One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2012 season. Today, we look at wide receiver:
Looking back: Brandon Kinnie was expected to be an integral part of the offense but he proved to be a disappointment as he caught just 22 passes for 257 yard and just one touchdown. Those were not the numbers Nebraska had in mind before the season started.
The Huskers also converted Jamal Turner from quarterback to wide receiver and while he caught 15 passes for 243 yards, he was a nonentity in the second half of the season.
Instead, it was Kenny Bell and Quincy Enunwa that made the biggest impact. The former became quarterback Taylor Martinez’s go-to guy as he caught 32 passes for 461 yards and three touchdowns, all of which were team highs. Bell especially came on strong in the second half of the season. Enunwa also showed flashes of brilliance as he caught 21 passes for 293 yards and a pair of scores. Tim Marlowe caught 12 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
However, dropped passes that did not allow drives to be kept afloat haunted Nebraska throughout the season.
Looking ahead: While Martinez has issues to straighten out as a passer, it is equally true that Nebraska receivers have not done him any favors by dropping catchable passes. The biggest culprit was Kinnie, who will be lost to graduation.
Bell, who will be a sophomore, figures to be the Huskers biggest offensive weapon not named Rex Burkhead. Bell certainly has the speed to get behind defenders. Enunwa, who will be a junior, not only gained confidence as a receiver but is perhaps the Huskers best downfield blocker among the wide receivers. That quality is very significant with any offense that runs a variation of the option. Marlowe might not fill up a bunch of highlight shows but his knowledge of the offense is a huge plus.
The wild card among next year’s group is Turner and Khiry Cooper, especially the former. Turner has the game-breaking speed and how he is used this fall bears watching. Cooper, who will be a senior, did not see a ton of snaps and freshman Taariq Allen shined as a scout team player last year but how that parlays into playing time is another matter.
Showing posts with label Jamal Turner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jamal Turner. Show all posts
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
2012 Position Outlook: Quarterback
One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2012 season. Today, we look at quarterback:
Looking back: No matter who lines up under center or at shotgun, the Nebraska starting quarterback will always be subject to (how can I put this nicely) public opinion. Current sophomore Taylor Martinez has been subject to plenty of that.
You look at the raw numbers of Martinez’s first two seasons and there appears to be very little difference. In 2010, he completed 107 of 195 (54.8 percent) for 1,631 yards, ten touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a runner, he gained 966 yards 172 carries (5.6 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns. In 2011, Martinez completed 162 of 288 passes (56.3 percent) for 2,076 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. As a runner, he gained 875 yards on 188 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns.
The vibe, however, was much different as in 2010, when Martinez was a big play waiting to happen the first ten games. He rushed 887 yards on 112 carries and 12 touchdowns. In the passing department, he completed 63 of 119 for 1,161 yards, ten touchdowns and three interceptions. After sustaining an ankle injury, however, Martinez became pretty ordinary as he carried 50 times for 79 yards. In the passing department, he completed 44 of 76 for 470 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions.
Nebraska, however, gave up 29 sacks last year but more specifically they gave up 12 sacks in their last 2 games (seven against Oklahoma and five against Washington). The Huskers gave up 21 sacks in 2011.
Martinez made a noticeable improvement this year on moving the chains by making good decisions in the passing game - whether to hit a check-down or scrambling.
He was more of a team leader than as a freshman but will never be confused for a martinet. His running stats are down a bit as some zealots point out the fewer jaw-dropping runs this season but much of Martinez's 2010 running stats came in the first few games against suspect defenses. Great highlights, but not very meaningful numbers. Also, turnovers were down a bit this year. He threw one more interception on 93 more passes.
Looking ahead: Though a segment of Husker fans will clamor for a change whether it’s freshman Brion Carnes, wide receiver Jamal Turner or for that matter incoming freshman Tommy Armstrong, Martinez will be the starter until further notice.
Nebraska appears to have a more-clear cut identity under current offensive coordinator Tim Beck than it did under Shawn Watson. The Huskers run a mixture of zone read, pistol and old school option. The zone read and pistol suit Martinez well but not the old school option, which gets the fans going from a nostalgia standpoint but doesn't suit Martinez's running skill which is a straight ahead burst or nothing.
To execute the option, you need to have a physical guy playing quarterback. Martinez is not that guy. The quarterback needs to step up and into traffic in order to force the edge to commit to him or the running back. Martinez runs back and out instead of into pursuit and outside. He doesn't really force the pursuit to commit as more often than not, Martinez runs towards the running back.
Yours truly defended Martinez more than most people but the fact remains that any improvement the Huskers make offensively has to begin with Martinez. He has started 25 games and it’s time now to take a quantum leap forward as a player and as a leader.
The numbers may bear out that Martinez is a decent passer but for every time he hits a receiver in stride there are two or three other times where he may throw the ball in the same area code of a receiver only he has to make a twisting, mid-air grab. Martinez has to consistently learn how to lead guys on crossing patterns so they can run after the grab as well as throw screens and swing passes better. He also needs to learn how to avoid sacks.
Looking back: No matter who lines up under center or at shotgun, the Nebraska starting quarterback will always be subject to (how can I put this nicely) public opinion. Current sophomore Taylor Martinez has been subject to plenty of that.
You look at the raw numbers of Martinez’s first two seasons and there appears to be very little difference. In 2010, he completed 107 of 195 (54.8 percent) for 1,631 yards, ten touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a runner, he gained 966 yards 172 carries (5.6 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns. In 2011, Martinez completed 162 of 288 passes (56.3 percent) for 2,076 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. As a runner, he gained 875 yards on 188 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns.
The vibe, however, was much different as in 2010, when Martinez was a big play waiting to happen the first ten games. He rushed 887 yards on 112 carries and 12 touchdowns. In the passing department, he completed 63 of 119 for 1,161 yards, ten touchdowns and three interceptions. After sustaining an ankle injury, however, Martinez became pretty ordinary as he carried 50 times for 79 yards. In the passing department, he completed 44 of 76 for 470 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions.
Nebraska, however, gave up 29 sacks last year but more specifically they gave up 12 sacks in their last 2 games (seven against Oklahoma and five against Washington). The Huskers gave up 21 sacks in 2011.
Martinez made a noticeable improvement this year on moving the chains by making good decisions in the passing game - whether to hit a check-down or scrambling.
He was more of a team leader than as a freshman but will never be confused for a martinet. His running stats are down a bit as some zealots point out the fewer jaw-dropping runs this season but much of Martinez's 2010 running stats came in the first few games against suspect defenses. Great highlights, but not very meaningful numbers. Also, turnovers were down a bit this year. He threw one more interception on 93 more passes.
Looking ahead: Though a segment of Husker fans will clamor for a change whether it’s freshman Brion Carnes, wide receiver Jamal Turner or for that matter incoming freshman Tommy Armstrong, Martinez will be the starter until further notice.
Nebraska appears to have a more-clear cut identity under current offensive coordinator Tim Beck than it did under Shawn Watson. The Huskers run a mixture of zone read, pistol and old school option. The zone read and pistol suit Martinez well but not the old school option, which gets the fans going from a nostalgia standpoint but doesn't suit Martinez's running skill which is a straight ahead burst or nothing.
To execute the option, you need to have a physical guy playing quarterback. Martinez is not that guy. The quarterback needs to step up and into traffic in order to force the edge to commit to him or the running back. Martinez runs back and out instead of into pursuit and outside. He doesn't really force the pursuit to commit as more often than not, Martinez runs towards the running back.
Yours truly defended Martinez more than most people but the fact remains that any improvement the Huskers make offensively has to begin with Martinez. He has started 25 games and it’s time now to take a quantum leap forward as a player and as a leader.
The numbers may bear out that Martinez is a decent passer but for every time he hits a receiver in stride there are two or three other times where he may throw the ball in the same area code of a receiver only he has to make a twisting, mid-air grab. Martinez has to consistently learn how to lead guys on crossing patterns so they can run after the grab as well as throw screens and swing passes better. He also needs to learn how to avoid sacks.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Huskers must execute a well-conceived plan to beat MSU
The terms “key game,” “big game” and “must win game” are often thrown around too freely. However, let’s not kid ourselves, Saturday’s football game between No. 9 Michigan State and No. 13 Nebraska in Lincoln, NE, is very vital.
Both clubs are 6-1 but the difference is that MSU is 3-0 in Big Ten play and in sole possession of first place in the Legends Division. Nebraska, however, is 2-1 and currently in a three-way tie for second in the Legends Division with Michigan and Iowa. If Michigan State wins, it will strengthen its hold on the Legends Division race but if Nebraska wins, the race becomes very compelling. Potentially until Black Friday.
Many prognosticators tabbed the Huskers as the favorite to win the Legends Division. I didn’t think that was a crazy prediction but given the collective youth on offense and the fact that they were breaking in a new coordinator (Tim Beck), I felt it was premature to book reservations to a BCS Bowl game let along Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game.
Nebraska comes into the game more rested having had a bye week on Oct. 15 and a de facto bye week on Oct. 22 with a 41-14 win over lowly Minnesota. Michigan State has beaten Michigan (28-14) and Wisconsin (37-31). The latter came with a game-ending Hail Mary that was shades of Doug Flutie. Is MSU ripe for a letdown after two emotional wins? Perhaps so but that argument is a slippery slope. The storylines are already written. If Nebraska wins, the angle becomes, “the Huskers won because they were rested and the Spartans were worn down.” If Michigan State wins, the story becomes, “Nebraska had it too easy and Michigan State was more battle-tested.”
The matchups on both sides of the ball are intriguing. The Nebraska defense has been a disappointment throughout the season and that was even before losing defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral) for the season. The Spartans offense, however, will not be mistaken for the Nebraska “Scoring Explosion” of 1983 as they rank No. 57 in points scored.
Michigan State’s offensive MO is similar to say Bill Parcells’ New Yorks Giants: Move the chains and don’t beat yourself. Senior quarterback Kirk Cousins epitomizes that mindset as he has thrown just four interceptions. While Cousins’ feet are not nailed to the ground, he is more of a classic dropback passer, which is a plus for a Husker defense that has had its troubles with speedy quarterbacks.
If Nebraska’s defense is to have success, it does not necessarily have to sack Cousins but make him throw the ball a fraction of a second too soon. That means get creative with blitz packages but do not show them too early and the cornerbacks must take away Cousins’ first read. The more uncomfortable the Huskers make Cousins, the better off they will be.
The Husker defense, however, also must display a fire – but controlled aggression -- it has not shown all season. Nebraska enters this game ranked No. 70 against the run, No. 27 against the pass and No. 42 overall. Those are numbers that are not normally associated with a Bo and Carl Pelini led defense.
So far, the only Nebraska defenders that have lived up to their preseason expectations are linebacker LaVonte David and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. For the rest of them, time to earn your scholarships. Now. No, make that yesterday.
On the offensive side, if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a zillion times. Quarterback Taylor Martinez brings the pizzazz but running back Rex Burkhead is the foundation of the offense. The numbers bear that idea out. Burkhead is second in the Big Ten with 10 touchdowns. He is also third in the conference with 752 yards rushing.
Though this week, there will be a fine line between getting Burkhead the ball and keeping a rugged Spartan defense that ranks eighth against the run honest. I’m not suggesting that the Huskers should change what they do but if you try to make a living by ONLY running right at the Spartans defense, you’ll starve.
Do things like run a reverse to Kenny Bell. Set up a bubble screen to Jamal Turner. Use Martinez on some misdirections where he has a run-pass option.
What can’t happen is, run Burkhead into a brick wall on first down. Option Burkhead into a brick wall on second down. Oh, it’s third and eight, Martinez throws an incomplete pass. Punt time, here comes Brett Maher. The Huskers must get creative and have to keep this Spartan defense on their toes.
Most of all, allow Martinez to do what he does best. I don’t give a damn what the anti-Martinez crowd says, he is improving. So what if he’s not Andrew Luck. So what if his mechanics are not pretty. Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch won’t make anyone forget Drew Brees and the Huskers did just fine.
The biggest thing Martinez has to do is, make sound decisions, don’t predetermine where he throws and if the checkdown receiver is there, take it all day. And while you’re at it, use your feet and run like people are chasing you.
Both clubs are 6-1 but the difference is that MSU is 3-0 in Big Ten play and in sole possession of first place in the Legends Division. Nebraska, however, is 2-1 and currently in a three-way tie for second in the Legends Division with Michigan and Iowa. If Michigan State wins, it will strengthen its hold on the Legends Division race but if Nebraska wins, the race becomes very compelling. Potentially until Black Friday.
Many prognosticators tabbed the Huskers as the favorite to win the Legends Division. I didn’t think that was a crazy prediction but given the collective youth on offense and the fact that they were breaking in a new coordinator (Tim Beck), I felt it was premature to book reservations to a BCS Bowl game let along Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game.
Nebraska comes into the game more rested having had a bye week on Oct. 15 and a de facto bye week on Oct. 22 with a 41-14 win over lowly Minnesota. Michigan State has beaten Michigan (28-14) and Wisconsin (37-31). The latter came with a game-ending Hail Mary that was shades of Doug Flutie. Is MSU ripe for a letdown after two emotional wins? Perhaps so but that argument is a slippery slope. The storylines are already written. If Nebraska wins, the angle becomes, “the Huskers won because they were rested and the Spartans were worn down.” If Michigan State wins, the story becomes, “Nebraska had it too easy and Michigan State was more battle-tested.”
The matchups on both sides of the ball are intriguing. The Nebraska defense has been a disappointment throughout the season and that was even before losing defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral) for the season. The Spartans offense, however, will not be mistaken for the Nebraska “Scoring Explosion” of 1983 as they rank No. 57 in points scored.
Michigan State’s offensive MO is similar to say Bill Parcells’ New Yorks Giants: Move the chains and don’t beat yourself. Senior quarterback Kirk Cousins epitomizes that mindset as he has thrown just four interceptions. While Cousins’ feet are not nailed to the ground, he is more of a classic dropback passer, which is a plus for a Husker defense that has had its troubles with speedy quarterbacks.
If Nebraska’s defense is to have success, it does not necessarily have to sack Cousins but make him throw the ball a fraction of a second too soon. That means get creative with blitz packages but do not show them too early and the cornerbacks must take away Cousins’ first read. The more uncomfortable the Huskers make Cousins, the better off they will be.
The Husker defense, however, also must display a fire – but controlled aggression -- it has not shown all season. Nebraska enters this game ranked No. 70 against the run, No. 27 against the pass and No. 42 overall. Those are numbers that are not normally associated with a Bo and Carl Pelini led defense.
So far, the only Nebraska defenders that have lived up to their preseason expectations are linebacker LaVonte David and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. For the rest of them, time to earn your scholarships. Now. No, make that yesterday.
On the offensive side, if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a zillion times. Quarterback Taylor Martinez brings the pizzazz but running back Rex Burkhead is the foundation of the offense. The numbers bear that idea out. Burkhead is second in the Big Ten with 10 touchdowns. He is also third in the conference with 752 yards rushing.
Though this week, there will be a fine line between getting Burkhead the ball and keeping a rugged Spartan defense that ranks eighth against the run honest. I’m not suggesting that the Huskers should change what they do but if you try to make a living by ONLY running right at the Spartans defense, you’ll starve.
Do things like run a reverse to Kenny Bell. Set up a bubble screen to Jamal Turner. Use Martinez on some misdirections where he has a run-pass option.
What can’t happen is, run Burkhead into a brick wall on first down. Option Burkhead into a brick wall on second down. Oh, it’s third and eight, Martinez throws an incomplete pass. Punt time, here comes Brett Maher. The Huskers must get creative and have to keep this Spartan defense on their toes.
Most of all, allow Martinez to do what he does best. I don’t give a damn what the anti-Martinez crowd says, he is improving. So what if he’s not Andrew Luck. So what if his mechanics are not pretty. Tommie Frazier, Scott Frost and Eric Crouch won’t make anyone forget Drew Brees and the Huskers did just fine.
The biggest thing Martinez has to do is, make sound decisions, don’t predetermine where he throws and if the checkdown receiver is there, take it all day. And while you’re at it, use your feet and run like people are chasing you.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Turner could be key to Nebraska offense
Even though Niles Paul was a very talented athlete, the name mostly evokes memories of disappointment for Nebraska football fans.
In a nutshell, Paul did some good things during his Husker career but more often than not left most people the impression that he should have done more.
Paul was a fifth-round draft choice of the Washington Redskins in April. He was Nebraska’s leading receiver in 2009 and 2010. In the past decade, the only receiver who has had a better season stastically than Paul was Nate Swift in 2008.
Much of the anguish toward Paul and adulation toward Swift among the Husker fan base stems from the fact that Paul was a five-star recruit while Swift was not touted even remotely as high. Personally, I think recruiting rankings are a lot of conjecture but that’s another story for another time. Point being, at times Paul was a difference maker and at other times he was a flake and when you are supposed to be a difference maker, righty or wrongly, people remember the flake.
Most people equate the key to Nebraska’s offense being quarterback Taylor Martinez. When Martinez was healthy, the Husker offense was at times lethal. On the other hand, when he was saddled with an ankle injury the offense was ordinary.
However, it would be foolish for the Huskers to put all of their eggs Martinez’s basket. Even if the good Taylor Martinez shows up this season, quarterbacks that run as much as he does tend to get hurt or at the very least banged up. No one plays an entire football season at 100 percent, and if Martinez gets banged up enough that he has to beat teams with his arm then he is going to need help.
At running back, Rex Burkhead is very good and should have a breakout season stepping out from Roy Helu’s shadow, but I do not know anyone who would classify him as explosive. It is possible that the trio of freshmen backs behind Burkhead (Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah and Braylon Heard) possesses some big-play ability among them, but they will have a difficult time getting enough carries between the three of them to show if off consistently.
The player that figures to be the key to Nebraska becoming an explosive offense is quarterback-turner-wide receiver Jamal Turner. Turner was moved to wide receiver despite the lack of depth at quarterback but Turner appears destined to stay at wide receiver after his performance in the spring game.
Turner had four receptions for 93 yards (an average of more than 20 yards per catch) and two returns of more than 50 yards (one punt, one kickoff) in the spring game. Granted, spring games can be misleading, but for a guy that should have still been in high school instead of in Memorial Stadium, it was an impressive performance, to say the least.
Obviously it is too early to tell how things are going to turn out for Turner. He may show flashes of brilliance before settling in to being an above-average yet unspectacular receiver. He may flame out completely and the spring game will serve as his best moment in college football.
The truth of the matter is that if a team has a playmaking wide receiver, it can make an average offense into a dynamic one, which I believe is a fair statement. Just ask Rod Rutherford. Who is that? Larry Fitzgerald’s quarterback at Pittsburgh who was in the conversation for the Heisman in 2003 almost exclusively due to Fitzgerald’s efforts. The impact of explosive wide receivers can be very large to an offense.
While Turner carries a lot of promise, expectations for his first season needed to be exercised with caution. Much like we needed to for Martinez last season. Watching the spring game, though, it wasn’t just his stats that were impressive. He’s just an incredible athlete and looked to be naturally suited for receiver and returner. So unless Bo Pelini’s defense suddenly got soft, Turner showed a lot of potential against some good defenders. He’s definitely a sleeper for 2011.
In a nutshell, Paul did some good things during his Husker career but more often than not left most people the impression that he should have done more.
Paul was a fifth-round draft choice of the Washington Redskins in April. He was Nebraska’s leading receiver in 2009 and 2010. In the past decade, the only receiver who has had a better season stastically than Paul was Nate Swift in 2008.
Much of the anguish toward Paul and adulation toward Swift among the Husker fan base stems from the fact that Paul was a five-star recruit while Swift was not touted even remotely as high. Personally, I think recruiting rankings are a lot of conjecture but that’s another story for another time. Point being, at times Paul was a difference maker and at other times he was a flake and when you are supposed to be a difference maker, righty or wrongly, people remember the flake.
Most people equate the key to Nebraska’s offense being quarterback Taylor Martinez. When Martinez was healthy, the Husker offense was at times lethal. On the other hand, when he was saddled with an ankle injury the offense was ordinary.
However, it would be foolish for the Huskers to put all of their eggs Martinez’s basket. Even if the good Taylor Martinez shows up this season, quarterbacks that run as much as he does tend to get hurt or at the very least banged up. No one plays an entire football season at 100 percent, and if Martinez gets banged up enough that he has to beat teams with his arm then he is going to need help.
At running back, Rex Burkhead is very good and should have a breakout season stepping out from Roy Helu’s shadow, but I do not know anyone who would classify him as explosive. It is possible that the trio of freshmen backs behind Burkhead (Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah and Braylon Heard) possesses some big-play ability among them, but they will have a difficult time getting enough carries between the three of them to show if off consistently.
The player that figures to be the key to Nebraska becoming an explosive offense is quarterback-turner-wide receiver Jamal Turner. Turner was moved to wide receiver despite the lack of depth at quarterback but Turner appears destined to stay at wide receiver after his performance in the spring game.
Turner had four receptions for 93 yards (an average of more than 20 yards per catch) and two returns of more than 50 yards (one punt, one kickoff) in the spring game. Granted, spring games can be misleading, but for a guy that should have still been in high school instead of in Memorial Stadium, it was an impressive performance, to say the least.
Obviously it is too early to tell how things are going to turn out for Turner. He may show flashes of brilliance before settling in to being an above-average yet unspectacular receiver. He may flame out completely and the spring game will serve as his best moment in college football.
The truth of the matter is that if a team has a playmaking wide receiver, it can make an average offense into a dynamic one, which I believe is a fair statement. Just ask Rod Rutherford. Who is that? Larry Fitzgerald’s quarterback at Pittsburgh who was in the conversation for the Heisman in 2003 almost exclusively due to Fitzgerald’s efforts. The impact of explosive wide receivers can be very large to an offense.
While Turner carries a lot of promise, expectations for his first season needed to be exercised with caution. Much like we needed to for Martinez last season. Watching the spring game, though, it wasn’t just his stats that were impressive. He’s just an incredible athlete and looked to be naturally suited for receiver and returner. So unless Bo Pelini’s defense suddenly got soft, Turner showed a lot of potential against some good defenders. He’s definitely a sleeper for 2011.
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