O Pioneers

1 comment so far June 29, 2006 by Steve Hanway

No one ever said a pioneer had it easy. But there is a quiet glory that comes from building something new and lasting. As the first real West Coast quarterback at Nebraska, pioneering is something that Zac Taylor has in common with another former Husker quarterback.

Jeff Quinn arrived at Nebraska just prior to the beginning of the option era at NU. In 1979, his junior season, he set a milestone by rushing for 112 yards in the home opener versus Utah State, becoming the first Husker quarterback to top 100 yards rushing in fifteen years. Little did he realize his rushing prowess would become not just a happy footnote, but an essential weapon in the Husker arsenal.

In 1980, Quinn’s senior year, the Huskers introduced the triple option. With a stable of standout runners including Jarvis Redwine, Roger Craig, Craig Johnson, and fullback Andra Franklin, the Husker offense showed a lot of explosiveness. The Huskers won 8 games by at least a 3 touchdown margin and all 10 wins that season were by two touchdowns or more. Quinn led the Huskers in total offense, even though his rushing statistics were modest compared to the quarterbacks that followed. His pass efficiency that year still ranks fourth all-time at Nebraska.

Most importantly for Nebraska, Quinn led an effective offense. Had the 1980 season been a disaster offensively, it may have proven costly in the seasons that followed. It may have deterred recruits from joining the team, or perhaps the players would have lost faith in the system and played with diminished confidence. It could have divided the coaching staff or perhaps caused them to go back to the drawing board (and who knows what might have happened then). Whether he realized it or not, in many ways Quinn carried the future of the program on his shoulders and his contributions, though often overlooked, may well have been the cornerstone on which the great seasons that followed were built.

Zac Taylor finds himself in a similar role as Quinn. While the failures of 2004 could be blamed on Joe Dailey’s skills being a poor match for the West Coast offense, Taylor’s senior campaign, for many, will be a true test of what coach Bill Callahan’s offense can achieve. Taylor can make believers out of recruits, teammates, and even coaches. The future of the Husker program could well be in his hands, just as they were in Quinn’s 26 years before. No pressure, Zac.

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