Ganz looks toward next year
BOULDER, Colo. — Joe Ganz said he hasn’t sat down and seriously thought about what kind of offense Nebraska might be running in 2008.
After Friday’s game against Colorado, it appears Ganz is well-prepared for almost any change.
The junior quarterback, making only his third career start, directed Nebraska’s offense to 51 points and 610 yards in a 65-51 loss.
Ganz did it with several new wrinkles coaches implemented during a bye week. Most notably, the zone-read option.
“With a bye week, you’ve got time to prepare for some things,” Nebraska offensive line coach Dennis Wagner said. “We saw some things on film we thought we could take advantage of, and we like Joey’s abilities.
“Obviously, we don’t have all the answers, because we only spent two weeks with it.”
But enough time for Ganz to have a little fun.
“I love having the ball in my hands every play and making decisions on whether to run or give it,” Ganz said. “I really love that zone- read stuff. I like running the ball.”
Ganz kept the ball twice on the zone read and finished with 37 yards rushing — including a 28-yard TD run on Nebraska’s second series. But again, it was his arm that carried the Huskers … and also hurt them.
After throwing for 274 yards in the first half, Ganz threw interceptions on consecutive plays in the third quarter. Jimmy Smith returned the first 31 yards for a touchdown; the other set up a touchdown that put the Buffaloes (6-6, 4-4) ahead to stay.
“I let ’em back in the game. It’s disappointing,” Ganz said. “It makes me sick. I feel like I really let the team down.”
But Ganz still went 31-of-58 for 484 yards, the second-best passing performance in school history, trailing only the 510 yards he threw for two weeks ago against Kansas State.
In three games, Ganz has three of Nebraska’s top five passing performances in school history. He’s thrown for 1,435 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“Our offense could be great next year,” junior wide receiver Nate Swift said. “Joe coming back, a couple of receivers coming back, a couple of linemen coming back. I think we could be real good, especially with Marlon (Lucky) coming back.”
As hot of a topic as Friday’s offensive wrinkles were, coaches and players say the zone read wasn’t that dramatic of a change.
“It’s similar blocking with what we do,” Ganz said. “We just cut one guy loose, and I have to read him.
“It basically just falls on me. It’s similar blocking schemes.”
Ganz said he’d like to run more often, but that whether he takes off with the ball is predicated on what the defensive end is doing.
“I can’t really control if I take it,” he said. “It all depends on what he does. If he closes down on the back, I pull it; if he comes upfield, I give it.”
After his early 28-yard run, Ganz felt Colorado defenders may have had a little more respect for his threat to run.
“One of those defensive ends was really talking, saying, ‘That zone read isn’t going to work my way,’” Ganz said. “I thought they respected it a little more after that (touchdown).”
Lucky ran for 69 yards on 12 carries, but Nebraska, after falling behind quickly in the third quarter, had to depend more on Ganz’s arm.
Ganz said he took a shot to the ribs in the second quarter, but that it didn’t affect his throwing motion. He never left the game.
“That second half was tough,” Ganz said. “Two balls I really wanted to get back.”
There was a third interception that deflected off the hands of Maurice Purify that Cha’pelle Brown plucked out of the air and returned 51 yards to the Nebraska 2-yard line, setting up another quick score. By that time, the game was decided.
Purify, in his final game as a Husker, had 11 receptions for 136 yards.
“Just a couple things in the second half didn’t go our way — tipped balls, dropped balls,” Swift said. “Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. It sucks, but that’s what happened to us today.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
After Friday’s game against Colorado, it appears Ganz is well-prepared for almost any change.
The junior quarterback, making only his third career start, directed Nebraska’s offense to 51 points and 610 yards in a 65-51 loss.
Ganz did it with several new wrinkles coaches implemented during a bye week. Most notably, the zone-read option.
“With a bye week, you’ve got time to prepare for some things,” Nebraska offensive line coach Dennis Wagner said. “We saw some things on film we thought we could take advantage of, and we like Joey’s abilities.
“Obviously, we don’t have all the answers, because we only spent two weeks with it.”
But enough time for Ganz to have a little fun.
“I love having the ball in my hands every play and making decisions on whether to run or give it,” Ganz said. “I really love that zone- read stuff. I like running the ball.”
Ganz kept the ball twice on the zone read and finished with 37 yards rushing — including a 28-yard TD run on Nebraska’s second series. But again, it was his arm that carried the Huskers … and also hurt them.
After throwing for 274 yards in the first half, Ganz threw interceptions on consecutive plays in the third quarter. Jimmy Smith returned the first 31 yards for a touchdown; the other set up a touchdown that put the Buffaloes (6-6, 4-4) ahead to stay.
“I let ’em back in the game. It’s disappointing,” Ganz said. “It makes me sick. I feel like I really let the team down.”
But Ganz still went 31-of-58 for 484 yards, the second-best passing performance in school history, trailing only the 510 yards he threw for two weeks ago against Kansas State.
In three games, Ganz has three of Nebraska’s top five passing performances in school history. He’s thrown for 1,435 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“Our offense could be great next year,” junior wide receiver Nate Swift said. “Joe coming back, a couple of receivers coming back, a couple of linemen coming back. I think we could be real good, especially with Marlon (Lucky) coming back.”
As hot of a topic as Friday’s offensive wrinkles were, coaches and players say the zone read wasn’t that dramatic of a change.
“It’s similar blocking with what we do,” Ganz said. “We just cut one guy loose, and I have to read him.
“It basically just falls on me. It’s similar blocking schemes.”
Ganz said he’d like to run more often, but that whether he takes off with the ball is predicated on what the defensive end is doing.
“I can’t really control if I take it,” he said. “It all depends on what he does. If he closes down on the back, I pull it; if he comes upfield, I give it.”
After his early 28-yard run, Ganz felt Colorado defenders may have had a little more respect for his threat to run.
“One of those defensive ends was really talking, saying, ‘That zone read isn’t going to work my way,’” Ganz said. “I thought they respected it a little more after that (touchdown).”
Lucky ran for 69 yards on 12 carries, but Nebraska, after falling behind quickly in the third quarter, had to depend more on Ganz’s arm.
Ganz said he took a shot to the ribs in the second quarter, but that it didn’t affect his throwing motion. He never left the game.
“That second half was tough,” Ganz said. “Two balls I really wanted to get back.”
There was a third interception that deflected off the hands of Maurice Purify that Cha’pelle Brown plucked out of the air and returned 51 yards to the Nebraska 2-yard line, setting up another quick score. By that time, the game was decided.
Purify, in his final game as a Husker, had 11 receptions for 136 yards.
“Just a couple things in the second half didn’t go our way — tipped balls, dropped balls,” Swift said. “Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. It sucks, but that’s what happened to us today.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.