Home > Blogs > Official Husker Locker Blog > Commentary: Is Lee Still Up for the Job?
Official Husker Locker Blog
2009 Oct 21
Commentary: Is Lee Still Up for the Job?
5,671 views
So now it's the media. Now it's the fans. So now it's about whether you played college football.
"No one knows what's going on in our meeting and practice room,” Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee said. “Only we know. That's how it is.”
“He feels like the whole state of Nebraska is against him,” head coach Bo Pelini said of Lee. “That would affect anybody.”
“I feel sorry for him tremendously,” competitor Cody Green said. “I wish I could take some of the pain off of him. I just don't want that feeling for anybody, that a whole state would jump on somebody's bandwagon one second, and jump off the next.”
“We won't have a split locker room at all,” Ndamukong Suh said. “I know that's what you guys are looking for, and that's your little thing, you want to see who's going to go for Cody, who's going to go for Zac.”
“Did you play?” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson asked a reporter. “If you did, you would understand what I'm talking about.”
The comments and sentiment seemed designed to rally around Lee, whom Pelini and Watson – not the fans, not the media – yanked twice from a 31-10 loss to Texas Tech.
But this is a team overreacting, frankly, to a situation that happens just about everywhere. Fans boo. The media speculates. You think this is potentially divisive? Head back to 1995, when arguably the best team in college football history was split to the core over Brook Berringer and Tommie Frazier. Head back to 1997, when Scott Frost received a chorus of boos with a 13-2 starting record. Head back to 1999, when Eric Crouch left the program for a couple hours.
It. Happens.
Nebraska's response Tuesday was to take pity on Lee, and re-frame his performance – indeed the whole offense – as part of a great rebuilding/development process. Watson actually talked about how much it hurt to lose Lydon Murtha, Matt Slauson and Jaivorio Burkes in the offseason. He hasn't uttered those first two names since last spring.
Now, suddenly, Lee's “logging time” at the quarterback position, making up for lost reps he didn't get last year because Patrick Witt was the backup. Huh? A month ago, after a dazzling performance vs. Arkansas State, Watson called Lee “lights out, a cool customer.” Two weeks ago, after a 27-12 win over Missouri, Watson said “this is the moment we've been waiting for.”
Tuesday, when a reporter rightly pointed out that Lee is not a new player in the system – he's been at Nebraska for two years now – Watson touched off this exchange:
“But they're playing for the first time. You don't get it. Did you play?”
Not at this level, the reporter responded.
“OK. Well, if you did, you would understand what I'm talking about. It takes time to develop those things. It just doesn't come natural.”
Watson's trying to set the boundaries for his authority and leadership, which is fine. He's taken his share of shots across the bow in the last two weeks; he's allowed to dish a few out.
But his argument doesn't jibe, especially when Nebraska is considering starting Green, an 18-year-old who's admittedly become a “new quarterback” in the last month.
“I'm not going to lie, all I wanted to do is run,” Green said. “If I get in the game, just give me the ball, tell them get out of the way, I just want to take off running. Now I've learned how to manage an offense, when to take chances and when not to. Learn how to be a complete quarterback.”
Reporters tend to read into media performances too much. Joe Dailey, for example. But Green is smooth, assured, and smart for such a young player.
“I'll always tell Coach Watson just let me get hit one time,” Green said. “Whenever I get in, just let me run the ball, let me run right into somebody, let them try to break me, and then the butterflies will be gone, all that, and I'll be focused in. With the run, if I get in there, and we get the called play for me to run, I'm pretty sure y'all be able to see my smile from the press box.”
That kind of spirit is infectious.
Lee can have it, too. His smile after getting thwacked on an option play at Missouri said a lot about him. But that confidence was missing Tuesday. Lee's still the starter, technically, and although he wouldn't be my choice for Saturday vs. Iowa State, he's going to get every chance, I sense, to hold on to his job.
Curiously, he didn't own his mistakes vs. Texas Tech. Or, at least, he didn't own them in a way that suggested he played out of the ordinary.
“That's your opinion,” Lee said. “I didn't necessarily feel like that. There were some decisions that maybe looking back weren't the best decision. There were two or three of those, which is every game.
For whatever reason, we didn't have breakout plays. That's kind of the black and white of it. We didn't have plays we needed to make. And I'm the guy up front. That's just how it is.”
The “black and white of it” is that Lee didn't push the ball downfield to open receivers, and he didn't run for first downs that were available to him.
I'm surprised Lee didn't dimiss Pelini's “whole state of Nebraska” comment out of hand, especially when Lee claimed he didn't even hear the boos, most of which were aimed at the referees anyway.
The comment simply isn't true anyway. After practice Monday, some kids milled around Memorial Stadium, and asked to take a picture with Lee. Were they against him? Of course not.
And while Lee is able to articulate that, he did not Tuesday.
“It's not easy, being in this state and being in this situation,” Lee said. “It is what it is.”
True. It's also a job a lot of kids would kill to have for 12 seconds. Would Lee?
See also: Cool Husker Hoops Photos
"No one knows what's going on in our meeting and practice room,” Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee said. “Only we know. That's how it is.”
“He feels like the whole state of Nebraska is against him,” head coach Bo Pelini said of Lee. “That would affect anybody.”
“I feel sorry for him tremendously,” competitor Cody Green said. “I wish I could take some of the pain off of him. I just don't want that feeling for anybody, that a whole state would jump on somebody's bandwagon one second, and jump off the next.”
“We won't have a split locker room at all,” Ndamukong Suh said. “I know that's what you guys are looking for, and that's your little thing, you want to see who's going to go for Cody, who's going to go for Zac.”
“Did you play?” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson asked a reporter. “If you did, you would understand what I'm talking about.”
The comments and sentiment seemed designed to rally around Lee, whom Pelini and Watson – not the fans, not the media – yanked twice from a 31-10 loss to Texas Tech.
But this is a team overreacting, frankly, to a situation that happens just about everywhere. Fans boo. The media speculates. You think this is potentially divisive? Head back to 1995, when arguably the best team in college football history was split to the core over Brook Berringer and Tommie Frazier. Head back to 1997, when Scott Frost received a chorus of boos with a 13-2 starting record. Head back to 1999, when Eric Crouch left the program for a couple hours.
It. Happens.
Nebraska's response Tuesday was to take pity on Lee, and re-frame his performance – indeed the whole offense – as part of a great rebuilding/development process. Watson actually talked about how much it hurt to lose Lydon Murtha, Matt Slauson and Jaivorio Burkes in the offseason. He hasn't uttered those first two names since last spring.
Now, suddenly, Lee's “logging time” at the quarterback position, making up for lost reps he didn't get last year because Patrick Witt was the backup. Huh? A month ago, after a dazzling performance vs. Arkansas State, Watson called Lee “lights out, a cool customer.” Two weeks ago, after a 27-12 win over Missouri, Watson said “this is the moment we've been waiting for.”
Tuesday, when a reporter rightly pointed out that Lee is not a new player in the system – he's been at Nebraska for two years now – Watson touched off this exchange:
“But they're playing for the first time. You don't get it. Did you play?”
Not at this level, the reporter responded.
“OK. Well, if you did, you would understand what I'm talking about. It takes time to develop those things. It just doesn't come natural.”
Watson's trying to set the boundaries for his authority and leadership, which is fine. He's taken his share of shots across the bow in the last two weeks; he's allowed to dish a few out.
But his argument doesn't jibe, especially when Nebraska is considering starting Green, an 18-year-old who's admittedly become a “new quarterback” in the last month.
“I'm not going to lie, all I wanted to do is run,” Green said. “If I get in the game, just give me the ball, tell them get out of the way, I just want to take off running. Now I've learned how to manage an offense, when to take chances and when not to. Learn how to be a complete quarterback.”
Reporters tend to read into media performances too much. Joe Dailey, for example. But Green is smooth, assured, and smart for such a young player.
“I'll always tell Coach Watson just let me get hit one time,” Green said. “Whenever I get in, just let me run the ball, let me run right into somebody, let them try to break me, and then the butterflies will be gone, all that, and I'll be focused in. With the run, if I get in there, and we get the called play for me to run, I'm pretty sure y'all be able to see my smile from the press box.”
That kind of spirit is infectious.
Lee can have it, too. His smile after getting thwacked on an option play at Missouri said a lot about him. But that confidence was missing Tuesday. Lee's still the starter, technically, and although he wouldn't be my choice for Saturday vs. Iowa State, he's going to get every chance, I sense, to hold on to his job.
Curiously, he didn't own his mistakes vs. Texas Tech. Or, at least, he didn't own them in a way that suggested he played out of the ordinary.
“That's your opinion,” Lee said. “I didn't necessarily feel like that. There were some decisions that maybe looking back weren't the best decision. There were two or three of those, which is every game.
For whatever reason, we didn't have breakout plays. That's kind of the black and white of it. We didn't have plays we needed to make. And I'm the guy up front. That's just how it is.”
The “black and white of it” is that Lee didn't push the ball downfield to open receivers, and he didn't run for first downs that were available to him.
I'm surprised Lee didn't dimiss Pelini's “whole state of Nebraska” comment out of hand, especially when Lee claimed he didn't even hear the boos, most of which were aimed at the referees anyway.
The comment simply isn't true anyway. After practice Monday, some kids milled around Memorial Stadium, and asked to take a picture with Lee. Were they against him? Of course not.
And while Lee is able to articulate that, he did not Tuesday.
“It's not easy, being in this state and being in this situation,” Lee said. “It is what it is.”
True. It's also a job a lot of kids would kill to have for 12 seconds. Would Lee?
See also: Cool Husker Hoops Photos
Permanent Link to this Blog Post
Tags: zac lee, cody green, shawn watson
Home > Blogs > Official Husker Locker Blog > Commentary: Is Lee Still Up for the Job?
Been around for a while and I do not think the approach of dumping one QB and promoting another is the right approach. We have two good QBs. Both need improvement and experience. Each is just one hit away from being the starter. They should get equal reps and play whoever is hot that day. Other schools/coaches use this method. Competition drives performance. It is what Americans believe and should apply to football.Green does not need to play all of the next two games. Split the duty and see how each does. Concerns about Lee are noted and he knows what he needs to work on to be better. 1. quicker release, 2. scan receivers.3. Avoid happy feet. 4. Look down field. 5. Be like Joe Ganz who was a timing passer. There was a spot where the pass could be complete. Early or late it was gone. Learn to make those passing decisions. It is just timing. Maybe the receiver has not turned around yet, but you know he is going to in 3 more steps. Throw the ball.
– Oct 21, 2009
The split began when Tommie Frazier suffered from blood clots in his leg back in 94' and as a result he missed several games that year due to it. Brook took over and great success that year which caused a rift..Meaning half the team was forrook, and the other half of the team was for Frazier. Although Brook earned the playing time he did in the Orange Bowl. This caused a split which carried over into the 95 season. I don't know if alot of people knew this or not, Tommie and Brook did not get along because of the competition. This comes from an ex girlfriend of one of the 95 squads biggest names.
– Oct 21, 2009
Sam, what can you give us to document the "split to the core" comment about the '95 team? This is a pretty recent charge.
– Oct 21, 2009
Oh, please, mishadee. Bo's "whole state" comment DOES make it seem like we're supposed to feel bad for Zac. And if we're really supposed to feel that way, should he be the quarterback at Nebraska?
Besides that, grow up. I noticed you've been a member of this site for all of one day, so you probably little-to-no clue how much of this site is overwhemingly positive, and has written many positive things about Zac Lee, too. Probably more than most.
Being a football player doesn't mean you get unfettered adulation. It doesn't mean you get to throw up the "you never played the game" card every time somebody says boo. Most people trudge through their daily lives having to put up with all kinds of stuff - without ever being on a stage like Nebraska. It's not too much to have a little grace about it.
– Oct 21, 2009
I honestly wish you knew half as much as you think you do. These kind of pompous, self-loving articles only expose the reality of how little you and your media cronies really understand about football.
You can sit from a distance and take your shots without knowing anything about the game and do all the harm in the world without any accountability....it's all about selling papers or getting readers...and then they take this crap and pass it along.
Nicely done and I hope you sleep well at night.
Go away
– Oct 21, 2009