snuffy
10-17-2010, 10:07 PM
Huskers star QB 'stung' by benching; now, OSU looms
10/17/2010 1:00:00 PM
Tulsa World sports editor Mike Strain
Nebraska plays undefeated Oklahoma State on Saturday in Stillwater, and Huskers coaches could have a big issue this week.
The Cornhuskers benched freshman phenom quarterback Taylor Martinez during a stunning 20-13 home loss Saturday to Texas. Apparently, Martinez didn't take it well.
Here’s an excerpt from an Omaha World-Herald story by Dirk Chatelain, who described the distance between Martinez and his teammates after the quarterback generating Heisman talk was benched:
“LINCOLN — “The Eyes of Texas” blared from the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium. Husker players flooded off the field, jogging to the locker room.
“Every Husker except Taylor Martinez. The freshman quarterback stood behind the Nebraska bench for photos with his family.
“Snap. Snap. Snap.
“At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, T-Magic was a national phenom, a Heisman candidate, the difference between a brutal 2009 offense and a prolific 2010 offense.
“Two hours later, the honeymoon had ended. Martinez grabbed a headset midway through the third quarter and listened to Shawn Watson tell him Zac Lee was taking his place.
“ ‘He’s no different than I would be, or you,’ Watson said after the game. ‘He’s stung by it. But he’s going to have to understand it and come back to work. ... He’s still our starting quarterback.’
“But what kind of starting quarterback will he be? A jaw-dropping athlete, no doubt.
“But what kind of leader? When the going gets tough and defenses shut down the zone read, what will Taylor do?
“He’s a freshman with time to learn. But he’s also the starting quarterback — the most important player on a team trying to do big things — the man to whom everyone looks when the deficit is 10 points and panic begins.
“After Martinez got yanked Saturday, he spent most of the second half alone on the sideline, arms crossed.
“When the offense huddled for a timeout, he didn’t. When teammates reacted to a bad call, he didn’t. When they pumped fists, he didn’t.”
Nebraska coaches made a high-risk move. Now, it looks like they've got a job of rebuilding their quarterback's shaken confidence and possibly his attitude.
And if that's not enough, there's another issue: Devising a game plan to do something no other team has done yet -- slow down OSU's offense.
Looks like it could be an interesting week in Lincoln.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextr...&entry_id=9732
__________________
10/17/2010 1:00:00 PM
Tulsa World sports editor Mike Strain
Nebraska plays undefeated Oklahoma State on Saturday in Stillwater, and Huskers coaches could have a big issue this week.
The Cornhuskers benched freshman phenom quarterback Taylor Martinez during a stunning 20-13 home loss Saturday to Texas. Apparently, Martinez didn't take it well.
Here’s an excerpt from an Omaha World-Herald story by Dirk Chatelain, who described the distance between Martinez and his teammates after the quarterback generating Heisman talk was benched:
“LINCOLN — “The Eyes of Texas” blared from the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium. Husker players flooded off the field, jogging to the locker room.
“Every Husker except Taylor Martinez. The freshman quarterback stood behind the Nebraska bench for photos with his family.
“Snap. Snap. Snap.
“At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, T-Magic was a national phenom, a Heisman candidate, the difference between a brutal 2009 offense and a prolific 2010 offense.
“Two hours later, the honeymoon had ended. Martinez grabbed a headset midway through the third quarter and listened to Shawn Watson tell him Zac Lee was taking his place.
“ ‘He’s no different than I would be, or you,’ Watson said after the game. ‘He’s stung by it. But he’s going to have to understand it and come back to work. ... He’s still our starting quarterback.’
“But what kind of starting quarterback will he be? A jaw-dropping athlete, no doubt.
“But what kind of leader? When the going gets tough and defenses shut down the zone read, what will Taylor do?
“He’s a freshman with time to learn. But he’s also the starting quarterback — the most important player on a team trying to do big things — the man to whom everyone looks when the deficit is 10 points and panic begins.
“After Martinez got yanked Saturday, he spent most of the second half alone on the sideline, arms crossed.
“When the offense huddled for a timeout, he didn’t. When teammates reacted to a bad call, he didn’t. When they pumped fists, he didn’t.”
Nebraska coaches made a high-risk move. Now, it looks like they've got a job of rebuilding their quarterback's shaken confidence and possibly his attitude.
And if that's not enough, there's another issue: Devising a game plan to do something no other team has done yet -- slow down OSU's offense.
Looks like it could be an interesting week in Lincoln.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextr...&entry_id=9732
__________________