Steven M. Sipple: QB recruit progressing nicely
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As weeks pass without Nebraska’s backup quarterbacks seeing any sort of game action, thoughts drift toward the Houston area, where Husker quarterback recruit Cody Green is enjoying a stellar senior season.
Mind you, I’m avoiding bold predictions about Green enjoying future stardom at Nebraska. We’ve been burned enough by recruiting hyperbole in these parts, especially as it pertains to quarterbacks. So, no outlandish proclamations suggesting Green is anything except a nice high school player putting up impressive numbers.
Very impressive numbers.
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In leading Dayton (Texas) High School to a 5-1 record, Green has completed 66 percent of his passes (111-for-169) for 1,413 yards and 15 touchdowns, with two interceptions. He has rushed 61 times for 518 yards (8.5 per carry) and 12 scores.
Green verbally committed to Nebraska in early July and is set to arrive on campus in late December or early January in time for spring practice.
“He’s on board,” said 13-year Dayton High head coach Jerry Stewart. “We just told him to buy some big ol’ coats. He’s going to freeze his butt off up there. But he’s going to be fine. You’re really going to like that kid up there. He’s for real. He’s going to study the game and he’s got a strong arm.”
Green evidently has strong legs, too.
“We’ve got a good offensive line, but he’s 6-4 and 220,” Stewart said. “So, once defenders get to him, they’re not really sure they want to be there.”
Green presumably will compete for Nebraska’s starting job in 2009. Current Husker starter Joe Ganz is a senior, and his top backups — redshirt freshman Patrick Witt and sophomore Zac Lee — have appeared in two games and one game this season, respectively, and none in the last four weeks.
Meanwhile, Green is rolling up big numbers despite being somewhat slowed by an ankle injury that limited him to two games last season.
“He might not be quite 100 percent yet, but when he is, he’ll be really shifty,” Stewart said. “He’ll be 100 percent next year when y’all get him.”
Nebraska stands by its decision to stick with one quarterback for the class of 2009.
“We’ve got our guy, and we’re doing everything we can to hang on to him,” said Husker recruiting coordinator Ted Gilmore.
That shouldn’t be a problem, Stewart said, although other teams continue to recruit Green.
“Any team worth anything is going to try to change his mind, but he’s going to Nebraska — he’s excited to get up there,” Stewart said.
The no-huddle
These games are key
THE OBVIOUS: No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 1 Texas. Some are labeling this Texas outfit as the most unselfish and tight-knit in years. Chemistry is nice, but I’m more interested that the Longhorns often are applying strong pressure on QBs without blitzing and also rank second nationally in rushing defense.
THE NOT-SO-OBVIOUS: No. 2 Alabama at Tennessee. Vols coach Phillip Fulmer has been unpopular in the state of Alabama ever since his role in an NCAA investigation that landed the Tide on probation earlier this decade. He’s on shaky ground in his own state. But watch this one — might be time for a classic Fulmer escape.
Heisman watch
THEY’RE IN THE MIX
QB Colt McCoy Texas
QB Sam Bradford Oklahoma
QB Graham Harrell Texas Tech
QB Tim Tebow Florida
WR Michael Crabtree Texas Tech
KEEP AN EYE ON: Shonn Greene. A native of Sicklerville, N.J., the Iowa junior hasn’t had a game this season with fewer than 100 rushing yards. On the season, he’s rushed for 1,154 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. He emerged on the radar after a 25-carry, 217-yard performance in last week’s 38-16 win over Wisconsin.
ON THE CHASE: I can’t even find Chase Daniel anymore using those clever viewfinder gadgets that Missouri officials sent out a few weeks ago to enhance the Missouri senior’s Heisman candidacy. The thing is, Daniel’s numbers are still strong — 75.9-percent passing accuracy with 18 TDs and five picks.
The ups and downs
(Thumbs up) To Nebraska place-kicker Adi Kunalic. Find me another place-kicker in the nation who gets his name chanted by a stadium’s student section? Kunalic has become a Husker crowd favorite because of his ability to blast kickoffs through the end zone. He has booted 19 touchbacks this season — fourth-most in the nation.
(Thumbs down) To South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia. Wonder what kind of guff the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Garcia is getting from teammates after being stopped in his tracks by SEC official Wilbur Hackett Jr., who planted his feet nicely before lowering his shoulder last week. Bizarre.
Crunching numbers
118. Nebraska’s national ranking in net punting. This may not be such a detriment against Baylor, which ranks 118th in punt returns.
Going to the (e-)mailbag
Could you please list the bowl pecking order for the Big 12?
No problem. In addition to its membership in the Bowl Championship Series, the Big 12 has agreements with eight other bowls. The order:
1. BCS; 2. Cotton; 3. Holiday; 4. *Gator; 5. Alamo; 6. *Sun; 7. Insight; 8. Independence; 9. Texas.
* By contract, the Gator Bowl selects a Big 12 team twice during a four-year period. This is the third year of the arrangement, and the Gator has thus far selected a Big 12 team once. So, the Gator must take a Big 12 team either this season or next. In the years in which the Gator opts NOT to take a Big 12 team, the Sun Bowl fills its slot.
Behind enemy lines
Some more on Baylor
Baylor head coach Art Briles makes no bones about which three players are leading his team defensively.
He points first to linebackers Joe Pawelek and Antonio Johnson and free safety Jordan Lake.
“Those guys are playing with a whole lot of effort, a whole lot of attitude, and a whole lot of passion,” Briles said. “They’re tough-minded football players. That’s what you need a whole locker room full of, and that’s what we’re getting to. But those guys are really playing at a high level of toughness, intensity and passion.“
Pawelek, a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season, leads Baylor (3-4, 1-2 Big 12) with 82 tackles, a figure that ranks third nationally. He led the Bears with 86 tackles as a freshman in 2006 and ranked second last season with 99. He is one four Big 12 linebackers on the 2008 Butkus Award Watch List, joining Joe Mortensen of Kansas, Ryan Reynolds of Oklahoma and Sean Weatherspoon of Missouri.
Meanwhile, Lake ranks second on the team with 51 tackles, and Johnson has 48.
The trio’s production has helped Baylor improve from a ranking of 110th nationally in total defense at the end of last season to 73rd entering this weekend’s game at Nebraska (4-3, 1-2 Big 12). The Bears are allowing 366.3 yards a game after surrendering 461.6 in 2007.
Of course, Baylor’s bright outlook for the future can be traced in large part to dynamic freshman quarterback Robert Griffin. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Griffin has completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns, with no interceptions. The Big 12 champion last spring in the 400-meter hurdles, Griffin has rushed 97 times for 433 yards (4.5 per carry) and eight scores.
Two of Baylor’s losses were to Big 12 superpowers Oklahoma (49-17) and Oklahoma State (34-6). What did Briles learn about his team in those games?
“What we’ve learned, and how we’ve felt, is that there’s not that big of a discrepancy — we feel like we’re not that far off,” the coach said. “But we understand that we have to play almost error-free to have opportunities to win games of that nature. But, you know, that’s the way it should be each week anyway. We feel like we should be a good enough team to play error-free and to capitalize on opportunities.
“We have a team of guys that believes in each other and fights hard for each other.“
Five to go
In the wake of NU disinviting 1960s radical Williams Ayers to speak on campus, we offer five people that Husker athletic officials might want to avoid bringing to campus for a speech.
1. Steve Pederson. He’s obviously a supreme leader, but his appearance might lead to a turnout that gravitates toward mediocrity.
2. Rick Neuheisel. Extremely charismatic guy. But this might not be a gamble worth taking, although I’d bet a lot of people would attend.
3. Gary Barnett. Probably better to find someone whose name doesn’t pop up first following a Google search titled “Football coaches disgraced.”
4. Jackie Sherrill. I’m guessing there’s at least one bull (with a high-pitched grunt) who would object to Sherrill’s motivational techniques.
5. Howard Schnellenberger. A fine and well-dressed gentleman. But I’m not aware of a helicopter landing pad anywhere on campus.
