Was Martinez playing hurt at Minnesota?

ZRod said:
He's not playing with a broken jaw, but getting hit with a helmet to the jaw hurts like a mother f#&%er. From experience it felt like somebody took a hammer and hit me in the face (but that was without the padded chin strap). You'll be fine if nothing is broken, maybe some loose teeth and it will definitely be tinder for a few weeks, but it's not unreasonable to get and X-ray after the kind of shot he took. There's no way anyone is clearing him to play with a broken or fractured jaw.

I'm guessing he's got a bum ankle because he didn't take a lot of hits running against Michigan, but he did have two low blows. A no call below the knees hit on a pass in the first half and the one on the fumble. Plus he took the cheap shot out of bounds against Michigan State, where he kind of got rolled on.
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I agree it was the ankle the week prepping for Minn. 

He didn't scramble, couldn't run in the pocket, and couldn't plant feet throwing (sailing pass after pass).  His non-script running is half his game.  There were targets open that if he hit in stride, they was gone. 

I get that it was a must win for bowl hopes.  But dang, you couldn't get Smoothers ready that week?  With AM2 as an emergency backup (2nd half, if needed)?  It's not like a QB controversy.  You traveled with 4 QBs.

I think the staff sacrificed the whole team's effort by going with a partially immobile AM.  And who knows how they could have rallied around a backup QB (throwing, running, scrambling, making plays and passes).  It was just one game.  

 
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TGHusker said:
CAn't disagree wt the reply below.  Where is our # 2 QB after all of these years?
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This is a good point and an indictment of Frost.  He played an injured QB is main ability is to run.  When he can’t, he’s not a very good QB as noted by his performance in Minni.   Smothers (or having another backup on the roster) should have been ready to manage 1 game for the team as good as or better than a hobbled and bad performing AM for that game.  

 
Archy1221 said:
This is a good point and an indictment of Frost.  He played an injured QB is main ability is to run.  When he can’t, he’s not a very good QB as noted by his performance in Minni.   Smothers (or having another backup on the roster) should have been ready to manage 1 game for the team as good as or better than a hobbled and bad performing AM for that game.  
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In year 4....IIRC he even took an extra QB to Minnie.  To just sit and watch a hobbled AM.....And this, was a "must win game" looking at the 4 games after Minnie.  Not a good look for the HC.  Or Verduzco.  QB whisperer my a$$.

 
lo country said:
So we sh!t the bed so AM can play because your boy Verduzco sucks.....But you get him the healthiest he's been in weeks for Purdue...While you pi$$ away a chance to get one more win closer to a bowl...I'm done. Frost needs to go.  You play a guy you know you can't use the whole playbook. Idiot.  Out coached.....Over his head.....see ya.
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Wait...why is Verduzco "my boy"? I'm perfectly fine with him being replaced at the end of the season...

 
This team's personnel usage is just... weird.

Obviously Frost lies about players being hurt. Whatever we think the motive is, it's hard to tell whether it's a net positive of negative in terms of competitive advantage.

2AM is clearly the unquestioned leader of the entire team. Clearly they thought him rolling out with a bum wheel still gave us the best chance to win. But it's just mind-boggling that in year 4 Frost's system is still so reliant on everything running through the QB1. A competent staff teaching a good system would be able to adapt to their personnel and still be productive with another starter. But this one either can't or won't.

Don't get me started on the usage of our RBs and WRs... or TEs for that matter. This staff is not competent in developing and effectively utilizing and maximizing the talent they do get.

If Frost stays I'm on Team Replace (Upgrade) All Offensive Assistants.

 
admo said:
I agree it was the ankle the week prepping for Minn. 

He didn't scramble, couldn't run in the pocket, and couldn't plant feet throwing (sailing pass after pass).  His non-script running is half his game.  There were targets open that if he hit in stride, they was gone. 

I get that it was a must win for bowl hopes.  But dang, you couldn't get Smoothers ready that week?  With AM2 as an emergency backup (2nd half, if needed)?  It's not like a QB controversy.  You traveled with 4 QBs.

I think the staff sacrificed the whole team's effort by going with a partially immobile AM.  And who knows how they could have rallied around a backup QB (throwing, running, scrambling, making plays and passes).  It was just one game.  
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This also reminded me of the whole Oklahoma debacle...

 
suh_fan93 said:
This also reminded me of the whole Oklahoma debacle...
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Development is this staff's single, most all-encompassing weakness keeping the program stuck in the mud.

People forget sometimes exactly how players were perceived as recruits once they've been here awhile. If you buy crootin' ranks - Smothers, Corcoran, Benhart, Jurgens, Manning and Betts were all :FourStar: guys. Benhart and Smothers were top 200 nationally. Betts and Corcoran were top 100. Manning was the 2nd best JUCO WR.

None of these guys lack talent or potential. And yet they've been here years and have all had serious growing pains with varying levels of development. Clearly the staff didn't feel comfortable rolling out Smothers for ONE start.

This staff is terrible at developing the talent they do get.

 
JoeHuskers! said:
This seems to be a theme around here the last decade or so, playing injured QBs. There was no reason to not bring in Smothers against Minne, while resting and getting 2AM healthy. surely 3 weeks off is better than 2 if you are trying to get back to 100% right?
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Absent tactical micro-management on my part (i.e. armchair quarterbacking), it would seem to me that any coach worth his weight in this business would take factors such as QB injury into account when gameplanning.  

Flashback to 1994 when we lost not only our #1 QB, but our #2 QB, and had to play a walk-on against both OK State and K-State.  Did Coach Osborne run the same offense with our walk-on that he ran with our starter?  Did he gameplan the same (Offense / Defense / Special Teams) as he would have done with a healthy starter?  The obvious answer is no.

Lawrence Phillips carried the ball 31 times at K-State.  31 times!!!  We limited QB rushing and passing attempts and played to our strengths defensively and in special teams to win both games.

Crying foul due to an injury is nothing more than rationalizing failure.  Again, let's not fall into this trap... New topic please.

 
admo said:
I agree it was the ankle the week prepping for Minn. 

He didn't scramble, couldn't run in the pocket, and couldn't plant feet throwing (sailing pass after pass).  His non-script running is half his game.  There were targets open that if he hit in stride, they was gone. 

I get that it was a must win for bowl hopes.  But dang, you couldn't get Smoothers ready that week?  With AM2 as an emergency backup (2nd half, if needed)?  It's not like a QB controversy.  You traveled with 4 QBs.

I think the staff sacrificed the whole team's effort by going with a partially immobile AM.  And who knows how they could have rallied around a backup QB (throwing, running, scrambling, making plays and passes).  It was just one game.  
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Yeah, I still can't see that game through the lens of an injured quarterback.

The first half looked like both offense and defense reverting to old, bad habits. 

The second half both offense and defense made the proper adjustments, and bang...Nebraska was back in the game.

Except, of course, for our terrible special teams and chronic red zone problems and mid fourth quarter meltdown, which all looked familiar enough to the same team with a healthy Martinez. 

And when the game was virtually out of reach, that same Martinez marched the team down the field like Tom Brady. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Yeah, I still can't see that game through the lens of an injured quarterback.

The first half looked like both offense and defense reverting to old, bad habits. 

The second half both offense and defense made the proper adjustments, and bang...Nebraska was back in the game.

Except, of course, for our terrible special teams and chronic red zone problems and mid fourth quarter meltdown, which all looked familiar enough to the same team with a healthy Martinez. 

And when the game was virtually out of reach, that same Martinez marched the team down the field like Tom Brady. 
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Listening to Dabo on talk radio.  They asked how does it feel heading into Pitt as a true Vegas dog....He said it doesn't matter.  You prepare for every game regardless if your 6-0 or 4-2.  Prepare the same if it's at home or on the road.  Day time or night time.  He says if you oreoare the same, you are not going to succeed.....I thing there is a lot of wisdom and truth to this.  We come out flat in morning games....Couldn't manufacture our own juice.....Play down to opponents.....Someone had mentioned some players came out late at Minnie....JoJo mentioning changing up the practice format (in game 8 year 4) etc......I just don't think Frost and Co know how to prepare when you are not the shiniest toy on the shelf....We look like a different team every week and sometimes every half.  Preparedness or a lack there of also appears to be killing us when viewed through the lens of a coach like Dabo....

 
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