be alleviated during a redshirt season.
Then there is the whole matter of adjusting from high school to college away from the field. For some of these youngsters, it’s their first time away from home. All of the sudden cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and partying are a juggling act. Throw that in with trying to balance academics with athletics.
Pelini understands that the temptation to put the best talent on the field is tough to overcome. The development of a successful program, however, is not about talent alone but it is about the development of an overall player and his maturity to handle the pressures and demands of being a great college football player.
You sense the roster is being better managed under Pelini than Callahan and one of the biggest indications was beating a Clemson team that was obviously faster, more athletic than our team.
I am of the opinion that the star system only matters in high school and freshman year. I will take a three star senior with four years of good coaching over a five-star freshman that demands early playing time with huge expectations and not much else any day.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
How much will the playbook be altered?
Since Patrick Witt has left the program, the starting job for the quarterback position is there for the taking for Zac Lee.
Now the question is who might be No. 2? In 2007, Bill Callahan constantly said how Sam Keller and Joe Ganz were competing for the starting quarterback job but let’s face it that was lip service. No reason to rehash that. Last season, the job belonged to Ganz. There was not even remotely an illusion of a quarterback competition. With Witt in the equation, we were bracing ourselves for him and Lee to duke it out with a starter being named sometime during the week of the first game.
The Huskers made a lot of strides in head coach Bo Pelini’s first season in going from 5-7 in 2007 to 9-4 in 2008, winning six of their last seven games. There’s every reason to believe that Nebraska will develop the right way under Pelini but inexperience at the quarterback position has made most of our fans hesitant about “the big turn around” coming in 2009.
Nebraska will definitely have to rely on its defense a little more while the offense finds its groove. The Husker defense improved from 112th in 2007 to 55th last season. While the defense has improved, will it be so well upgraded that we can rely on it to win lower scoring games?
Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple indicated that Nebraska’s relationship with Witt needed to end now based on Witt’s father supposedly wanting assurance that the coaches name him the starter before the end of spring practice. If that’s the case, who does the Witt family think they are to dictate the race? More to the point, if a player shies away from competition for a starting job now, how is he going to handle hostile environments like Oklahoma or Texas A&M?
That’s the difference between Witt and Ganz, who clearly got hosed out of the starting job before the start of 2007. However, when Ganz got his chance when Keller got hurt, he shined.
Battling for the No. 2 spot are redshirt freshmen Kody Spano and true freshman Cody Green. Regardless, all three are inexperienced with only Lee getting game experience but that was in garbage time. Witt’s departure means that Green, who is a prized recruit, gores from almost certainly redshirting to now having a shot at the No. 2 position.
The question becomes, how much will offensive coordinator Shawn Watson scale down the playbook? There was a lot of talk about the Huskers simplifying their scheme after Callahan’s dismissal. However, since Ganz had been in the program for four years, the coaching staff was still afforded the luxury of keeping a lot of playbook volume.
Watson will likely have to scale down the playbook even if Lee, who enters his junior season in 2009, winds up the starter because he has only been in the program two years. Nonetheless, Watson has shown the ability to adjust according to the talent at his disposal.
While Colorado’s offensive coordinator in 2001, the Buffs were primarily a running team but two years later they were more of a passing team.
Last season, the Huskers tried to get back to being the power running team they were for so long. That approach was not working so Watson junked the heavy sets with multiple tight ends and the Huskers ran more out of the spread formation.
Now the question is who might be No. 2? In 2007, Bill Callahan constantly said how Sam Keller and Joe Ganz were competing for the starting quarterback job but let’s face it that was lip service. No reason to rehash that. Last season, the job belonged to Ganz. There was not even remotely an illusion of a quarterback competition. With Witt in the equation, we were bracing ourselves for him and Lee to duke it out with a starter being named sometime during the week of the first game.
The Huskers made a lot of strides in head coach Bo Pelini’s first season in going from 5-7 in 2007 to 9-4 in 2008, winning six of their last seven games. There’s every reason to believe that Nebraska will develop the right way under Pelini but inexperience at the quarterback position has made most of our fans hesitant about “the big turn around” coming in 2009.
Nebraska will definitely have to rely on its defense a little more while the offense finds its groove. The Husker defense improved from 112th in 2007 to 55th last season. While the defense has improved, will it be so well upgraded that we can rely on it to win lower scoring games?
Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple indicated that Nebraska’s relationship with Witt needed to end now based on Witt’s father supposedly wanting assurance that the coaches name him the starter before the end of spring practice. If that’s the case, who does the Witt family think they are to dictate the race? More to the point, if a player shies away from competition for a starting job now, how is he going to handle hostile environments like Oklahoma or Texas A&M?
That’s the difference between Witt and Ganz, who clearly got hosed out of the starting job before the start of 2007. However, when Ganz got his chance when Keller got hurt, he shined.
Battling for the No. 2 spot are redshirt freshmen Kody Spano and true freshman Cody Green. Regardless, all three are inexperienced with only Lee getting game experience but that was in garbage time. Witt’s departure means that Green, who is a prized recruit, gores from almost certainly redshirting to now having a shot at the No. 2 position.
The question becomes, how much will offensive coordinator Shawn Watson scale down the playbook? There was a lot of talk about the Huskers simplifying their scheme after Callahan’s dismissal. However, since Ganz had been in the program for four years, the coaching staff was still afforded the luxury of keeping a lot of playbook volume.
Watson will likely have to scale down the playbook even if Lee, who enters his junior season in 2009, winds up the starter because he has only been in the program two years. Nonetheless, Watson has shown the ability to adjust according to the talent at his disposal.
While Colorado’s offensive coordinator in 2001, the Buffs were primarily a running team but two years later they were more of a passing team.
Last season, the Huskers tried to get back to being the power running team they were for so long. That approach was not working so Watson junked the heavy sets with multiple tight ends and the Huskers ran more out of the spread formation.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Witt departure shakes up QB race
Patrick Witt has left the building.
Witt, who figured to battle for Nebraska’s starting quarterback position with Zac Lee, is leaving the program after finishing with spring semester classes in May.
“Patrick has decided that it is in his best interest to continue his college career at another school,” Husker head coach Bo Pelini said in a released statement. “Patrick is a great kid from a great family and I appreciate the contributions he has made to our football program. I wish him nothing but the best in the future and know he will be a success wherever he goes.”
The first thing that comes to mind in hearing of Witt’s departure from the program is should we really be surprised? After all, Witt, who would have entered his sophomore season in 2009, played at two different high schools (Wiley High School in Texas and Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga.).
Rivals.com ranked Witt among the top 20 pro-style quarterbacks in the nation and among the top 100 prospects in Texas. Witt was also a first-team academic all-state selection as a senior. He only visited Nebraska, but also received strong recruiting interest from Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Oklahoma among others.
Not that Witt’s pre-Nebraska history is of any fault of Pelini and his staff because Bill Callahan’s staff recruited Witt, who redshirted the 2007 season before serving as Joe Ganz’s understudy in 2008. With Nebraska having gone to a more Spread-oriented look in 2008, thus slightly deviating from the West Coast Offense, that involves more quarterback running plays, the straight dropback passing Witt might not have been the odd man out for offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s offense anyway.
So how does Witt’s departure impact the quarterback race? One would think the job belongs to Lee, who is mobile with a strong arm. Plus, he also has experience playing at the college level which includes his time at San Francisco City College.
Kody Spano redshirted last season after throwing more than 5,000 yards and rushing for about 900 his last two years at Stephenville High School in Texas. Incoming freshman Cody Green is loaded with potential and is on campus, which is a plus, but has some catching up to do. Plus, it’s likely going to be very rare that Pelini burns a redshirt on a freshman.
As for potential reasons why Witt transferred since neither he, the Husker coaches or his family are commenting on such reasons, maybe he is reading between the lines and does not think he is going to be the starter. The fact that either Witt or Lee would transfer is not unthinkable given that they were recruited by the previous coaching staff. Plus, the current staff is high on Green and to a lesser degree Spano.
If a starter is not named until fall as Watson indicated may happen a lot of time would be lost if somebody transferred at that point. I would think if Witt felt he had a strong chance of being the starter he would have stayed but it could also be that he feels even if he is the starter this coming season he may lose out to Green the following season.
One other factor could be that he knows the offense is going to evolve more requiring a mobile quarterback and of the candidates he is probably the least mobile.
I’m an alum that gives money but that’s just my two cents.
Witt, who figured to battle for Nebraska’s starting quarterback position with Zac Lee, is leaving the program after finishing with spring semester classes in May.
“Patrick has decided that it is in his best interest to continue his college career at another school,” Husker head coach Bo Pelini said in a released statement. “Patrick is a great kid from a great family and I appreciate the contributions he has made to our football program. I wish him nothing but the best in the future and know he will be a success wherever he goes.”
The first thing that comes to mind in hearing of Witt’s departure from the program is should we really be surprised? After all, Witt, who would have entered his sophomore season in 2009, played at two different high schools (Wiley High School in Texas and Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga.).
Rivals.com ranked Witt among the top 20 pro-style quarterbacks in the nation and among the top 100 prospects in Texas. Witt was also a first-team academic all-state selection as a senior. He only visited Nebraska, but also received strong recruiting interest from Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Oklahoma among others.
Not that Witt’s pre-Nebraska history is of any fault of Pelini and his staff because Bill Callahan’s staff recruited Witt, who redshirted the 2007 season before serving as Joe Ganz’s understudy in 2008. With Nebraska having gone to a more Spread-oriented look in 2008, thus slightly deviating from the West Coast Offense, that involves more quarterback running plays, the straight dropback passing Witt might not have been the odd man out for offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s offense anyway.
So how does Witt’s departure impact the quarterback race? One would think the job belongs to Lee, who is mobile with a strong arm. Plus, he also has experience playing at the college level which includes his time at San Francisco City College.
Kody Spano redshirted last season after throwing more than 5,000 yards and rushing for about 900 his last two years at Stephenville High School in Texas. Incoming freshman Cody Green is loaded with potential and is on campus, which is a plus, but has some catching up to do. Plus, it’s likely going to be very rare that Pelini burns a redshirt on a freshman.
As for potential reasons why Witt transferred since neither he, the Husker coaches or his family are commenting on such reasons, maybe he is reading between the lines and does not think he is going to be the starter. The fact that either Witt or Lee would transfer is not unthinkable given that they were recruited by the previous coaching staff. Plus, the current staff is high on Green and to a lesser degree Spano.
If a starter is not named until fall as Watson indicated may happen a lot of time would be lost if somebody transferred at that point. I would think if Witt felt he had a strong chance of being the starter he would have stayed but it could also be that he feels even if he is the starter this coming season he may lose out to Green the following season.
One other factor could be that he knows the offense is going to evolve more requiring a mobile quarterback and of the candidates he is probably the least mobile.
I’m an alum that gives money but that’s just my two cents.
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