We're also comparing Sophomore Taylor Martinez to Junior Denard Robinson.
Regarding sacks - Taylor was sacked six times in the bowl game alone, including on back-to-back-to-back plays, so take that with a grain of salt. The O Line had just about given up by then.
Both in their 2nd year of being full-time starters. Both identical in age (i don't think robinson took a redshirt).
Looked it up: Robinson DoB (9/22/1990), Martinez DoB (9/15/1990). I don't think those extra 7 days give Taylor much of an edge.
And Taylor was deer in headlights on most of those 6. It was like Washington 3.0. He does that a lot.
Seven days by birth, one year at the college level. HUGE difference.
So does that mean that we can't say Martinez is better than Carnes because he has 2 years on Carnes? I don't see how it matters. Why do we always come back to this with Martinez - they guy will have more starts that Tommie Frazier sometime mid-way through this season. We'll be hearing again about how he's "just" a junior though....
Mid-way through the season, Martinez will also own most Nebraska career passing records and be right up there with the rushing QBs.
If he makes no adjustment to his throwing motion he will still be a better, more versatile passer than Frazier, Frost or Crouch. There are a lot of improvements Taylor Martinez needs to make -- footwork being the first -- but winning games is always the biggest cure.
And having watched Husker football for many, many, many years I can state categorically that Nebraska's recent receiving corps has been lacking by Husker standards, and is even more suspect by major college football standards. One Nate Swift in there and Martinez is completing 62% of his passes, dramatically reducing the hand-wringing in here.