Steven M. Sipple: Ganz hopes to move out of the shadows
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Joe Ganz was completely at ease. He almost seemed to enjoy this stuff.
Someone told him he looked bigger than he did last season.
“They’re going to have to test me for steroids,” the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Nebraska senior quarterback said Monday during Big 12 Conference football media days.
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Just joking, Mr. Commish.
He was a natural at this media game, almost as impressive as he was during those final three games last season, when he threw for 1,399 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Now, the world is watching — OK, Huskerville is watching — to see whether Ganz can pick up this season where he left off last November.
We’ll see if he can keep up with the biggest of the league’s big dogs — Chase Daniel, Todd Reesing, Graham Harrell, Sam Bradford, Zac Robinson, Josh Freeman, Colt McCoy, et al.
Ganz seemed poised and ready. We’ll see soon enough.
But, no, the world doesn’t watch Nebraska football as closely as it once did. Times have changed dramatically in the Big 12.
Exhibit A: In emphasizing that he’s much more concerned about his team’s record than putting up lofty personal numbers, Ganz said, “That’s really what I’m striving for, to hopefully finish above .500 as the starting quarterback here.”
What is a reasonable expectation for Nebraska this season?
To be in the hunt for the North Division crown, Ganz said.
Yes, that would be a good start. Only don’t count on it.
Big 12 media picked Nebraska to finish third in the North Division behind Missouri and Kansas. That sounds about right. Missouri clearly is the class of the North. I see the Tigers going undefeated in the league — their toughest game will be Oct. 18 at Texas — and then colliding with a one-loss Oklahoma team at Arrowhead Stadium on a frigid December night.
I see Nebraska finishing 5-3 or 4-4 in the Big 12. That’d be a nice start to the Bo Pelini era.
I see Ganz again putting up impressive numbers. To be sure, he fits in just fine in a conference that features more outstanding quarterbacks than any league in the nation.
Ganz is dead-on when he says Nebraska’s defense needs a strong first couple games for confidence’s sake.
Of course, Pelini oozes confidence. He was his typical self-assured and blunt self Monday. Like Ganz, he was a natural at this game.
No question, the “Bo and Joe” show drew positive reviews.
But you wonder how Husker fans felt when Pelini said, “I think that our kids right now are at the learning stage on defense. They’re trying to learn the system.”
My guess is Mike Leach won’t be waiting for Nebraska to catch up.
“We’re nowhere near where we want to be yet,” Pelini said. “But we’ll get there. There’s plenty of time. There are 29 preseason practices and then on through the season.”
Discouraging news for Big Red fans arrived Monday when Pelini said sophomore cornerback Anthony Blue would be unavailable for the start of preseason drills because of a knee injury. Blue’s situation bears watching. In this league, with all the spread offenses and savvy QBs, defenses need at least four good cornerbacks. The Huskers are down to one corner with starting experience — senior Armando Murillo.
What’s more, I sense many fans underestimate the loss of big-play wideout Maurice Purify. He was like having a basketball scorer who could create his own shot in most any situation.
“You just don’t find those guys around the corner very often,” Ganz said. “He is a freak.”
However, the fact Nebraska dramatically condensed its playbook is a step in the right direction for Big Red. That was clearly Shawn Watson’s call. Pelini obviously possesses great trust in his offensive staff.
“We’d practice all these plays last season in case we needed them, and half the time we didn’t use half of them or a quarter of them,” Ganz said.
Ganz said revving up the running game would be the main focus of preseason camp. He said he would run the ball 10 to 15 times a game.
As for the Nebraska defense, Ganz’s optimism stems from Pelini’s pro-style system, which can be confusing for QBs.
“It’s just the way they bring different pressures from the (secondary) and the way they spin the safeties,” Ganz said. “As a quarterback trying to recognize coverages, it’s really hard. It’s hard on a quarterback to really key in to what kind of coverages they’re in. It took me about four or five practices to get it down.”
Ganz is mindful of the immediate pressure Pelini faces. If Pelini is nervous, he doesn’t show it in the least. It probably helps that he has a gifted starting quarterback who just might be the team’s most respected leader.
“It’s going to be tough (this season),” Ganz said in a cautious tone. “There are a lot of expectations on (Pelini) to really turn this program around really quick. Our fans have had so much success in the past that they’re not used to losing.”
He said a mouthful there. Yep, the kid’s good at this media game.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
