(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
By the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium, Husker fans had a lot on their minds.
What is Shawn Watson doing? Why can't any of the running backs hold onto the ball?
Has any respectable team ever kicked a field goal on first down in the third quarter? They haven't? Because I really think Pelini might want to consider it.
Can Suh play offense? He can't? Are you sure?
Lost in the confusion was the Huskers' quarterback dilemma. With everything falling apart in the Husker offense, people forgot for 57 minutes about the quarterback debate that had raged all week.
But in those final three minutes of the game Zac Lee threw two interceptions on key drives, and the conversation was back.
There are many problems with Nebraska's offense. The running backs fumble too much. The wide receivers can't catch. And there is no answer at quarterback.
Zac Lee couldn't handle the defenses of Virginia Tech, Missouri, or Texas Tech. But not even the cynics could have guessed Iowa State would shut him down.
Husker fans are beginning to throw in the towel on the season. Walking out of the game today people, were discussing the Independence Bowl and the New Orleans Bowl.
To think, just two weeks ago, we were dreaming of a BCS title game.
We should have known better.
Lee failed miserably at Virginia Tech, completing just 36.7 percent of his passes. That was the first indication he would not be able to handle Big XII defenses.
The second indication? The 42.4 percent completion percentage against Mizzou. But still, the Huskers stuck with their guy.
The guys on the team, the coaches. They all spoke out in defense of their quarterback. Luckily for Lee, people forget about two sub-par performances thanks to a comeback victory against Mizzou where he threw three TDs in the fourth quarter.
Touchdowns and victories will earn you a reprieve. Losing to Texas Tech, and not producing a single touchdown,...well that will put you on the hot seat again.
Still the Huskers stuck with Lee.
Even after his three interceptions against Iowa State, coach Bo Pelini made excuses for his quarterback. ""We didn't play well around Zac. We had dropped balls and bad execution around him," said Pelini.
What Pelini has to realize now is that Husker fans want a change. If he leaves Lee in there, fans take that as a message that he fine with losing. As a coach, the last thing you need is the Nebraska fan base going against you.
Pelini has to make a change at quarterback for the sake of the team, and for the sake of the fans.
The fans want to see what Cody Green has. For a full four quarters. Not mop-up duty, but meaningful minutes.
Yeah, we know there are weaknesses in his game. Let him work them out so maybe next year, he will be ready to take over the offense.
The Huskers have already lost enough this year. They cannot afford to lose their fans next.
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