Life in the Red Group

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 8:51AM CST Glad he left the competition on going. sheesh

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 8:52AM CST OH FORE!

Posted by: Bloozman on April 21, 2011 8:54AM CST POOBAH!

Posted by: Trashman on April 21, 2011 9:00AM CST Charger Who are you "fore"warning? Worms?

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 9:01AM CST yup

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 9:01AM CST Anybody that is shocked by this needs to find something else to do. If we had a game today of course last years starter has an edge. Me thinks however, that he better keep working.

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 9:20AM CST Whats the odds of seeing Jamal throw a throw back pass to TM next fall.. thats the only way I see TM become a receiver next year..

Posted by: TruBlueRed on April 21, 2011 9:23AM CST PT, I agree. A friend of mine at the game said he thought that Martinez and Green were generally going against the #1 and#2 defense, whereas the other QB's were usually going against weaker defenses..........so probably the reason Bo said he wasn't concerned with stats in that game?

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 9:37AM CST I had a friend last nite ask me how the Huskers looked in the Spring game.. from what little I saw on the videos.. I said they look fast on O and D.. would you concur PT

Posted by: casualobserver on April 21, 2011 9:39AM CST Just want to see a quarterback that will go out there, take charge, be a team leader, and be excited that he's a Nebraska quarterback and who will get the job done.

Posted by: drivebyposter on April 21, 2011 9:51AM CST trash, you have worms on the brain. Do they hamper the swing? Do they reflect your ball flight? Are you going to work a tourney this summer or fall? You will be giving me 6 a side.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 9:52AM CST I am feeling pretty good about the QB situation. Kellogg and Carnes looked good in the scrimmage....so finally we may have some legimate depth there. I'd say it would be foolish, at this time, to say that Martinez has the starting job wrapped up but he does have the most experience and if he can get his head and talent together he could be a helluva QB.

Posted by: Fitzy on April 21, 2011 9:53AM CST I am hoping one or two of the following were the reasons for Taylor and Cody stinking up the spring game. (for amusement purposes only) 1. Bo asked them to play poorly to trick the new Big 10 opponents. 2. Our 1's and 2's on defense are VERY VERY VERY good. 3. Taylor and Cody were playing with unfamiliar WR's and it was partially their fault. 4. The passing plays they ran were actually from our Big Ten opponents play books. (yet another attempt to confuse future opponents). 5. Just knowing that Suh was on the sideline scared the hell out of them because they could not quite be sure if he was for the Red or for the White...

Posted by: The OzFather on April 21, 2011 9:54AM CST I like taylors chances to keep his job...

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 9:54AM CST My golf game sucks because of LOFT. (Lack Of F*****g Talent)

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 9:59AM CST Fitzy.. you forgot one.. Taylor and Cody were running Wats plays..

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 9:59AM CST I think one of the biggest gut checks for Taylor next season is, if he is pulled from the game, how he reacts. I'm hopeful that he will of matured and will support the team if that happens.

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 10:00AM CST Tom, I agree totally. Speed everywhere was what stood out to me above all

Posted by: Trashman on April 21, 2011 10:01AM CST This is the one position that I feel it would be smarter to name a guy the starter earlier rather than later. I can respect what Bo is trying to promote with "hard work every day can earn you the spot". But at some point it's a good idea to let your team know who's leading them...and it's probably earlier than game week. Take the pressure off, get the team comfortable, get the focus on the opponent, etc. Then again, last year the team maybe were told/or could tell sooner than us. And I wonder if Bo is saying this same comment about Crick's spot? Burkhead's? Dennard's? I haven't heard that...in fact, I think he's said something to the effect of: "Rex is our guy". It would be nice to hear that about the QB position....and soon. Because I am sure Bo is growing weary here. Just think, if TMart or Cody do not start all year....NU will be on its 5th QB in 4 years under Bo. Instability at the QB position is what keeps teams from championships....

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 10:03AM CST You saw the whole game.. I saw highlites.. but that is what impressed me, speed and quickness in the lines and backfields.. we have been fast but they looked faster than the last couple of years.. just my take on a limited view..

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 10:05AM CST Tash....I agree. The General should've been the MAN last year :)

Posted by: Fitzy on April 21, 2011 10:05AM CST VERY good one Tom0s Shoulda been on the list for sure.

Posted by: Outside The Box on April 21, 2011 10:07AM CST Bo is just being coy. We all know Bubba Starling is going to be our QB this fall.

Posted by: Fitzy on April 21, 2011 10:15AM CST At least Tim Beck can refer Taylor to the Kerry Meier switch that happened at KU and how that worked out. I am sure Taylor will start the year out as the #1 QB, but I am not certain he will hold that position. It could be due to chronic injury issues or lack of poise/decision making ability for playing QB at this level. There is no doubt that Taylor is a dynamic athlete when healthy... so the health, poise and decision making become the key issues. Those issues just happen to be the most important issues for a starting QB at any level. I am hoping the new offense where he can make the calls at the line will at least put him in a position where he knows the play that he has to run... that should help a lot right there.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 10:16AM CST PT....didn't you think Brandon Kinney looked BIG. I think he's going to have a hell of a season this year. And I have to agree.......there was a lot of speed out there.

Posted by: Trashman on April 21, 2011 10:20AM CST DBP The swing is not bad right now...shot par on my last nine. But don't be getting any ideas with this 6 per side for you. And no, its not gonna be more either. Now Charger? Maybe. I would like to get the LITR Open going this year...maybe the B1G will have less TBA's? OSU would be a nice target date to start "planting your seeds". Actually, you probably enjoyed the "growth of your seeds" yesterday. How was the holiday?

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 10:24AM CST 10-4 on the Big Flea. Although he and Reed did not have great days. Burkhead looked faster to me. And maybe a bit more elusive. Great use of blockers.. David was a monster on D. Also a new corner should be in the mix. #18. His name is Mitchell. Again sorry we didn't hook up. My bad for not getting you my cell #. Hopefully this fall.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 10:26AM CST PT......it wasn't your fault, I should've got more info before hand. This fall sounds good!

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 10:32AM CST PT...I was in the south end zone so I could see Burkhead's flow to the play and his patience to wait until a crease opened. He's just a great football player who plays with a lot of passion.

Posted by: bigcajunhusker on April 21, 2011 10:34AM CST I really don't understand all of the making of excuses for Tmart and Green. Let's be honest -- they stunk up the joint. If they cannot perform well against "1s and 2s" wearing Husker red, then how on earth will they perform against Big 10 competition? Why is it that Rex Burkhead was in "mid-season form", while Tmart and Green looked like human tackling dummies? You play like you practice. How many times have we heard that? The sad thing is that Green performed in the Spring Game exactly as he has the last two seasons during the regular season. Tmart performed in the Spring game exactly how he did the last half of last season. So, would this not have been the ideal time to show that this season would be different? Tmart wanted nothing to do with getting hit the last half of last season. If you are too hurt to play full out, then sit down until you are healed! My prediction is that neither Tmart or Green will be quarterbacking this team half way through this coming season. Green is a good team player and will find a way to help the team. Who knows what Tmart will do?

Posted by: Blackshirtbacker on April 21, 2011 10:37AM CST Great to read all of the comments on here about football. Yesterday turned into a dead zone on here. Keep 'em coming.

Posted by: Blackshirtbacker on April 21, 2011 10:40AM CST I was unable to attend the spring game this year. Could you good folks who did go help me out? How did Baker Steinkuhler look? How did NU's safety play look in the secondary? Finally, how about the backups at LB?

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 10:47AM CST Blackshirt.......I don't remember isolating on Baker. IMO, the safties and corners played with a lot of speed and covered well plus supported to stop the run good. I was, however a little disappointed in the depth at LB. David was David and played like he always does. But I saw some of the back ups getting blown up and unable to get off the blocks very well. Martin at DE was all over the place and looked very good. He's really fast and feerless.

Posted by: atlhusker on April 21, 2011 11:05AM CST i wasnt there but i do know TM does not have the arm nor the mechanics to be a starting QB in big time college football! his biggest attritbute is his speed and running! thats it! get him the ball in open space and watch him work. u wanna see a qb who has the arm, mechanics and feel for the pocket see Brion Carnes! he is the future! can u imagine Carnes, Turner and K.Bell the next 3 years?! they could be better than dare i say it Turner Gill and Irving Fryar!

Posted by: Blackshirtbacker on April 21, 2011 11:06AM CST Well, thanks for that Fleaflicker. There has been so much talk about the QB position, but not much about the other positions. Based on your observation does the depth in secondary look good?

Posted by: Cornhead on April 21, 2011 11:21AM CST Trash, "And I wonder if Bo is saying this same comment about Crick's spot? Burkhead's? Dennard's? I haven't heard that...in fact, I think he's said something to the effect of: "Rex is our guy"." I have wondered the same thing. I am a HUGE supporter of Bo and staff and don't want to be critical, but it is a double standard as I've read quotes this spring that "we know what we have in Rex" and "we want to see what we have behind Crick", etc. etc. Same with Dennard, David, and a few other spots. All of those spots should be up in the air for competition and these guys shouldn't be too comfortable about their starting positions. Now, my only explanation is perhaps a few select guys (Rex, Crick, Dennard, David) are the unquestionable leaders of the team and they bring it every day and continue to bring it every day and will continue to bring it every day and have taken on the "culture" that Bo has mentioned repeatedly over the past 4 years where he wants the team to police themselves in practice, the classroom, and when out on the town. Nit-picking I guess, but if it's constant open competition for one position, especially the most important position in football (qb), it should be for all positions. Sorry for the long post, but that being said, I'm glad Bo and staff keep it open for the qb's, etc. Make them prove it day in and day out.

Posted by: 2rico on April 21, 2011 11:30AM CST The back-up QB is always the most popular on the team, or in this case the 3rd string QB as was the case last year at this time...

Posted by: PDX Husker on April 21, 2011 11:31AM CST I would just like to see one of the young men trying to be the TOP QB just step up and play in a way that nobody can keep them off the field. WHERE IS THE FIRE PEOPLE???

Posted by: atlhusker on April 21, 2011 11:32AM CST i persoanlly think TM would be better suited as a WR or flanker and CG as a TE and we put the investment into developing Carnes, Kellogg and Bubba if he decides to come along for the ride. TM will not win us a championship and he will never be able to do what he did at the beginning of last year! hate to say it but that was a fluke! when teams started to actually prepare for him he was totally a non factor and i dont see that changing! TM is not a QB he's a one trick pony! a fast one tho when he's 100% but he's stricly a north south runner! he's not elusive at all. he goes down quite easily and he will cough it up if he's hit!

Posted by: Silicon Valley Husker on April 21, 2011 11:35AM CST Cajun....much easier for an RB to be in mid season form after two weeks of practice than a QB. Much easier game mentally for them and you just make blocking reads. As someone on the LJS staff noted, the previous Sat. was probably a more important scrimmage. Run the whole offense instead of 25% of it. Bo noted that Carnes still had his head swimming in the 25%, much less the whole thing. Plus he was running against 3s and 4s a lot. Carnes may be the future but he isn't the "right now" yet.

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 11:40AM CST and what is to say Carnes wouldnt get dinged up...

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 11:41AM CST Plan B is what?

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 11:44AM CST Kellogg who Bo hardly ever mentions.. or Bubba who maybe playing in Cleveland.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 11:46AM CST Blackshirt.......I think the secondary has great depth.....along with the D-line.....that's a good thing. Hopefully that will give the backers a chance to develop some depth.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 11:46AM CST Carnes IMO showed the ability to be a Top QB more so than TM or CG, and yes he still needs to learn the playbook to compete as the starter and I believe he will. Rex, Crick, David and Dennard have been showing for the last year that they are head and shoulders above the backups however if someone new comes in and plays at a level that is equal to what they have been doing Bo will say that the positions are open to competition IMO. Sorry for getting long winded but IMO the QB race is one of the positions where the incoming players are good enough to actually compete with the returning players.

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 11:50AM CST Carnes had a good spring game.. TM had a good OSU,Washington, Kansas state game.. hmmm

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 11:53AM CST If TM can return to the form he had early last season he will be tough to beat but he has to learn to make the proper reads and not just rely on his speed to win the battles. Carnes looks to be a much better passer and not as good a runner, my thought is he is somewhat like Turner Gill was as a QB.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 11:55AM CST IMO, we are going to need at least two QB's that can effectively run the offense. I do think we have the talent back there. I'm glad to see Turner moved to WR to utilize his talents instead of being in a log jam at QB. Martinez and Green just need to step up and quit making the same dumb mistakes. If they don't improve they will not be playing....It could turn into a Carnes/Kellogg show. I'm trying to forget last season and trying to remember that the spring game doen't mean a hell of a lot but I can tell you the fans just rolled their eyes at the performance of Martinez and Green.

Posted by: Rickinaz on April 21, 2011 11:58AM CST Not worried with Martinez. He normally throws a very good ball. 1/2 of his incompletes were passes that were hurried on 3rd and longs. He had 2 more dropped. Green however made very good decisions but did not have his best day throwing the medium routes, but was on the mark for the shorts and longs. I like the way Carnes runs a play. He looks like a guy that will really be good when the offense is down pat and things are more or less automatic. P.S. The NCAA will probably clear Marlow to play Dec 1st. (;-)

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 11:59AM CST Carnes is definetly a skilled and very polished QB for his age, but untested... to project him right now as the next Tommie or Turner and blast TM is not right, off a spring game, jmo if he beats out TM.. then we are in good situation.. but lets not diminish what TM did as a freshman... good grief he was freshman all-american.. set numerous records.. and then he got hurt..

Posted by: Blackshirtbacker on April 21, 2011 12:01PM CST I think Frankie London should start this fall.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 12:02PM CST The excuse that TM and CG played against the 1s and 2s does not hold water as far as I am concerned because that does not explain why their passing was not accurate. Carnes and Kellogg both threw more accurate passes and Brion hit the receivers in stride and with a good touch that resulted in more receptions and long gains.

Posted by: BenAr2 on April 21, 2011 12:05PM CST I was at the game and Martinez did not look good. I say that not because he was 4 for whatever passing, but because it looked like he was continuing to make bad choices (ie throwing into tight/double coverage, not checking down, getting easily flustered in the pocket, etc.). It didn't help that he missed pretty badly on some throws. Hopefully, his q.b. sessions he's taking in CA this summer will open his eyes a bunch because I really don't want to see Pelini start him, and then in game 4, 5 or 6 bring in a different q.b. because TMart can't get it figured out. We have a bunch of depth at the db position, especially so when the '11 recruits get here. I think we really need to consider getting one of the safeties to move to LB (corey cooper?). We just don't have a lot there, and a guy like cooper I think would be in the mold of L. David. We do have good speed all over. I was even impressed with Kidlow and Taylor at r.b., they weren't burners but did have a little getty-up to them.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 12:06PM CST TomOs, I am not trying to put down TM just saying that I liked what I see in some other players and my comparisons to former players is not intended to proclaim him to be the second coming just that he looks to be similar to someone we all know.

Posted by: Rickinaz on April 21, 2011 12:06PM CST Fleaflicker, I do agree that the passing and decisions for Martinez and Green did not look very smooth. The defenses were not divided into 1st and 2nd teams as some have indicated in their postins. They were jumbled, drafted if you will. So the idea that T-Mart and Green went against the 1st unit were not correct. I do think that if a full playbook were used then Martinez would have done much better. I will say however that using a simple play book showed that Carnes may be the best natural quarterback in the group which is good news for depth this season.

Posted by: Outside The Box on April 21, 2011 12:12PM CST Two or three years ago Currenski Gilleylen had an amazing spring game, which he has translated to an amazing career. But I'm sure the performance by Carnes (against the 2s and 3s) is different.

Posted by: BenAr2 on April 21, 2011 12:14PM CST apples and oranges OTB.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 12:14PM CST Not to gloat, but on the Ehlers thread last night, I reported this story first on the LITR. Ben, remember what you saw was one just one practice and you did not get to see the other 14. Plus, Martinez was not playing with Burkhead, Turner, Bell, etc.

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 12:16PM CST Wacky .. I know what you meant.. but sometimes it seems we project too much .. from too little. I was speaking generally.

Posted by: BenAr2 on April 21, 2011 12:18PM CST I'm not annointing anyone anything at this point, but I know what I saw. Was just hoping a guy with nearly a full year of starting experience would have looked much more polished. Lots of practice left.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 12:21PM CST How well one plays in the spring game does not always translate on how well they play in the Fall. Martinez right not has the edge, but we will need all three QB's. They all have to keep working. Nice to have this type of problem.

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 12:23PM CST CHEMISRTY

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 12:23PM CST This just my thinking.. I just dont think many on here and elsewhere in the state, just doesnt like TM's demeanor, or personality or whatever you want to call it.. or what many think his personality is.. and it translate to judgement of his play.. it wasnt very good the last 1/4 of the season, granted and that also soured many..

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 12:23PM CST I will go with Bo on this one.

Posted by: Outside The Box on April 21, 2011 12:25PM CST Ben - it may be apples and oranges, but my point is that the history of the Spring Scrimmage is littered with kids who put up big numbers and were rarely (if ever) heard from again. Maybe Carnes will be the exception, and his performance on Saturday will carry him through the summer and vault him to the starting job in September, but I wouldn't wager my money on that happening.

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 12:29PM CST IH makes a good point. the receivers that Carnes was hitting were getting some seperation. Not so much for Martinez.

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 12:35PM CST At least he hit them. ;)

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 12:37PM CST I am btw, not minimizing Carnes's performance. He looked very comfortable out there

Posted by: Ture Husker on April 21, 2011 12:41PM CST Oh, yeah. Marrow moving to Lincoln next week on Brian's new article. Brian, why wouldn't he be eligible to compete this Fall?

Posted by: casualobserver on April 21, 2011 12:46PM CST Outside the Box: You're right on. This could be one of the greatest summer time surprises in Husker football history. Stay tuned!

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 12:50PM CST btw I'm not picking on you

Posted by: Bucksker on April 21, 2011 12:50PM CST Bo and his coaching staff evaluated everyplay of every spring practice. Husker bloggers and fans saw one spring practice. Bo has accumulated coaching knowledge at institutions like the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, OU and LSU. Bloggers and fans.....not so much. I think I'll trust the coaches to evaluate the QB's.

Posted by: Ture Husker on April 21, 2011 12:52PM CST Perhaps both Taylor and Brion could learn from each other-they have very different profiles. If O can alternate easily w/either it could be some crazy threat having both of them.

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 12:52PM CST OTB...........Trash is a sandbagger.....

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 12:56PM CST dbp............Trash is a sandbagger............

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 12:59PM CST Swithing horses. Most of us feel that we are going to have to rely on the new Frosh funning backs next fall. Assuming 1 wins the #2 spot what do you do with the other two? Hope you can Redshirt them? Play them all? Curious about some thoughts.

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 1:01PM CST REDSHIRT.. REDSHIRT.. REDSHIRT.. (just wanted to beat trash to the punch)

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 1:10PM CST PT.. I see it Green plays almost a given.. If Heard is in shape next in line.. Ameer RS.. think we will need 2 of the 3, then Austin Jones in the mix..

Posted by: KeepItReal on April 21, 2011 1:24PM CST Read between the lines: During an interview on ESPN's College Football Live (taped on Tuesday), Nebraska coach Bo Pelini addressed his team's quarterback situation. Is it still an open competition heading into the summer months, or has Pelini settled on a starter? "Our philosophy in our program is it's always an ongoing competition," Pelini said. "You know, I think if we had a game today (which we don’t), Taylor Martinez would be our quarterback (Because we would have no choice). We'd feel real comfortable with that (I can say that because it’s not actually going to happen). But we don't play a game for a long time (thank god) and we ask our players to compete every day, and the competition's always on (and Taylor’s job is definitely on the line). So you never know what's going to happen going into the fall. (There isn’t a game for four months, and by then Carnes will have had plenty of time to learn the offense and we’ll be able to announce him as the starter. That could happen before the first game, but you can count on it happening before we open Big 10 play.) " Bo had words of praise for Martinez, Cody Green and Brion Carnes. (Martinez is really fast, Green is a good teammate and an all-around nice guy, and Carnes is an exceptional quarterback.) The coach addressed a few other topics, including ongoing preparations for a challenging 2011 schedule. "You usually have a couple new opponents in a year," he said. "We have 11 new opponents this coming season. We understand the challenges that lie ahead. There are very well-coached teams and a lot of talent in the Big Ten. We're going to have to spend a lot more time in the offseason, which began awhile ago, to familiarize ourselves with what these teams want to do. "It's going to be a challenge going forward. It requires a little more time in the offseason. (So when we finish the season 7-5 or 6-6 don’t be surprised ‘cause switching conferences is going to be BRUTAL!)"

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on April 21, 2011 1:26PM CST bigcajunhusker Nonone wants to hear that kind of realistic talk except me. I think that Martinez has the blazing speed and experience which gives him the edge for now. But, can he hold up for a complete season? Green has shown nothing for over 2 years, and is unlikely to ever contribute much beyond being a team supporter. Carnes is much slower than Martinez but has a natural feel for the job. He seems to be the likely backup for Martinez after Green fails a few more times to convince the coaches. So, there we go again, without a proven reliable QB to start another season. If Martinez is replaced, he may just transfer as he doesn't seem to have the resilency to cope with ups and downs.This time there is also a new offense and new coaches to complicate matters. Things could get really rocky on offense against good defenses.

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 1:26PM CST Ameer is the dark horse. Me thinks Green is a little small. Beck commented that Ameer plays big.

Posted by: Outside The Box on April 21, 2011 1:29PM CST Off topic... Is anybody familiar with the "Take Back Game Day" movement? They have a facebook page which touts: "Nebraska fans are called the greatest fans in college football. But do Nebraska students belong in that category? Really think about it for a second. Nebraska is a place full of prestige and tradition - yet the students truly have no one tradition that they can call their own. There's no rally cry. There's no unity. There's no chance that, at our current rate, we'll stack up with any Big Ten school. In 2011, we have the chance to change that. We, the students, of the University of Nebraska, are taking back gameday. Your pre-game Friday is about to take a serious turn. Watch for more details this summer and fall as Nebraska's students finally take the lack of tradition into their own hands and show the rest of the Big Ten that we've truly arrived." Since I have no idea what that means, I thought I'd check with the masses here. http://www.facebook.com/takebackgamedaynebraska

Posted by: ArguingWithIdiots on April 21, 2011 1:33PM CST PT With normal run of I-Back injuries, unless one of these guys is really green, I think they will all play. Wish we could redshirt them, but don't think it will happen.

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on April 21, 2011 1:34PM CST KeepItReal on Just like bigcajunhusker, I say again that fans don't want to hear anything real. It sours their koolaid. But, I hope it isn't as real as you depict, even though I can easily see 4 or 5 losses this season. I am hoping that Martinez turns the corner on quarterbacking, stays healthy, and does a great job. That would allow Carnes to systematically get his feet wet.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 1:40PM CST Bo is not looking and finishing 7-5 or 6-6. He wants to win the Big 10. I look at this way. The other 8 teams our our schedule this year should be worried about playing us. Plus they don't know us either.

Posted by: atlhusker on April 21, 2011 1:41PM CST does anybody know if and when Heard will be cleared by the NCAA? and how good could he be after not playing for over a year? no way he comes in and starts playing! dont see it happening!

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 1:46PM CST Marrow says while he has not yet heard from the NCAA he expects to play in 2011. Because we have not seen the young RB's coming in play a snap in College football, it's really hard to determine who will fall behind Burkhead in the pecking order. I am intrigued by Green, and he has speed to burn. Same for Heard. For sure Burkhead will be a great mentor for them.

Posted by: ArguingWithIdiots on April 21, 2011 1:48PM CST Ray Tmart has to get healthy to stay healthy. As far as that goes, it doesn't appear that the problem is physical. How is that for getting real?

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 1:49PM CST Ray, Just curious. As a Doctor were you in Private Practice or a Military doctor. Cause if you were as pessimistic with your patients as you are with the football team.............. Just teasing you a bit.

Posted by: winredwin on April 21, 2011 1:51PM CST well if it is a foot race, my money is on Taylor... but if it is throwing, I am betting on Carnes.

Posted by: BenAr2 on April 21, 2011 1:59PM CST "If Martinez is replaced, he may just transfer as he doesn't seem to have the resilency to cope with ups and downs." Not sure this is fair Ray, since he was apparently the leader of his family when his mom and dad split and his dad was in depression (I'd call that "ups and downs"). Does he have charisma? NOPE, but resilency is a much different issue. "This time there is also a new offense and new coaches to complicate matters. Things could get really rocky on offense against good defenses." I have no doubt things could be rocky against good defenses, but as long as we see improvement over the year, we'll be miles ahead of where we have been the last 2 years.

Posted by: winredwin on April 21, 2011 2:14PM CST Ray, I was saying the same thing after the bowl game about 4 or 5 losses, but after seeing Turner run like a wild man, and Harvey Jackson bringing the pain... I cut it down to maybe one, maybe. Guess Koolaid was in the air at the game, but I know what I saw and it looked good, real good!

Posted by: Jumbo Stiehm on April 21, 2011 2:14PM CST I love the Bubba talk,but that kid is too smart to pass up the 5 mil he will be getting offered here shortly,and just because he isn't pitching doesnt change anything,I love the kid but Carl Crawford,I mean Bubba aint coming,IMO.GBR

Posted by: winredwin on April 21, 2011 2:15PM CST and I am not talking about Miss America... :)

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on April 21, 2011 2:16PM CST PT Medicine requires an even-handed approach. Most patients want to know the facts, but they also want some hope. Without hope, it's really tough. So, I guess you will have to draw your own conclusions as to my thinking. BenAr2 This is the first time that I have heard anything about Martinez's personal life. He evidentally has a lot of resilency from what you say. Thanks for the information. It just shows how little we know about one another. Hopefully, he can carry it over also to football. As far as improvement on offense, I still would like to see significant improvement by the end of the year. And it all must start up front with the big uglies.

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 2:17PM CST Freshman all American. Pre season Hiesman watch list. Not good enough for the bloggers. Things that make you go Hmmmmm

Posted by: Husker Spock on April 21, 2011 2:34PM CST Lets not base the performance during a spring game to be the determining factor on how a QB will perform during the regular season. As we all know Cody Green is agreat practice qb but does not produce during a "real game". Garrett Gilbert of UT had a fantastic spring game last year, is a great practice QB but again does not perform in the same manner during a real football game. We can say the same thing of John Brantley of Florida. Time will tell if Taylor is the real deal or as some humans say ... a flash in the pan.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 2:41PM CST I think the fans will quit bagging on the QB position when we finally see some consistancy there.....it's hard to win championships without a great QB.....we are far from great right now but I think about everybody would agree that we're in a good place right now: New OC and QB coach plus some talent to work with.

Posted by: Blackshirtbacker on April 21, 2011 2:52PM CST Good point fleaflicker. All of the people who are willing to throw Taylor M. away because of the performance of a backup QB remind me of the time when Husker fans wanted to get rid of Scott Frost and replace him with Frankie London. Carnes may end up being a great one, but will everyone allow him to grow into the position as a very young player? Or, will we again this time next year be clamoring for next year's backup to be the starting QB?

Posted by: rluben on April 21, 2011 3:03PM CST I liked what I saw from Brion, he just has "it", but Taylor did some good things along with some wth was he thinking things his first year. He showed potential in the OK St game, even if I think he throws the ball goofy as heck, he got it there and gave his target a chance to do something with the ball after the catch at times. Which I believe is just as important as getting the ball to a guy...giving them a chance to do something with it after the catch is huge to me, not just getting it there. Some times just getting it there in a small window where only your guy has the opportunity to make the play is important, for moving the chains or to score. To me the biggest thing a good QB does is in the passing game is put the ball in a spot where his guy can do something with it after securing it. Here's something to consider with T-bruise, at BYU Steve Young didn't exactly set the world on fire early on with his passing, his coaches actually seriously considered moving him to DB because his passing skills left a lot to be desired. But they saw the bigger picture if they could get the passing thing fixed, they would have something special. I think that turned out ok, so it's not like it can't happen. T-Bruise best get to work on getting his passing game fixed sooner than later though and work hard on it this summer in 7 on 7's and what not...because if he doesn't Brion will most likely overtake him at some point I suspect. I think Taylor needs to make better decisions in the option game too, whether it's the zone read or any other option that requires him to make a split decision on give, pitch or keep. Rex was better at making that split second decision than T Mart was last year, so hopefully he has improved on that.

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 3:12PM CST Yea instead of tucking it and calling his number. Chemistry

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 3:19PM CST Last year when I said watching TM run was exciting as watching Touchdown Tommie people misunderstood what I meant and thought I was declaring him to be the next Tommie or Eric and now when saying that Brion's passing and running remind me of Turner Gill they again are thinking I am proclaiming that he is the next coming of Turner. I am simply trying to compare how they make me feel, excited and trying to draw a comparison of my opinion on what their skills look like to me.

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 3:20PM CST to hell with them wacky.....

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 3:22PM CST I may be off base on who I am listing to give a comparison of their skill set to some one who we all know well.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 3:24PM CST Naw, charger, I am just hoping they will realize where I am coming from and accept it for what it is, JMO

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 3:25PM CST Charger.. I thought it was... CHEMISRTY

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 3:26PM CST SG...................Thanks i was never a spelling major.

Posted by: Silicon Valley Husker on April 21, 2011 3:27PM CST We've seen one scrimmage of Brion. The coaches have seen one year. I won't say that coaches are perfect, but they have a much larger data pool to evaluate QB performance than the LITR. For Carnes to become starter, he will have to show that being an RS Frosh trumps a year of experience and capability over Martinez. That's a steep hill to climb. I'm also guessing that against A&M, Taylor wasn't forcing himself into the game, the coaches felt he gave us the best chance, even injured. He has to show he can be durableand Carnes may make the field on injuries to Taylor and Green, but on merit will be very tough and that's no disrespect to him. If he continues to grow, he will give us a great option at QB.

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 3:29PM CST This is fun. We can win with either assuming they progress like they should and will and the O line gives them a chance to do thier thing.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 3:29PM CST Blackshirt.......thanks. I'm excited to see how Beck's offense allows our QBs to develop and lets them use their instincts to play football instead of all gobbed up in complicated plays. Sept. 17th I think we'll get a real good look of what changes have transpired with the new leadership. Can't wait!!

Posted by: charger on April 21, 2011 3:30PM CST Later

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 3:32PM CST I think one of the biggest surprises next year is going to be the receivers, BK, Bell, Turner, Stanley B and Reed.. we may have turned the corner on this position..

Posted by: rluben on April 21, 2011 3:32PM CST Someone mentioned earlier about the scoring explosion and the "potential" that Brion, Turner and whoever had to draw some comparisons to those guys. I knew exactly what they meant, I even had a few thoughts along those lines myself, especially in a Wattless deClowned offensive system. I'd a never had any thoughts creep into my head about the potential some players have to remind me of those guys, had we not made the changes. I believe for the first time in a real long time that we have the chance to be very good on O in all aspects of the game. Don't really care who's playing at this point, just excited to see how it goes. Beck's going to play people he believes can and will get it done and if they don't, I doubt he will use the entire season to determine that someone else is the better choice.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 3:33PM CST I am hoping that TM does progress from where he was at last year and can be more consistent in his play and learn to read the defenses better and I would be happy to have him lead the Huskers to a B1G TEN title.

Posted by: fleaflicker on April 21, 2011 3:34PM CST SVH......this coaching staff played youth before experience last year. What makes you think they wouldn't do it again.....not trying to be a smart arse but just curious.

Posted by: 2rico on April 21, 2011 3:46PM CST PT you have some very good points on T-Mart...If T Mart would've started like he ended the season and ended like he started do you think the wet towells on this blog would have some optimism or would they simply look to all the negatives from the beginning of his hypothetical season?

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 3:47PM CST I think last year there was a large gap between #1 and #2 & #3.. the coaches, Bo kept it under their hat to keep competion going and that secrecy thing Bo seems to like to keep from his competitors.. anyway that is the way it seems with the lack of playing time from Lee last year, there appeared to be little confidence in him.. or maybe he was still injured.. but it was strange to me through the last season, when TM was injured and Lee never got in. Bo pretty much put his stamp on the starting QB for next year.

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 3:49PM CST Charger... Just messing with ya. I thought that post (at 12:23PM) was pretty hilarious, because of the fact that you only typed one word, capitalized it, and misspelled it (it obviously was one of those key flipflops).

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 3:51PM CST TomOs, those questions about why Lee didn't play when TM was not 100% still make me wonder why. If it was truly Bo making those calls or if there was something we are not privy to are questions that haunt me.

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 3:52PM CST flea... I think Bo has a bit of a crush on TMart.

Posted by: rluben on April 21, 2011 3:53PM CST Well supposedly Brion tore it up on scout team last year during his RS...so I don't think he just came out of no where all the sudden. Maybe to fans who have never seen him play a down in practice it was a surprise, the talent we have at the position, not just with those 2. I'd imagine the coaches have a handle on the situation, I don't think Bo was running at the mouth for the sake of running at the mouth about it. Sounds to me like it's an ongoing competition that Taylor has the edge in as of right now, because he has a better handle on the playbook and is a good athlete. Sure as heck doesn't mean it's written in stone that he'll be the man the entire year. Then again he may get it done, makes no difference to me as long as we are playing good ball. I have no horse in the race as far as who it is getting it done, I just want to see the position played right and the offense kicking some dang butt for a change and not just trying to do it the sissy way against weaker opponents they should dominate. I'm excited, I think we have the chance to be a very good team from here on out. I'm hoping and thinking that everyone across the board is going to step up their game, not just the QB position. I think the changes on O will allow greater success to be achieved, will be more fun to play in, will foster a mindset that they are unstoppable if they play correctly. Should be fun to watch them play the game, more fun than it has been for awhile. If the fans are having fun watching them play, the players are having ten more times the fun playing the game. That's how I see it, could be a rough start when we get past the cupcakes part of the schedule, who knows, but it will be fun.

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 3:58PM CST Last year he wouldnt have said anything like that.. he would have said .. if we had a game today .. you would have to wait to kick off.. or anyone of 12 may start.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 3:59PM CST Russ, I made the prediction that Brion might not be the starting QB at the beginning of the season however he will be by the end of the season, now some people think I am against TM. For the record I am thinking along the same lines as you, I don't care who gets it done, I would just like to have the best Players on the feild so we can compete for the B1G TEN conference championship in our inaugural season. I am a Boliever GBR

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 4:01PM CST Tom... I don't think there was a "huge gap". I think Bo liked TMart's breakaway speed and tried to ride that horse. Unfortunately, he's kinda one-dimensional. With that decision, I think they decided to try to build for the future (develop TM and Cody Green) instead of taking advantage of the nice path we had set-up in the schedule last year. Why would they then play Zac? He had one year left and offered them nothing to build upon.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 4:03PM CST SG, I hope that was not the reason they did it because that would have been a bad decision IMHO

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 4:05PM CST this redruiting class is the best one Bo has gotten so far. And the one last year was better than 2009. the 2012 class will be small so he can be very picky and target needs. Anybody else see a trend here?

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 4:06PM CST Tom.. For instance, look at ZL in his first year. He was making checks and audibles at the line. I don't think I saw that from TMart at all last year. That would indicate that not only did Zac have a much better grasp of the offense, but the staff trusted him to make adjustments to it. I think the decision to play TMart (and bump Zac down to #3) was based purely on potential/talent/building for the future.

Posted by: rluben on April 21, 2011 4:09PM CST I still have more fun watching Bo's teams mess up than I did watching the Clowns teams lay down. With Bo's teams I know mistakes can be corrected, that players can improve and get coached up, that they will fight for each other. With the Clowns teams I just crossed my fingers that after mustering up the courage to suit up, they might find some hidden passion to play the game. But nope, they were content with just finding the courage to show up, that was a victory to them...it's how they were coached, maybe not intentionally, but it's what it was. A system that rewards the guys who learn the playbook the best but can't actually play the game the best will always fail when they play against players who play the game better athletically and with more purpose. I like the way Bo and his staff coach the game and teach the game, I love where they are headed with this team.

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 4:12PM CST Tom... (one more on this..) I really hope that the gamble they took on TMart pays off. I'm not in any way enamored with his game, but I really hope he's our starting QB this entire season. We absolutely cannot be switching out our QB (essentially the team's leader) every single season and expect to be successful. First year QBs struggle. Everywhere. It's only rare cases that they succeed with those initial games/season. So for this team's sake, TMart really needs to have the light turn-on this summer.

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 4:16PM CST Sept. 1, 2011 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU.. I get to watch my favorite QB coach work his magic vs Murray State.

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 4:19PM CST That is why I think Bo came out with a statement like that, TM is the man right now, but if falters or takes steps backward and cant move the O consistently, then it leaves the door open for BC to step in take it away.. other than injury or the above situation... get outplayed in a real game is the only way I see TM not being the starter next year.

Posted by: rluben on April 21, 2011 4:24PM CST Bo and his guys are far from perfect, but they try to go about doing it the right way, his players seem to really enjoy playing for him, they seem to enjoy their experience as a member of the team. Bo pays respect to the past, instills pride in being a Husker, takes pride in being a Husker, promotes discipline and accountability, Tries to set a good example, admits when he makes a mistakes, is passionate about what he does. Always is moving forward, working to get better as a coach, as a staff and do what he thinks can make his program and his team better. I could go on and on, no Bo isn't perfect and he makes mistakes, He may even make mistakes on his personnel at times, make some silly game calls, ect....but he's doing some really good things, I'm glad he's here doing what they said can't be done...putting Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Posted by: Sabado Gigante on April 21, 2011 4:29PM CST wacky... Agreed.

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on April 21, 2011 4:35PM CST rluben Who said that Humpty Dumpty couldn't be put back together again?

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 4:37PM CST Which ever QB is back there hopefully will have a little more flexability and time in the decesion making process. the knock on Martinez is that he runs to quickly but that is what he is best at so it is natural when things start to go south as quickly as they did at times last year to salvage what he could with his legs. Think Dennard Robinson. He was the same way as a frosh. Got a little better last year. But we still need to block for which ever of the 3 is back there.

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 4:38PM CST Back later

Posted by: TomOs on April 21, 2011 4:43PM CST Strongest to weakest area of Huskers next fall, just a guess: 1.DB's (playmakers all over) 2.DL (depth and Crick) 3.WR (Turner, Bell) 4.OL (good numbers young) 5.Backs (because of only one returning RB) 6.LB (mainly because lack of numbers)

Posted by: Silicon Valley Husker on April 21, 2011 4:49PM CST Flea....while I was gone I think that Sabado hit on it. You take youth over experience when you think your future payoff is big and you don't have too much to lose today. (e.g. dropoff is small or you aren't going to contend.) I think that they thought that the dropoff was small in the passing game and the upside large in the running game. If I compare that to this year, Taylor is still the "future" if he continues to improve..not a guy that is gone next year or even the year after that. As opposed to last year, this would be taking youth over experienced youth, which is a little different. Not that you can't do so, but I think Carnes has to clearly unseat Martinez...unless Martinez falters badly and loses it, which I don't expect. Off game, maybe, but not fold up.

Posted by: Herringbone on April 21, 2011 4:55PM CST Bo is the Man!

Posted by: rluben on April 21, 2011 4:59PM CST Well all the King's Horses and all the king's men couldn't put him back together again, so I'm assuming some fans thought it was impossible. I have no proof that anyone actually in fact said it couldn't be done. I'm pretty sure no one else even bothered trying...at least I never heard abut his miraculous recovery.

Posted by: rluben on April 21, 2011 5:07PM CST Actually I though Martinez was seriously ineffective at pulling it down and taking off with it PT. He usually waited too long to make that decision, and had no time to escape and make a play out of it. hel the ball too long, didn't find an outlet receiver, blah blah, blah. I'd argue he had almost zero ability to escape a pass rush based on what I witnessed throughout the season. I can't say for certain that was because he doesn't have the ability or he was trying too hard to stay in the pocket and be pocket passer to please his position coach and O coordinator. Who knows what's what for sure? I never saw him escape a defender back there that made me say, "wow, amazing elusiveness". Who knows, maybe he does have the ability if he's allowed to let the game come naturally to him. Guess we will find out what's what in a few months.

Posted by: Trashman on April 21, 2011 5:42PM CST Sabado Yes to the 4:12 post...it's the point I was trying to make in my last sentence on 10:01 post. The "musical chairs" at the QB position absolutely needs to be eliminated this season. No seniors. Ample talent. Annoint the guy a couple weeks before Tenn-Chatty, allow him to lead, get the "chemisrty" rolling and bring it. And if he's friggin' obviously injured beyond effectiveness...get his arse out and have the next guy prepared to run with it. Sheesh, I guess I'm not "100%" over that debacle yet....

Posted by: Ture Husker on April 21, 2011 6:06PM CST Here is the 1st articles I read on Taylor and his background. You gotta love great kids. http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/nebraska-quarterback-taylor-martinez-has-magic-touch-101510

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 6:11PM CST We must remember, the spring game was not, and I repeat, was not the showcase for the offense we will see this fall. They ran very basic plays, no audibles. And they say audibles will be big this fall. So fans who went to the game are not going to get a true feel for how the QB's will run that offense. I think, from Bo's comments, that Carnes while making progress, is having trouble with recognizing that aspect of the game, with Martinez pretty much having that down. I recognize Carnes got some juices flowing from some of the fans. Made some plays. But it is just a very small snapshot. That is why the summer and fall is so important. And I think leadership is going to be huge. And Beck several times this spring has talked about Martinez' leadership during spring camp.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 7:46PM CST Didn't mean to be a thread killer.

Posted by: Huskerophile on April 21, 2011 8:02PM CST Islander/Husker...I'll join the thread from GI as well and try to help revive it. When I implore Bo to go with Carnes, it really has nothing to do with the spring game or going up against 1st or 4th stringers or vanilla offense and defense or even whether or not he is "swimming in it" like Bo said...I think Brion is just simply the best quarterback that Nebraska has had in its clubhouse since...I don't know. I know that this is a strong statement, but I am just trusting my eyes. Just watching his high school film again tells me all I need to know - we haven't had a signal caller this thoroughly talented for a long time. He appears so diverse in his abilities that my eyes just eat it up and I actually enjoy watching him play. I would love to see if he can entice me in this way as our starting quarterback and not make my stomach turn every snap like most recent ones. Everyone says how Jamal Turner is going to be great (and I agree), but it is not because he is seasoned or played against the 1st stringers, etc.: It is because we can "see" it. For me, it is the same with Mr. Carnes...I can just see it. Again, I know this is a strong statement, but I just got to go with my eyes on this one (and my gut). Bring on Brion! Go Big Red!!! PACT 14-0!!!

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 8:19PM CST The Only thing that was clear to me was that is is a 2 man race. IF Martinez embraces the summer and fall learning experience we will see a QB we have not seen yet. You cannot teach speed. But I also agree that Carnes is a natural. I think the game come easy for him. It is gonna be fun.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 8:47PM CST PT- I agree that it's a two man race. Green is #3. And if you are the #3 QB you are not going to see the field much. Of course Starling may end up choosing football, so that will make fall camp interesting. However, if he is playing football, I expect him to red shirt as he is going to be behind a bit.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 8:51PM CST I notice that Kirey Cooper has not played much baseball lately. Is he nursing an injury? If he comes back strong in football he could really help the WR group. Still, because he was not involved in spring practice he is a little behind.

Posted by: PT Husker on April 21, 2011 8:55PM CST I only watched Starling in that all star game and they did not let him throw the ball. Not sure what that meant but I seem to recall they did not think he was to good at it. If that is why some are giving Crnes the edge on Martinez then where does that put Starling? If we get him I think it will only be for three years as he will be eligable for the Baseball draft again.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 9:08PM CST Starling I think will choose baseball imo. Starling did say that from the first day of practice at the all Star game they said he was not going to get a chance to pass in the game as they wanted a pro style type QB. Starling said that they did not give him a chance to see what he could do in the passing game. Might be better than we think. But, really don't know. I think it's a moot point anyway.

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:12PM CST Man! I like this thread. I am learning a great deal...which is nice. I am about to post a wall about Martinez...if the wall offends anyone, please forgive me and skip it. Thanks.

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:13PM CST #3 Taylor Martinez Position: Quarterback Height: 6'1" Weight: 205 Year: Sophomore City/State: Corona, Calif. High School: Centennial Martinez Photos View Gallery bullet Taylor Martinez Printable Biography bullet Taylor Martinez Photo Album Taylor Martinez Printable Biography Taylor Martinez Printable Biography Honors & Awards First-Team Freshman All-American (Rivals.com) Second-Team Freshman All-American (CollegeFootballNews.com) Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (Coaches, Rivals.com) Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year (AP, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, San Antonio News-Express, Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches, AP) Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Semifinalist (1 of 16) Maxwell Award Semifinalist (1 of 16) Manning Award Midseason Watch List Addition Walter Camp National Player of the Week (Oct. 23 at Oklahoma State) Four-Time Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week (WKU, UW, KSU, OSU) Two-Time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week (at Kansas State, at Oklahoma State) School Record Single-Game Rushing Yards by a Quarterback (241 at Kansas St., Oct. 7)

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:13PM CST Sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez is the leading candidate to engineer Nebraska’s new-look offensive attack under offensive coordinator Tim Beck. Martinez was one of the breakout stars in college football as a redshirt freshman in 2010. The California native shattered numerous Nebraska freshman records, while challenging several other Husker quarterback records. Martinez’s lightning-quick running ability makes him a home-run threat as a runner. He amassed better than 950 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in 2010, while averaging better than six yards per carry. Martinez fell just short of becoming the third freshman quarterback in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards. He has also posted the top five single-game rushing efforts ever for a Nebraska freshman quarterback and his 241 rushing yards at Kansas State were an NU quarterback record. The 6-1, 205-pound Martinez also showed his passing skills in 2010, throwing for a Nebraska freshman record 1,631 yards and 10 touchdowns, while completing better than 59 percent of his passes. Martinez accounted for 2,596 yards of total offense, the sixth-best mark in school history and tops among Nebraska freshmen. The play of Martinez was recognized on the conference and national levels. He was chosen as the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, and was also an honorable-mention all-conference selection. He was also the only freshman among 16 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Quarterback Award, and was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award. Martinez is back at full strength this spring after an ankle injury suffered in late October hampered him for the final two months of the 2010 season. He did not play quarterback in two games because of the injury and was hobbled in several other contests.

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:14PM CST 2010 (Redshirt Freshman) Martinez started 12 of 14 games at quarterback and threatened numerous Nebraska freshman and quarterback records. His play earned Martinez Big 12 Offensive Newcomer-of-the-Year honors, and he was an honorable-mention all-league choice. Martinez became the first-ever NU freshman to start a season opener at quarterback, and immediately showed his ability against Western Kentucky. He rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries, including a 46-yard TD on his first carry. His 127 yards represented the first 100-yard rushing day by a Husker QB since 2003, and his three TDs were the most by a NU freshman in a season opener. He also passed for 136 yards for 263 yards of total offense. Martinez had 263 yards of total offense against Idaho, including 157 rushing yards, the highest for an NU freshman since 1996. He added touchdown runs of 67 and 20 yards against the Vandals. Martinez burst onto the national scene at Washington, earning Big 12 and national freshman-of-the-week honors after leading Nebraska to a 56-21 win. He accounted for 287 yards of total offense, the most ever by a Husker rookie QB, completing 7-of-11 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. He also eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the third straight game, going for 137 yards and three scores on 19 carries, scoring on runs of 80, 1 and 1 yards. His 80-yard run on the first play of the second half was the longest ever by a Husker freshman. Martinez totaled 215 yards of total offense against South Dakota State, then made another national statement in a Thursday night win at Kansas State. Martinez guided a Nebraska offense that set a school record by averaging 11.288 yards per play (587 yards on 52 snaps) in a 48-13 win. He was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and the Rivals. com National Freshman of the Week for the second time for his performance. Martinez broke Nebraska records for total offense by a freshman (369 yards, previous record 294 by Calvin Jones at Kansas in 1991) and rushing yards by a quarterback (241 yards, previous record was 234 by Jammal Lord vs. Texas in 2002) in the win. His 241 rushing yards were the ninth-best total in school history and the most by any Husker since 1991. He also ran for four scores, including another 80-yard touchdown. Martinez completed 5-of-7 passes for 128 yards, including a 79-yard pass to Kyler Reed, the longest pass play by a Husker since 2002 and the ninth-longest pass play in school history. Martinez made a mark in the record books as a passer at Oklahoma State. In a 51-41 win, he threw for 323 yards and five touchdowns, and became the first player in NU history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game. He was named National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Foundation and Big 12 Freshman of the Week for his effort. His 435 yards of total offense ranked third on the NU single-game chart, and he established career highs in attempts (35), completions (23), passing yards (323) and touchdowns (5), setting Husker freshman marks in all four categories. Martinez guided Nebraska to 24 first-half points in a 31-17 win over Missouri before suffering an ankle injury that sidelined him for the second half. He completed 6-of-9 passes for 115 yards and a 40-yard touchdown to Kyler Reed, helping NU total 256 yards of offense in the opening quarter. Martinez lined up for one play at receiver in a win at Iowa State, then returned to the lineup at quarterback and accounted for 238 yards of offense in a 20-3 win over Kansas. At Texas A&M, Martinez completed 11-of-17 passes for 107 yards. He also rushed 11 times for 17 yards, but was again sidelined by injury, and did not play against Colorado. He passed for 143 yards in NUs Big 12 Championship Game loss to Oklahoma, then threw for 53 yards and his 10th touchdown in the Holiday Bowl against Washington.

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:15PM CST 2009 (Redshirt) Martinez redshirted in his first season in the program and worked on the scout team. Before Nebraska (Centennial HS) Martinez was a dual-threat quarterback for Coach Matt Logan at Corona's Centennial High School as a senior. Martinez passed for better than 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns, and completed 61 percent of his passes. On the ground, Martinez added 750 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. His play helped Centennial to a perfect 15-0 season and a state championship, capped by a victory over De La Salle High, when Martinez threw for 243 yards. Centennial finished No. 2 nationally in the USA Today's final prep rankings. Martinez was named the Big VIII League's Most Valuable Player and also earned the Los Angeles Times' Glen Davis Player-of-the-Year Award. A first-team all-state selection, Martinez was the Inland Division Offensive Player of the Year, the Max Preps California Player of the Year and the Golden States Prep Southern California Offensive Player of the Year. Martinez spent only one season at Centennial High School. As a junior, he quarterbacked San Bernadino Cajon High School and accounted for about 1,500 yards of total offense. He spent his freshman and sophomore years at Norco High, where he primarily played in the secondary. Martinez only visited Nebraska. Personal Taylor is the son of Casey and Epifania Martinez and was born on Sept. 15, 1990. He is majoring in advertising. He has volunteered his time with outreach work at the Malone Center.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on April 21, 2011 9:17PM CST I ran across this and thought it was fun reading and think you may enjoy it to. http://www.offtackleempire.com/2011/4/7/2095237/nebraska-lovin-would-you-rather-have-the-big-red-than-the-irish

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:19PM CST All above info comes from Husker.com http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=3662348&Q_SEASON=2011 Why did I not just post the link? I dunno...it just felt right (more right) to present it all in this more of a "in your face" kind of manner...in a nice way... Again, sorry if I've offended anyone.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 9:19PM CST Remember when Cody Green was the next best thing for many? Carnes is getting lots of love from many posters, will he be the next best thing?

Posted by: fightinthedog on April 21, 2011 9:22PM CST After last years spring game, I said Tmart would be the starter by the Wash. game, if not sooner. This year I think Tmart is the starter, but we will need a quality back up in this kind of offense. BC is his back up. We're in much better shape than last year.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on April 21, 2011 9:25PM CST RedGore, don't know why any one would be offended. Anyway I was not.

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:25PM CST With all of the success he has had on the field (and the personal family difficulties he has had to face in his private life), I think Taylor was likely more pizzed off with his failures in the last season (for whatever reasons) than any of us has a right to.

Posted by: Huskerophile on April 21, 2011 9:26PM CST PT Husker... "You cannot teach speed." This is very true! But...many great quarterbacks have had no speed at all. What I'm trying to say is that speed does not make a great quarterback and that trading a whole slew of necessary skills that one guy possesses for even the exceptional skill (and unnecessary one at that) of another is just not wise. When a list is made of attributes that a great quarterback should have, speed is not even listed: Speed is a luxury - not a necessity. It seems (seems) so far that TM is lacking on some pretty important skills that Brion seems to already excel in - poise, leadership, pocket presence, maturity, escapability, good reads, throwing well on the run, etc., etc., etc. If you can have all of these things in a quarterback AND speed (which Brion certainly has - plus those spooky eyes in the back of his head), then you really have yourself the makings of a great quarterback. Now, you just need to get him the experience. Let's get him this needed seasoning and hope for an injury-free year. Bring on Brion! Go Big Red!!! PACT 14-0

Posted by: RedGore on April 21, 2011 9:27PM CST Thanks I/H. Thanks Wacky, for the link...I'm gonna go read that now.

Posted by: NishBigRed on April 21, 2011 10:11PM CST Evening Boys.

Posted by: Ture Husker on April 21, 2011 10:52PM CST Yes, thx for link Wacky, that was like getting the Sun. morn paper after the game-I enjoyed it the same way w/a nice hot cup of rum. I love me some TM but I feel the Carnel love as well. Yes, we've seen very little but, BC has a hard-to-define-but-u-know-u-saw-something____ quality. One blogger said "gritty"-somethin' like that. I can't wait to see the real offense. Am I the only one stoked abt. Marrow? ("What, I don't even know who that is.") Bo has a base of coaches he totally trusts-more relaxed, more power. Can u feel it?

Posted by: BleedingRed on April 21, 2011 11:08PM CST I hope that all of these guys push each other and continue to create an atmosphere where the competition is fierce. That is how you become great.

Posted by: TruBlueRed on April 21, 2011 11:59PM CST You can't teach speed but you can recruit it, and Bo and company have been doing that for a reason. Red Gore, thanks for posting some of Martinez's accomplishments. I have hinted to Sipple to do same for a long time but to no avail. Speed is the reason he is on the Heisman watch list. Look at a couple of those QB's in the Big 10........they have some speed:) If you are a drop back QB in that type of system you don't need as much speed......true....Brion Carnes will be good in the future.......some evidently missed Bo's comment about Carnes "swimming in the O" right now :)

Posted by: TomOs on April 22, 2011 12:13AM CST College game is a much different game than the pro's for a QB.. where speed is not as great an asset as it is in college.. yes there is a lot more than speed to the QB position.. but boy its a big advantage to have it at the QB spot in college, ask Auburn, TX a few years back..

Posted by: TomOs on April 22, 2011 12:17AM CST There are probably 9-10 teams in the Big 10/12 that would trade their starter today for TM..

Posted by: cstxfn on April 22, 2011 12:17AM CST I'm watching basketball tonight and I'm curious about something. When the home crowd chants "DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE" ....what percentage of the time does it make the road team miss their shot?

Posted by: cstxfn on April 22, 2011 12:25AM CST TomOs...Sorry about that basketball musing. You are right about the 9 or 10 teams. I don't think most Husker fans would be satisfied with finishing third or fourth best in the league, if that is how it would play out to, but heck yes, Martinez would start on 9 out of 12 teams.

Posted by: RedGore on April 22, 2011 1:25AM CST Just sayin'...

Posted by: HUSKER!!!! POWER!!!! on April 22, 2011 1:58AM CST Things I know and things I think I know... Stat nerds love Taylor Martinez. They love to gush about the filthy things he did against OSU's $%!tty defense and against teams that didn't prepare for the obvious things he wants to do. They also like to forget about the things they saw in November and beyond. It's called selective amnesia. He's done nothing against top-tier teams and he probably never will. Because they'll PREPARE FOR THE SIMPLE THINGS HE DOES OR WANTS TO DO. LOL If he proves that wrong or develops over the offseason, great, but I'm definitely not on his bandwagon. Sipple is a hopeless buttsucker. It's a lifestyle for him. It's how he operates and gets by. So I take very little of what he says seriously. If he states some facts or obvious facts he's usually in good shape. If it's some kind of opinion... lookout. I read what he says for entertainment value and I usually get a good laugh out of it. It's not that he's never right it's more that it's far and few in between. How long did he cover for or run interference for Shawn Watson? Have we heard any apologies for those stances? We never will. That's life. Brion Carnes deserves a shot at the starting QB spot. As many have stated before and I'm sure will state again he's has natural quarterback skills and speed to go with it. The eyes and the evidence don't lie. He actually showed up for the Spring Game and has run the scout team for awhile now. Bo knows that and he will be a serious contender from here on out. Read what he said and take it for what it really means and not what people like Sip want to bend it to mean. Carnes will contend from here on out and has a legitimate shot. My opinion is let the best man win, then develop the rest. No matter what the position. Most of the time that's what Bo thinks too. The only time he stumbles is when he feels overwhelming loyalty to someone who hasn't earned it. I think he'll learn from that over time. I like a lot of what I see from this team right now. If they keep the right mindset and approach through the offseason they might develop into something special. We'll see how it goes.

Posted by: woodroe on April 22, 2011 6:33AM CST TomOs, are you sober? 9 or 10 teams that would take TM over their QB?? If he went to any other top team in the country, they'd move him to WR or DB, he'd throw a fit and then he'd be kicked of the team. TM can't throw a football very well, period. Nobody wants a QB who can't throw a football or make quick reads and get out of a jam and not fold like a wet noodle or fumble the ball, period. Whiplash made some good points. A little hard on Sip but all in all true, Sip and the LJS staff report what Bo tells them to report. Remember how Sip stood up for Tressel at OSU, he said that Tressel is a good man and friend of Tom and Bo. Geez, I guess that makes him sinless. He's a dirtball in a sweater vest.

Posted by: woodroe on April 22, 2011 6:59AM CST If Brion is "swimming in the O" as Bo suggests, what is TM doing? He appeared slow, dazed and timid, just like the end of last year. Those of you saying that it's all about Taylors speed, we'll see what you say as he fumbles, throws INT's and gets sacked as he did last year. Tell me about all of that speed and how it scares the defenses that face him. It really terrified OU and UW last year, huh? Oh I forgot, he was hurt. I'm sure he won't be hurt this season......oh right, he's hurt now. All about speed unless you're hurt.

Posted by: PaintItRed on April 22, 2011 8:21AM CST For all of you (practically everyone here) worrying about TM based on his spring game performance, do any of you remember a spring game a few years back in which Tommie Frazier looked god-awful? Because I do, and I also remember that in the fall he led us to a national championship. Seems like some people here like to be negative just to be negative sometimes.

Posted by: TomOs on April 22, 2011 9:53AM CST paint it red.. there are some on here that remind of the Welcome to Greeley sign.. it says.. Welcome to Greeley.. population 531 and a few old grumps....

Posted by: TruBlueRed on April 22, 2011 11:56AM CST Always notice how the consistent naysayers generally post the least classiest posts?........TM would quit if moved to WR, Sipple is a "''''''''''''''' :)

Posted by: damakota on April 23, 2011 12:29AM CST Don't mean to beat a dead horse, but......just sayin. Last year there were a couple games where Bo should have jerked Martinez from the game and let Green finish up. Bo, in hindsight admitted as much. I do not know if his indecision was based on his loyalty and "trust" to that guy who left and is coaching q.b.s for another college teams. You know who I am referring to. Going into this year Bo has surrounded himself with a staff that he "trusts." In the event that Martinez wins the starting q.b. position and falters in a big time game, then i would hope that Bo trusts his own instincts and yanks him. Afterall, we should have two backups that know the offense, unlike last year when an "offense" had to be designed for the backup (Cody Green) when he led us against Iowa State and Colorado. Hopefully this new simplified offense will fit the skill set of all the quarterbacks, such that the backup can come in and manage the team as well as the starter. Anxiously looking forward to all the Husker athletes representing the State of Nebraska in the Big X (plus two).

Posted by: woodroe on April 23, 2011 4:52AM CST TruBlu, sorry to offend you and talk negatively about the team and players. What's the matter with me. A true fan supports his team no matter what. I must turn a blind eye to Bo and his antics because he is all about class (those F-bombs and tantrums really show the country who we are in good old Nebraska) and TM's horrible QB play and follow this team no matter what. These blogs are for people who only have good things to say. Naysayers like myself are just classless idiots who need to find some other team to support. TomOs, you are one clever son of a gun, that Greely thing had me rolling. Almost as funny as the statement that TM would start at QB for 9 out of 12 teams. You crack me up.