#40 Zach Taylor
RFr • RB • 6-0 • 210 lbs
| Hometown: | Lincoln, Neb. |
| Previous School: | Southeast |
Rex In Effect
Once you get past the impressive debuts by Brion Carnes and Jamal Turner, Saturday's spring game star had to be Rex Burkhead. The junior running back finished with 91 yards on 11 carries, and looked every bit the quick, reliable and surprisingly powerful back that Husker fans have come to expect. But, the spring …
Spring Themes: Battle to Be the Backup
Nebraska's second season, Spring Football, is set to arrive this week. Few other places could follow 14 practices and a scrimmage as intently as in Nebraska. There will be a lot worth watching for Husker fans. You could consider the larger issues to be the themes for the spring period. So, …
Ndamukong Suh Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2009/11/suh-5.jpg Ndamukong Suh can now officially be known for something more than his bulging biceps and difficult-to-pronounce name. Today, the Big 12 named Suh the Defensive Player of the year for the 2009 season. Several other Huskers were also honored with spots on the All-Conference teams. But, as with the rest …
Regaining Relevance
Regular readers of this site know I have often discussed the importance of media coverage in football generally and for the Huskers specifically. The key point in my arguments always being that the path to a program being powerful, important and, yes, dominant starts with a first step - achieving relevance. …
Good and Bad, 2008 is Joe's Show
Heading in to the 2008 season, most prognostications concerning the Huskers hinged at least in part on the play of quarterback Joe Ganz. The prevailing wisdom was..."As he goes, so goes NU's offense." The tail end of the 2007 season gave us a potential snapshot of what we might expect from …
Spring Storyline - Backup Quarterback?
Today, I had a friend ask me about the things I would be watching most closely during the Red White Spring Game on Saturday. Among my answers was the battle for the backup quarterback spot. The answer caught him off guard enough that I felt I had to explain myself. So, …
One Man's Trash...
Today's news is that former NU head coach Bill Callahan has agreed to a position with the New York Jets, where he will coach the offensive line, and focus on their running game. Juxtapose Callahan's relatively short time in the ranks of the unemployed with the often-forwarded photo shopped images of …
After 73 Points, Plenty Can Be Said!
When NU squared off against a team from the Sunflower state a week ago, the Husker defense yielded an unthinkable 76 points. It left me fairly speechless. Saturday's contest with another school in Kansas - the KSU Wildcats - brought a 70+ score again. This time, it was the Huskers rolling …
Sympathy for Sam
In the wake of the announcement that NU quarterback Sam Keller will miss the remainder of the season with an injury, I find myself feeling a great amount of sympathy for the kid. When you consider his arrival, this 2007 season so far for both NU and Arizona State, and what …
Remember the Alamo (Bowl)
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2007/08/alamo.jpg My friends and I were just itching to watch football again, so I dug in to the Nebraska game DVD library last week (props to my brother-in-law for providing those...) and re-watched NU's win over Michigan in the 2005 Alamo Bowl. In revisiting this game from two years ago, I …
Patrick Witt - Perfect Storm at Quarterback?
The phrase "perfect storm" has entered the lexicon to describe any time a series of events coincide to create exceptional results. I'm going way out on a limb to speculate that NU has a "perfect storm" brewing at quarterback in the form of Patrick Witt. Why him and why now? Lots …
The Return of Competition
Whether it is in free markets or football, there is an almost universal truth that competition makes things better. On the gridiron, competition in practice is born only from roster depth. And with competition comes improvement. With improvement, wins likely follow. Only wins can lead to championships. This is the first …
Keller Demonstrates Arm Strength, Lack of Judgment
There are two qualities most coveted in a passing quarterback - the ability to make good decitions and a strong arm to deliver a throw on time and on target. Husker quarterback hopeful and Arizona State transfer Sam Keller demostrated none of the first and some of the second this week, …
Junior College Strategy Shift
In both the percentage of the class and in the players' profile and position, there is a subtle but tangible shift in the way NU is using the recruitment of junior college players to bolster their roster. In his first two classes, Callahan and his staff were using JC players to …
Big Red Roundtable: 2006 Season Review
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2007/01/redtable.jpg The Big Red Roundtable is a new feature that you'll be seeing more of in the coming months. A group of Husker bloggers, including Double Extra Point, Corn Nation and Husker Mike, will regularly gather at a circular table (pictured here) to discuss and debate all things Husker football. With …
Surprises From Frigid KC
After an entire morning spent recovering from a night in frigid Arrowhead and a car ride full of other Husker fans hashing out what we saw last night...there are parts of NU's loss to Oklahoma that I still can't bring myself to believe. The results of key plays - and the …
All-Conference Implications: Is NU Back?
At BRN, we believe strongly that talent matters. And we openly espouse that "5 great players" can make for a great (conference title) team. Looking at this list, it is clear NU is getting closer to the 5-great-players ratio we believe is needed to be a conference title winner and a …
Zach Taylor Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2006/11/taylor.jpg It's official. The Lincoln Journal Star is reporting that Zach Taylor has been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. In a vote of league coaches, the Nebraska senior quarterback came out on top. Husker fans can take a great deal of pride and even joy in seeing …
At Last - Nebraska Vs. Oklahoma
Many - myself included - have bemoaned the loss of the Nebraska vs. Oklahoma series that defined college football for so many people. When the Big 12 powers-that-be ended the NU-OU series, they only left the door open a crack. If those schools could qualify for the title game by winning …
Sun Shines on Huskers in Win over Missouri
Just as Renny's forecast predicted, it was a beautiful (if a bit early) day for football on Saturday. The sun shone brightly on the Huskers as they used a strong first-half performance to defeat Missouri 34-20 in Lincoln. The dose of actual and metaphorical sunshine made several things much clearer for …
On Expectations: Acorns or Apocalypse?
Nebraska lost last Saturday. Yes, it is disappointing. But, to hear some people, you'd think the sky is falling. Frankly, it feels a bit "henny penny" to me, with people spouting about the end of the world because of a few fallen acorns. Don't get it twisted. Watching Saturday's game left …
NU Prepares To Run the Gauntlet
These 12-team "super conferences" are - pardon the language - a bitch. Sure, you get the bowl-like revenues generated by a championship game. But, it also makes the schedules very rigorous. For instance, look at the suddenly average-looking ACC, with "name" programs like FSU and Miami struggling when faced with a …
Thoughts Following the Win Over ISU
There are many things worth discussing following NU's win over Iowa State on Saturday. And, by all means, have at them Husker fans. From the revived running game to the supposed 'Gold Out' that ISU fans tried to create, the topics abound. For me, the things that merit the most discussion …
Huskers Run Past Iowa State
The Nebraska Cornhuskers put in a workman-like performance against Iowa State Saturday night in Ames, Iowa, rushing for more than 250 yards and holding Iowa State to seven points for much of the game. The resulting 28-14 Husker win moves NU to 5-1 on the season (2-0 in the Big 12) …
Nebraska Shuts Out Troy, 56-0
Nebraska showed no signs of a let down following their loss to Southern California last week in dismantling the Troy Trojans on Saturday night in Lincoln, 56-0. The Cornhuskers compiled nearly 600 yards of total offense and recorded their first shutout of the year in moving their record to 3-1 on …
Something to Talk About
It seems the number one topic in NU's suite of offices in the South Stadium is what NOT to talk about. They're all about focusing on the next opponent, even if it is 1-AA Nicholls State. Here at Big Red Network, we know the die-hard Husker fans want something to talk …
Huskers Rout La Tech in Front of Record Crowd
A record crowd of 85,181 was on hand at the newly renovated and expanded Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to see arguably the best offensive showing from Nebraska since Bill Callahan became head coach. The Cornhuskers amassed 584 total yards by mixing the run and pass effectively in a 49-10 rout of …
Could Huskers Add Another QB?
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2006/08/keller.jpg A quarterback controversy at Arizona State could create a positive effect for NU. Sam Keller was ASU's starter for the first half of last season before injuring his hand. After the injury, Rudy Carpenter stepped in and played very well. The two battled for the job all of last Spring …
Camp Happenings
So far, Husker camp has defections, additions, illness, a celebrity, and...even some very serious football. I'll try to wrap up several camp happenings for those who don't scour the papers every day.
Harrison Beck Skips Practice
Sophomore quarterback Harrison Beck skipped Saturday afternoon's practice session. According to published reports, Beck is apparently disgruntled about a lack of repetitions in practice or a possible demotion to 4th-string quarterback. Beck's past – from his hyped recruitment to his injury this spring – played a part in forming this situation. …
Is USC '06 Like NU '96?
Previewing USC http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2006/08/uschelmet.png Like many people, I tend to view the world though the lens of my own experience. Call it perception. Call it bias. Whatever. But, as I consider NU's upcoming opponents, I end up comparing them to the Husker teams I'm familiar with. The more I consider Southern Cal's …
Callahan on the Record
Big 12 Media Days kicked off on Monday. Obviously numerous stories are being generated by the coaches and players talking with the media. Faced with this crush of press coverage, I've often found it better to just get the transcripts and read the comments verbatim, without any reporting framing the quote …
Encouraging Article
The Omaha World-Herald caught up with Jay Moore and Zach Taylor at a football camp. They had some interesting things to say. I'm very encouraged by three items in particular.
Are Watch Lists Worth Watching?
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2006/06/watchmen.png Each year, college football hands out some serious hardware to exceptional players. There are awards for the best players at essentially every position on the field. They are a great honor, and NU has had multiple winners for several of them. But, unfortunately, like nearly everything else in college football, …
QB or Not QB? That is the Question
So, I'm in the mall the other day, and I overhear a couple of 13-year-olds talking about NU football, recruiting in particular. One says to the other that NU really needs a quarterback in this class, and that he hopes that they can sign Jerrett Lee. An 80-year-old man who was …
For What It's Worth -- SI Writer "Encouraged" By NU's Spring
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2006/04/mandel.jpg I firmly believe all good sports news happens on a local level. The beat writers covering teams and the fans paying close attention are the ones who really know a program and a team well enough to know if a squad or a player is trending up or down. That …
We Need Backup!
http://bigrednetwork.com/archives/images/2006/04/backup.jpg Anyone who has ever served in any line of duty knows how vital backup is. I'm not talking about when authorities raid a drug house or are executing a precise military mission. Those operations often start with ample resources and personnel. I'm talking about when the sh*t goes down, the …
5 Great Players? A Litmus Test for '06
In my circle of fairly rabid Husker fans and analysts, we have developed a pretty serious litmus test for a great football team. It's called the "5 great players" model. With a sample of 24 starting players (11 on offense, 11 on defense, a punter and a kicker), 5 great players …
Raising the Stakes
Poker is all the rage, and has added the words "all in" to the American lexicon. If you believe all of the hype coming out of Lincoln these days, it looks like the Huskers have gone all in. Players and coaches alike are talking of Big 12 titles and BCS games. …
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