Husker QB

via OWH, two looks at the NU QB situation that aren't behind the EVIL subscriber only block (Didn't the NY Times try this and have it fail spectacularly?).

The earlier one from Saturday is the view of Sam Keller's progress from his predecessor, Zac Taylor. Taylor notes that it took him a while to get used to playing in front of 80,000 fans, but that Keller's already done that at ASU, and had quite a bit of success. He also believes Keller is just as good a fit for the West Coast scheme as Taylor was himself.

"Taylor has seen Keller gain steam through preseason camp, watching every practice as a member of the NU video staff. "You can tell he's learning something new every day," Taylor said. "You don't learn this offense overnight, and that's something he's known he's had to do. Every practice really helps him out...."He could shatter everything I did," Taylor said. "That's definitely something I would expect." "

The second article from Sunday deals with Keller's road to NU, starting with his departure from the ASU program. Keller, injured mid season in 2005, had been quite adequately replaced for the remainder of that season by Rudy Carpenter. More or less, once Coach Koetter had decided on Keller on his starter, Carpenter (with his father) threatened to leave the program, and with three seasons of eligibility for Carpenter to Keller's one, the coach and team leaders decided that keeping Carpenter happy was more important. One of the factors in the decision was the fact Keller had a reputation for having an active "social life" outside of football, and that a QB with such distractions was detrimental to the team.

"That seed of doubt about Keller was enough to sway the group. Players — not Koetter — decided to go with Carpenter. Those in the room took a vow of secrecy, agreeing not to talk about what had happened.

A couple of hours later, Coach Koetter called another meeting, this time with the quarterback he'd recruited. Keller broke down and cried.

He called his parents, who were traveling back home. Come back, he said. They returned and met with the coach late that afternoon. Keller's father demanded that Sam be able to face his accusers. Koetter said no.

They gave Koetter one day to change his mind. He didn't. Sunday, the Kellers asked for a scholarship release. Sunday night, the coach made his announcement: "It's simple. I made a mistake on the quarterback situation and I'm changing my mind."

Of course, Koetter is no longer the Head Coach at ASU, he's in the NFL as the Offensive Coordinator for the Jaguars, after going 7-6 last year with Carpenter looking nothing like the NCAA's top rated passer of 2005. AS for Keller, he arrived at NU and went to work with the scout team and did quite a bit of soul searching.

"Keller wanted to play in the NFL, and a dozen Saturdays in 2007 were his chance. Without the game, he'd be . . . he's not sure. Football's all he's ever known. A firefighter, maybe. "My best friend in high school, his dad's captain of a firehouse."

He didn't regret leaving the desert — "Why would I want to stay there? I had no place there" — but he considered those first weeks rock bottom. Small victories lifted him: home games during which he got to be on the sideline; winning over friends on the team like Bo Ruud and Corey McKeon; his girlfriend moving to Lincoln in October.

He stayed out of the spotlight as best he could. He listed his credentials only when someone asked. He kept his mouth shut at practice — except during scout team drills.

"He's up in every receiver's face getting into them about their scout-team routes," said Ruud, an NU starting linebacker. "Seven-on-seven scout team. To say it's a meaningless drill . . . nobody wants to be doing it, especially the scout team. He's going hard core. . . . And this is mid-December outside in the cold."

Before Keller transferred, the crucial fourth season of Callahan's tenure appeared hazy.

How could the coach rebuild the Huskers to national prominence without a qualified quarterback?

Named NU's starting quarterback earlier this week, Keller recognizes a different kind of heat in Nebraska, where people admire and critique their quarterbacks like politicians. At times, he must resist what feels natural."

Good luck Sam, the sky is truly the limit.