So...What If Joe is No Go?
7 comments so far
November 20, 2008 by
I'm not going to lie to you. When the Omaha World-Herald's quasi-blog first broke the news that Joe Ganz did not practice yesterday, my stomach sank a little. Ganz - the reigning Big 12 Player of the week - is the heart of the Husker offense. Thankfully, Ganz is apparently fine. Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson says they were "just letting the young kids play."
So, it appears the backup quarterback competition remains very real. And, hey every backup player is just "one play away" from being thrust in to the spotlight. To whom would the Huskers turn if Ganz ever really did go down with an injury?
Backup quarterbacks Patrick Witt and Zach Lee are in the same class (one as a high school recruit, the other as a JC transfer) so their competition and comparison will be constant throughout their time at NU. This isn't just about the backup position now, but the chance to be the starter in 2009. Oh, and forget about Cody Spano and Cody Green, at least for a little while. The Huskers have ample depth at quarterback to let both of those players develop on a more standard time table.
Even Reps In Limited Action
In the battle between Witt and Lee for the backup quarterback spot, game playing time doesn't provide much indicator of who is ahead. Yes, Witt is listed as the #2 on the roster. But, when NU has gone to their backups this year, Witt and Lee have received equal playing time and repetitions. So, I think the roster distinction is only nominal.
The coaches have all admitted that the competition is going "back and forth", as illustrated by their sharing the starter's share of repetitions in practice today.
The Scholar and the Athlete
The tricky thing about evaluating Witt and Lee is that they are such very different players. Witt is a pocket passer - tall and strong with a nice release. Though, he's not very mobile. His brains are his other biggest quality. Witt is a bright kid who could have gone to the Ivy League.
Lee is the superior natural athlete. He was a star baseball player, is said to have the strongest arm on the team and is the best natural runner. As a transfer, he's had less time in the program than Witt, and therefore does not have the mastery of the offense that his counterpart does.
Short Term Vs. Long Term
So, back to the question at hand. If Ganz went down, who would NU turn to under center? At this point, the nod has to go to Witt. His mastery of the offense could help get NU in and out of the huddle and out of bad plays. He could manage the game and keep the Huskers competitive. The draw back would be the loss of the QB run game, with Witt's more limited mobility.
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Patrick Witt. Under the previous coaching staff, I thought very highly of him as a prospect. I still do. But, Lee appears to be better suited for the new Husker offense. It's clear that the use of the traditional option and zone-read option that the Huskers want to establish the quarterback as a runner.
Lee has shown the ability to run in his limited action this year. And, in the Spring Game, he was nimble enough to make a defender miss him entirely in a game that was essentially touch football for quarterbacks wearing green jerseys. He is the dual-threat player the Husker offense needs as they move forward.
If Joe Ganz went to the sidelines tomorrow, Witt would run the show. For 2009, I fully expect Lee to emerge.
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tom Nov 20 08
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Lee. He hails from the land of my ancestors, Northern California. He's like Eric Crouch without the attitude and shoulder injuries. Now he's nowhere near good enough to win a Heisman, but he's got speed and toughness. Give me a guy like that any day of the week.
Andrew Nov 20 08
I just don't see where Lee is going to be the starter next year? If the line learns how to run block we don't need a mobile QB. Sam Bradford is not the most mobile QB in the world and he seems to do fine. I will take Witt any day.
Albino Tornado Nov 20 08
I don't think stating that Witt is "not very mobile" is necessarily fair or accurate. He's not quite as mobile as either Lee or Ganz is, but he doesn't time a 40 with a calendar like Keller or Taylor did. I suspect the best parallel for Witt and Lee is Brook Berringer and Tommie Frazier, from a skill differential perspective.
darren Nov 20 08
Andrew and the Tornado - Good thoughts, thanks for chiming in.
Like I said in the post - I'm a big Witt fan. The kid might just possess Sam Keller's arm and Zach Taylor's brain. That would be something!
I only surmise that Lee will emerge because it's obvious NU would like a QB that may be able to run for 50-100 YPG. I don't think Witt has quite that kind of running ability. Maybe I'm wrong...
In either case, these guys have some important shoes to fill next season. And NU is fortunate to have such real competition at that spot.
Bill in Iowa Nov 20 08
I find it interesting we are talking about starting another QB who runs the zone read well, when Ganz after his nearly 100 yard rushing performance is sidelined with a bruised shoulder. Don't get me wrong, I am not against a running QB. My point is that its hard for a running QB to make it completely through the Big 12 season without injuries. I don't think Eric Crouch was faking his shoulder injuries. My point, if we run more and more zone read, we might just need both of them, which is exactly what happened with Berringer and Frazier.
Josh Nov 21 08
Tom,
Is Lee a better passer than Crouch? Please tell me 'yes'.
Jonny Nov 22 08
RE: "Oh, and forget about Cody Spano and Cody Green, at least for a little while."
WRONG.
I asked Shawn Watson if, in a perfect world he would prefer to redshirt Cody Green next year. He said "No Way. Its going to be a 4 person competition and the best guy will get the job."
Since Cody enrolls in Jan, he will have winter conditioning & spring ball to pick things up. The kid has superior tools to the other QBs, but how quickly can he learn the system will be the deciding factor. Have also heard Spanno is killing on the scout team.
So dont discount any of the 4 QBs. Its going to be a battle and a great competitive spring.