Was Ganz Nebraska's best QB?

[Dansker]

No I am sorry. Joey Ganz while good was far from the best. There can only be one greatest NU QB of all time and that would be Jammal Lord. A close second would be Mike Grant.

Real classy to crap on Jammal Lord. While he wasn't the best passing QB, his time at NU is under appreciated. He had bad RB's and WR's and Lord was out there pretty much all by himself.

Agreed. If Jammal Lord had played at NU five or six years earlier he would be remembered among the all time great Husker QBs. The guy was a heck of an athlete. He just didn't have the surrounding cast.

I agree with this. If people were to go back and watch highlights of him, he is very explosive. I watched a ton of his QB runs and he just had this burst of speed going into second gear and would break away from defenders.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

No I am sorry. Joey Ganz while good was far from the best. There can only be one greatest NU QB of all time and that would be Jammal Lord. A close second would be Mike Grant.

Putting Mike Grant in the same catagory as Lord is laughable. There are only a couple QB's that have started games (in recent history) that are on the level of Grant. Dailey, Green, and maybe Turman.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

No I am sorry. Joey Ganz while good was far from the best. There can only be one greatest NU QB of all time and that would be Jammal Lord. A close second would be Mike Grant.

Real classy to crap on Jammal Lord. While he wasn't the best passing QB, his time at NU is under appreciated. He had bad RB's and WR's and Lord was out there pretty much all by himself.

Agreed. If Jammal Lord had played at NU five or six years earlier he would be remembered among the all time great Husker QBs. The guy was a heck of an athlete. He just didn't have the surrounding cast.

Disagree. Jammal Lord put up huge stats by calling his own number. He ran a Nebraska offense where the most successful play was a broken scramble.

He was a 46% passer, and although not asked to pass much, still threw 12 interceptions his Junior year. His passing numbers didn't significantly improve his Senior year and his rushing numbers were considerably worse.

His running backs, Dahrran Deidrick and Cory Ross weren't chopped liver. They'd probably be starting for Nebraska today. His defense gave up only 14.5 points a game, comparable to our then-recent national championship teams.

Aesthetically, Jammal Lord's offense was a horrible thing to watch.

Great athlete? Sure, why not. But a quarterback I'm still trying to forget.

If anything, Lord is over-rated for being under-rated.

 

[Dansker]

No I am sorry. Joey Ganz while good was far from the best. There can only be one greatest NU QB of all time and that would be Jammal Lord. A close second would be Mike Grant.

Real classy to crap on Jammal Lord. While he wasn't the best passing QB, his time at NU is under appreciated. He had bad RB's and WR's and Lord was out there pretty much all by himself.

Agreed. If Jammal Lord had played at NU five or six years earlier he would be remembered among the all time great Husker QBs. The guy was a heck of an athlete. He just didn't have the surrounding cast.

Disagree. Jammal Lord put up huge stats by calling his own number. He ran a Nebraska offense where the most successful play was a broken scramble.

He was a 46% passer, and although not asked to pass much, still threw 12 interceptions his Junior year. His passing numbers didn't significantly improve his Senior year and his rushing numbers were considerably worse.

His running backs, Dahrran Deidrick and Cory Ross weren't chopped liver. They'd probably be starting for Nebraska today. His defense gave up only 14.5 points a game, comparable to our then-recent national championship teams.

Aesthetically, Jammal Lord's offense was a horrible thing to watch.

Great athlete? Sure, why not. But a quarterback I'm still trying to forget.

If anything, Lord is over-rated for being under-rated.

Every time he did an audible from the strong side everyone knew it would be an option to the weak side or vice versa, lol. I still remember hearing groans in Memorial Stadium whenever that occurred.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

No I am sorry. Joey Ganz while good was far from the best. There can only be one greatest NU QB of all time and that would be Jammal Lord. A close second would be Mike Grant.

Real classy to crap on Jammal Lord. While he wasn't the best passing QB, his time at NU is under appreciated. He had bad RB's and WR's and Lord was out there pretty much all by himself.

Agreed. If Jammal Lord had played at NU five or six years earlier he would be remembered among the all time great Husker QBs. The guy was a heck of an athlete. He just didn't have the surrounding cast.

Disagree. Jammal Lord put up huge stats by calling his own number. He ran a Nebraska offense where the most successful play was a broken scramble.

He was a 46% passer, and although not asked to pass much, still threw 12 interceptions his Junior year. His passing numbers didn't significantly improve his Senior year and his rushing numbers were considerably worse.

His running backs, Dahrran Deidrick and Cory Ross weren't chopped liver. They'd probably be starting for Nebraska today. His defense gave up only 14.5 points a game, comparable to our then-recent national championship teams.

Aesthetically, Jammal Lord's offense was a horrible thing to watch.

Great athlete? Sure, why not. But a quarterback I'm still trying to forget.

If anything, Lord is over-rated for being under-rated.

He also played with a very average David Horne and Josh Davis. I thought Ross didn't start playing until late in the 2003 season?

 

[ColoradoHusk]

No I am sorry. Joey Ganz while good was far from the best. There can only be one greatest NU QB of all time and that would be Jammal Lord. A close second would be Mike Grant.

Real classy to crap on Jammal Lord. While he wasn't the best passing QB, his time at NU is under appreciated. He had bad RB's and WR's and Lord was out there pretty much all by himself.

Agreed. If Jammal Lord had played at NU five or six years earlier he would be remembered among the all time great Husker QBs. The guy was a heck of an athlete. He just didn't have the surrounding cast.

Disagree. Jammal Lord put up huge stats by calling his own number. He ran a Nebraska offense where the most successful play was a broken scramble.

He was a 46% passer, and although not asked to pass much, still threw 12 interceptions his Junior year. His passing numbers didn't significantly improve his Senior year and his rushing numbers were considerably worse.

His running backs, Dahrran Deidrick and Cory Ross weren't chopped liver. They'd probably be starting for Nebraska today. His defense gave up only 14.5 points a game, comparable to our then-recent national championship teams.

Aesthetically, Jammal Lord's offense was a horrible thing to watch.

Great athlete? Sure, why not. But a quarterback I'm still trying to forget.

If anything, Lord is over-rated for being under-rated.

He also played with a very average David Horne and Josh Davis. I thought Ross didn't start playing until late in the 2003 season?

Ross didn't become the full time starting I-back until the 10th game in 2003. He played some early in the season, but the I-backs who got the first crack at I-back in 2003 were Josh Davis and David Horne.

 

[Landlord]

People constantly forget that he was a pick six machine at times. A healthy Taylor Martinez was better in my opinion and there were many other QBs better than him. Crouch, Frazier, Steve Taylor, Frost, Gill just to name a few.

I can only remember Joe throwing two pick sixes. One against Colorado in 2007, where Callahan had him throwing the ball 58 times, and one against Oklahoma in 2008, where Gabe Lynn told recruiting services on his official visit to OU that the defensive coordinator told him, "We're going to get a pick six on one of the first plays of the game." Which means that was entirely on Shawn Watson, and Joe did as he was told throwing a quick bubble screen that OU's defense knew was coming.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

The "Jamaal Lord" discussion goes back to my point of "what is the QB's job?" Some people have the NFL mentality and think that the QB's job is to sit in the pocket and fling the ball all over the place. There is nothing wrong with that thought.

I have the mentality of the QB's job is to "run the offense that is asked by his offensive coordinator and head coach". So, in the point of view, the characteristics and statistics of Osborne, Solich, and Beck/Bo QB's are going to be different than Callahan/Riley QB's. Shoot, there are significant differences between Osborne's QB's in the 70's and the Osborne QB's in the 80's and 90's.

IMO, the best QB's in those eras are able to run the offense, lead the team, and get wins. Scott Frost may have not had the best throwing motion, but he is one of my top 5 QB's. He ran that offense in 1997 to near perfection and he was a great leader. The running QB's in the 1980's may not have had great stats because they were mostly there to hand off to the IB's, hand off to the FB's on options, and pitch to the IB's on options. Every once in a while, the QB would be asked to throw a deep, play-action pass. Crouch and Lord put up gaudy running stats, because Solich's offense became centered around their running abilities. Zac Taylor and Joe Ganz put up big passing numbers and "QB rating" stats because of the offense they played in. Taylor Martinez put up some great rushing stats, and very serviceable passing stats. He may have not had a "great throwing motion" but why is throwing motion a requisite for a great QB. Josh Freeman was a big QB with a rocket arm, but he never did anything special in college.

 

[InOmaha]

Brook Berringer by far. True "Nebraska" QB. He waited his turn, and did whatever he was asked to do, even if that meant stepping aside for the good of the team.

- worked hard and was prepared to play at a moments notice

- could run

- could throw

- could could run the offense and lead the team

- was respected by players, fans, and coaches

- gave back to the fans and community

- was tough as nails having played a game with a collapsed lung and another after they reinflated it in the locker room

- he was undefeated as a starter

Without him Osborne's glory years would not have been as successful or as meaningful. Which is why he has a statue outside the stadium.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Brook Berringer by far. True "Nebraska" QB. He waited his turn, and did whatever he was asked to do, even if that meant stepping aside for the good of the team.

- worked hard and was prepared to play at a moments notice

- could run

- could throw

- could could run the offense and lead the team

- was respected by players, fans, and coaches

- gave back to the fans and community

- was tough as nails having played a game with a collapsed lung and another after they reinflated it in the locker room

- he was undefeated as a starter

Without him Osborne's glory years would not have been as successful or as meaningful. Which is why he has a statue outside the stadium.

Not trying to disrespect Brook, but he was beat out by a better QB. He handled it with class, but it's not like he gave the starting QB position back to Tommie.

 

[NUinID]

You had a quarterback at NU that went on to start in a superbowl. That's a fact that puts Ferragamo at the top of the list.

I'll have to echo other's thoughts here - the NFL should have absolutely nothing to do with a college quarterback's career. A lot of great college players choose to never even move on to the NFL, or, decide to pursue other avenues for a variety of reasons. That should not be used as a barometer for their college career.

Lots of good names thrown out there. I get that this is more about passing, but Crouch will get the vote from me. Dude threw 10 guys on his back and carried them. I believe you could put him on this team. Tell him to run MR offense and we would have a 10 win season. He was tough as anyone in red and white during my time watching Nebraska football.

I don't think that's the argument here. I believe OP's designation of a "true qb" references said QB's passing abilities, and their ability to read defenses while making plays. Crouch would not really be in that conversation. Phenomenal athlete and leader, but not in the same conversation with these other QB's in terms of throwing the football.

Crouch wasn't even the best QB on Nebraska's team in 2001 when he won the Heisman - Bobby Newcomb was. He would make my top ten list as well. Crouch should have been the wide receiver about half the time and Newcomb taking snaps. Newcomb was faster than Crouch and much better passer. IMO

I was extremely excited to see Newcomb play QB in 1998. How many teams had a starting QB that returned a punt for a TD? I thought Newcomb lost a step after his knee injury. My son wore a Newcomb jersey for several years.

First of all Newcomb wasn't on the 2001 team he graduated in 2000. So your point is moot. Secondly in 1998 before Newcomb hurt his knee I would agree with you that he was the better QB, but after wards he wasn't.

He was tentative, he may of lost a step, but he always looked like he had lost a little of his guts to me. In 1999 Crouch looked better in games early than Newcombe. I know Crouch was upset and went home and all that, but he looked better.

Newcombe had a few highlights after moving to WR and had a couple good punt returns and such, but he never looked as electric as he did before the injury to me.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

You had a quarterback at NU that went on to start in a superbowl. That's a fact that puts Ferragamo at the top of the list.

I'll have to echo other's thoughts here - the NFL should have absolutely nothing to do with a college quarterback's career. A lot of great college players choose to never even move on to the NFL, or, decide to pursue other avenues for a variety of reasons. That should not be used as a barometer for their college career.

Lots of good names thrown out there. I get that this is more about passing, but Crouch will get the vote from me. Dude threw 10 guys on his back and carried them. I believe you could put him on this team. Tell him to run MR offense and we would have a 10 win season. He was tough as anyone in red and white during my time watching Nebraska football.

I don't think that's the argument here. I believe OP's designation of a "true qb" references said QB's passing abilities, and their ability to read defenses while making plays. Crouch would not really be in that conversation. Phenomenal athlete and leader, but not in the same conversation with these other QB's in terms of throwing the football.

Crouch wasn't even the best QB on Nebraska's team in 2001 when he won the Heisman - Bobby Newcomb was. He would make my top ten list as well. Crouch should have been the wide receiver about half the time and Newcomb taking snaps. Newcomb was faster than Crouch and much better passer. IMO

I was extremely excited to see Newcomb play QB in 1998. How many teams had a starting QB that returned a punt for a TD? I thought Newcomb lost a step after his knee injury. My son wore a Newcomb jersey for several years.

First of all Newcomb wasn't on the 2001 team he graduated in 2000. So your point is moot. Secondly in 1998 before Newcomb hurt his knee I would agree with you that he was the better QB, but after wards he wasn't.

He was tentative, he may of lost a step, but he always looked like he had lost a little of his guts to me. In 1999 Crouch looked better in games early than Newcombe. I know Crouch was upset and went home and all that, but he looked better.

Newcombe had a few highlights after moving to WR and had a couple good punt returns and such, but he never looked as electric as he did before the injury to me.

I was a huge Newcombe fan back in the day. One of the biggest "what ifs" in recent NU history involves "what if Newcombe never hurt his knee in 1998?" After that, he wasn't the same player. He didn't have the same speed and quickness. That's not a knock on him, it happens to a lot of guys after injuries.

 

[nebraskaart]

no.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Something that surprises me is that Taylor Martinez was almost a career 60% passer.

That's uh...not too bad.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Something that surprises me is that Taylor Martinez was almost a career 60% passer.

That's uh...not too bad.

Yet so many Nebraska fans hated him and were mad that he wasn't a career 70% passer!!!