Joe Ganz answers the question in a self-assured manner, with not a trace of hesitation. If starting quarterback Zac Taylor suddenly were unable to play, would you be prepared to lead the Nebraska football team?

“That’s why I came here,” said Ganz, a third-year sophomore. “I didn’t come here to sit on the sidelines; I came here to play. Zac’s doing a great job, but if he ever was to go down, I feel I could more than handle the load.”

Ganz’s load increased dramatically last week in spring practice as second-year sophomore Harrison Beck was limited because of hamstring and shoulder soreness. Suddenly, Ganz was guiding the No. 2 offense. His number of snaps from center rose markedly. He showed poise and confidence and made some nifty completions.

“The biggest thing is, he doesn’t make mistakes,” Taylor said. “Guys on the team really respect him. When he’s in there, he makes plays. It doesn’t surprise me what he’s doing.”

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Ganz lacks the arm strength of Taylor, Beck or even Beau Davis. Compared to the others, Ganz is more apt to scramble. He is the quickest and arguably features the most overall athleticism of the four. Consequently, he thrives running bootleg-type plays.

He said he has achieved a thorough understanding of the offense and is beginning to better recognize defensive tendencies. Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan describes Ganz as “a great system quarterback.”

“You watch him on the perimeter, when he has to move — he can make some plays,” Callahan said. “In the pocket, he has excellent feet. He knows how to push the pocket (forward) and make off-balance throws and odd-ball throws.”

Said Ganz: “I have good arm strength. It’s not the strongest arm in the world, but I make up for it with quick feet, and I get the ball out quickly.”

Ganz, of suburban Chicago, said he is “good friends” with Beck. Away from practice, they seldom talk about football and don’t address their depth-chart status, nor have coaches addressed their status to this point, Ganz said.

“We know the situation and we know we’re competing against each other,” he said. “But, I mean, we’re still family. It’s kind of weird, but that’s just football. We came here to compete and play hard. Harrison’s just trying to get healthy. It’s tough for him right now because he wants to be out there practicing.”

Said Callahan: “Harrison Beck, up to the point he got injured, was having a very good spring. I’m very confident in how he was progressing.”

The Nebraska backup quarterback battle is intriguing in part because of recruiting dynamics. Beck was the ballyhooed recruit from Clearwater, Fla. His verbal commitment to NU elicited such excitement from Callahan that the coach had to pull his SUV to the side of the road. Ganz, meanwhile, attracted recruiting attention from only a handful of BCS schools, essentially Illinois, Northwestern and Nebraska.

A standout shortstop in high school, Ganz was good enough on the diamond to attract attention from Division I schools such as Illinois-Chicago. For his football prowess, he received scholarship offers from several Mid-American Conference schools, including Northern Illinois, Toledo, Akron, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan.

“I came here to play big-time Division I football,” Ganz said. “I want to make it here. Right now, I think I have a pretty good shot to fight for the position. I’m going to stay here and fight my butt off and try to win it.”

With Beck sidelined, and with more chances to shine in practice, Ganz is concentrating on seizing the moment. He speaks with a clear sense of urgency.

“The coaches understand what I can do,” said Nebraska’s 2004 scout team player of the year. “I’m just trying to show that I can lead the team. I can be productive. I can march the team down the field. I’m trying to get positive yardage on every play and make sure we don’t do anything stupid. Take care of the ball.

“I’m not trying to make stats,” he added. “I’m just trying to get better with every practice. The coaches give me some good plays to run, and kids are out there making plays. It’s fun to get out there and get more reps. I’m really excited about it.”

Briefly

The Huskers had Sunday off from practice. They will resume drills today, with their spring season culminating with the Red-White Game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. 

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.