2008 Woodie Awards
NU offense happy with win, but still not satisfied
Spencer Schubert
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Sports
If it seemed like the Nebraska offense was just a little off on Saturday night, it was probably because they were. But being just a little off still produced nearly 500 yards of total offense as NU quarterback Joe Ganz threw for 345 yards on just 20 completions.
To say the least, Ganz was positive about Nebraska's season-opening win.
"It felt real good until the fourth quarter," Ganz said. "I thought it went real well, but I will just have to look at the mistakes and get better off it."
These sorts of words aren't typically heard from a quarterback that threw for almost 350 yards, but most of the quarterback's attention was focused on two fourth quarter interceptions that are certain to loom in his mind until the next week's game.
The two picks might be the only poor stats of the evening, as the NU offense lit up the Western Michigan defense primarily through the air. The Cornhusker aerial attack wasn't to just one receiver, either. Four receivers had at least three catches, but all were led by senior Nate Swift, who reeled in five grabs for 121 yards.
It was an offense that many Husker fans may have expected, considering the offensive explosions showcased by the Big Red in the final four games. NU Coach Bo Pelini said it's an offense that starts and sometimes ends with the man under center.
"I think (Joe) had them off-balance early," Pelini said. "You better have a quarterback that knows what he's doing. We came out in a lot of different ways, and I think that's why we had so much success."
It was the mobility of the senior quarterback that caught the Western Michigan defense off guard as Ganz was able to rush for 47 yards on just six rush attempts. Ganz says a lot of that is with credit due to big men up front.
"I felt real comfortable (running)," Ganz said. "(The protection) was great. It was awesome to see two young guys out there. It was real inspiring to see those guys go out and play the way they did."
To say the least, Ganz was positive about Nebraska's season-opening win.
"It felt real good until the fourth quarter," Ganz said. "I thought it went real well, but I will just have to look at the mistakes and get better off it."
These sorts of words aren't typically heard from a quarterback that threw for almost 350 yards, but most of the quarterback's attention was focused on two fourth quarter interceptions that are certain to loom in his mind until the next week's game.
The two picks might be the only poor stats of the evening, as the NU offense lit up the Western Michigan defense primarily through the air. The Cornhusker aerial attack wasn't to just one receiver, either. Four receivers had at least three catches, but all were led by senior Nate Swift, who reeled in five grabs for 121 yards.
It was an offense that many Husker fans may have expected, considering the offensive explosions showcased by the Big Red in the final four games. NU Coach Bo Pelini said it's an offense that starts and sometimes ends with the man under center.
"I think (Joe) had them off-balance early," Pelini said. "You better have a quarterback that knows what he's doing. We came out in a lot of different ways, and I think that's why we had so much success."
It was the mobility of the senior quarterback that caught the Western Michigan defense off guard as Ganz was able to rush for 47 yards on just six rush attempts. Ganz says a lot of that is with credit due to big men up front.
"I felt real comfortable (running)," Ganz said. "(The protection) was great. It was awesome to see two young guys out there. It was real inspiring to see those guys go out and play the way they did."
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