Ganz ready for his first start as QB
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By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
Back at home, there was barking, lots and lots of barking.
Yes, it’s true. Mike Ganz was dog-sitting on Saturday when his son suddenly became “the man.”
His cell phone buzzed. It was Joe Ganz’s high school coach, making sure Mike was watching.
The two men tried to carry a conversation through the excitement, their eyes never darting from the television sets. Three confused dogs stood at Mike’s feet.
Joe’s mom and brother traveled to the game in Texas, but someone had to stay behind in Illinois and watch the dogs — one of them being lil’ Frankie, Joe’s miniature schnauzer.
“I was jumping through the ceiling,” Mike said. “I was jacked, the dogs were barking. I didn’t care.”
Hey, it’s worth a little woofing when your son is Nebraska’s No. 1 quarterback.
“When he was a little kid, he watched them on TV a lot,” Mike said. “He just fell in love with them.”
So you can imagine the joy in the kid on Tuesday when he stepped before the cameras to answer questions for the first time as the Big Red’s starter.
“It’s awesome,” Ganz said. “I mean, it is bittersweet because you don’t want it to come through an injury. You don’t want Sam to get hurt, that is not the way I wanted it to happen, but that’s the way it happened.”
Bittersweet is an appropriate word. Ganz’s opportunity comes at the misfortune of Sam Keller, whose Husker career came to an abrupt end in the final minutes of Saturday’s 28-25 loss to Texas.
Ganz talked to Keller moments after the game. Keller told him he suspected the worst, that he thought his collarbone was broken.
Keller’s fears were confirmed on Sunday.
Ganz called his parents. Told them he’d be starting against Kansas. Asked that they not say a word about it until it was official.
Someone else will have to watch the dogs Saturday. Mike will be a little busy in Lawrence.
Quite the triumphant moment for Ganz, who has spent the past three years backing up other guys. He’s thrown only 17 career passes.
Granted, there might be better teams to make your first start against than the Jayhawks, ranked second in the country in scoring defense. But Ganz isn’t about to be picky.
“It will be tough. I am excited. I am really excited,” said the fourth-year junior. “I have been waiting so long for this opportunity, and it will be tough keeping an even keel, but once that first play gets over with I will be calm and act like I have done it before.”
Husker offensive coordinator Shawn Watson will tell you Ganz doesn’t surrender an inch to anybody in anything.
His competitiveness was shown to Nebraskans this offseason. Many assumed Keller, who had started at Arizona State before transferring, would win the starting job easily. Ganz was of a different mind.
Mike recalls that it was former Husker offensive coordinator Jay Norvell who called Joe to break the news that Keller was transferring to Nebraska.
“What I remember was Joe definitely didn’t want to back down,” Mike said.
Ganz worked overtime that summer. Even when he visited his parents in Illinois, he was constantly throwing the football, lifting, running. His competitiveness took over.
“My mom used to tell me to let some other kids win on the playground, because I wouldn’t have any friends growing up,” Ganz said. “But I couldn’t do it.”
That’s what made that August phone call so difficult. Keller won. Ganz dialed his parents. Emotion followed.
“Of course, deep down inside it tore him up,” Mike said. “But he gave it his all and he respected their decision. After that, he said, ‘I got to be there. We don’t want to let anything slide if something happens to Sam.’”
Watson said Ganz never slipped after the news, watching film and practicing as if he was starting each week.
Now that he actually is, what can fans expect? Well, fast feet. Quickness is one thing Ganz does have that Keller did not.
Against Texas, he showed off his mobility, scrambling for 12 yards in one of his few plays. In high school, he passed for 3,428 yards, but also rushed for 1,328.
Husker coach Bill Callahan said the offense won’t have to change much with Ganz, but there would be plays to try to move him around.
“My big thing is when plays break down, I can make things happen with my feet, maybe extend the play a little bit for a receiver to come back open. Simple things like that,” Ganz said.
“I like to run the ball, too, so if nobody is open I am not going to throw the ball out of bounds or throw it away. I will go north and south.”
Lack of confidence is no issue. Former Husker quarterback Zac Taylor called him “the most confident person I’ve ever been around in my entire life.” And receiver Nate Swift said Ganz is the type of guy who likes to do a little friendly trash-talking to the defense during practices.
Though Ganz said he took about 30 percent of the snaps as the backup, he said he feels prepared to play.
Some have questioned Callahan for not playing Ganz more in games earlier this season, especially in contests that were well-decided.
“It was coach’s decision to keep Sam in there, and obviously we needed to work on things offensively because we were not putting up a lot of points. And Sam was the No. 1 quarterback. I understand why he did that,” Ganz said.
“He wanted to get the offense into a rhythm, and get the first team gelling a little more. I understand why he did it, but it was hard because you want to get out there and help your team.”
When Ganz did get his number called Saturday, the game was unraveling for the Huskers. Texas fans were screaming, drums were beating. Even Bevo woke up.
Ganz raced for his helmet, then onto the field. He did not say any Hollywood line entering the huddle. Just called the play. Guys nodded.
First pass? Incomplete. Second pass? On fourth-and-10? Got it. Move the chains.
Another pass? Touchdown.
Mike celebrated, Frankie barked.
Joe Ganz’s moment has come.
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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