Callahan: Taylor should be OK
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Monday, Nov 14, 2005 - 01:58:15 pm CST
Zac Taylor (13) throws deep for Terrence Nunn (83) on Saturday against Kansas State. (Ted Kirk)
Zac Taylor knows from experience what it’s like to have a severe concussion. He got his bell rung in a game as a sophomore at Norman (Okla.) High School.
The blow the Nebraska junior quarterback absorbed Saturday against Kansas State didn’t cause nearly as much pain in the aftermath, according to the player’s father. “We went out to eat after (Saturday’s) game and had breakfast the next morning, and he was fine,” Sherwood Taylor said Monday morning.
Zac Taylor, who was knocked out of the K-State game early in the fourth quarter, was scheduled Monday to undergo a series of “impact tests,” a standard procedure for head injuries, said Nebraska coach Bill Callahan.
“I think he’ll be OK,” Callahan said. “But we’ll defer to our medical staff for their professional opinion, and we’ll obviously heed their advice and move forward from there.”
Nebraska (6-4, 3-4 Big 12) has this weekend off before resuming play Nov. 25 at Colorado. The Buffaloes (7-3, 5-2) can clinch a spot in the Big 12 Conference championship game with a victory.
Callahan said he was hopeful Taylor will return to the starting lineup for the Colorado game. Against K-State, Taylor was relieved by true freshman Harrison Beck, who burned his redshirt in leading Nebraska to a late field goal that produced a 27-25 victory at Memorial Stadium.
Nothing has changed in the quarterback pecking order, Callahan said. Taylor, who’s started every game, was 21-for-31 passing for 220 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game. Beck finished 1-for-6 with an interception that led to a K-State field goal that produced a 25-24 lead with 4:18 left in the game.
Beck, however, regrouped to make a 21-yard completion on the drive that led to Jordan Congdon’s game-winning field goal.
“He came in there with great poise,” Callahan said of Beck. “He had the demeanor you look for in a guy who wants to lead a team. Most guys get those big eyes. I didn’t see that.”
Callahan reiterated the decision to burn Beck’s redshirt was made in the best interest of the team. Because Beck had been the No. 2 quarterback for a month, the decision shouldn’t have been a surprise, the coach said.
“This wasn’t any shock to the team, to the players, to Harrison Beck, to his family, to the coaching staff, to the fans, to the media — everybody knew this was coming,” Callahan said. “As we all understand redshirting, there are three more years here for this young man. He’s going to do fine.
“During the course of those three years, anything can happen. There’s a potential of maybe salvaging a redshirt year somewhere in there.”
Briefly
* Senior left tackle Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas has petitioned the Big 12 for a medical hardship in hopes of gaining an extra season of eligibility, Callahan said. Fuamatu-Thomas, who started seven games this season, played in only the opener in 2004 before missing the rest of the season with an injury. True freshman defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-September and hasn’t played since, also may be candidate for a medical hardship, the coach said.
* True freshman wideout Chris Brooks, who wasn’t suited up against Kansas State, has been unable to practice the past several days because of a hamstring injury, Callahan said. Brooks’ status is day-to-day. Meanwhile, starting right tackle Seppo Evwaraye, who missed the K-State game with an undisclosed foot injury, may be ready for the Colorado contest, the coach said.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com