Big Red Reasoning: Ranking the Top 20 Nebraska Quarterbacks in School History
Starting with Jerry Tagge in 1971, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has produced six All-American quarterbacks. You'll need to stay tuned to find out who the other five are.
In terms of ranking the NU quarterbacks, my crack staff found it a one-writer job—mine.
Follow along and see how great of a list it actually is—or not, in your opinion, which is absolutely cool with the kid.
Ready? I am. At No. 20...
20. Dennis Claridge: First Quarterback to Win a Bowl Game at NU
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As a three-year starter, Claridge was Bob Devaney’s first at Nebraska. He went 22-8-2 as a starter and teamed up with Thunder Thornton in the backfield.
Claridge orchestrated the first two bowl-game victories for the program (Gotham in 1962, Orange in 1964). He set the Orange Bowl record for longest sweet-tooth (touchdown) run by a quarterback with a 68-yard dash.
Claridge was also a 1963 Academic All-American.
19. Brook Berringer: Led Big Red When Tommy Frazier Had Blood Clots
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Brook Berringer took over for Tommy Frazier after Touchdown Tommy graduated.
He replaced the inactive Frazier in 1994 and hit the ground running, and passing.
Frazier was out with a blood-clot condition, and Berringer led the Huskers to the Big Eight title and the Orange Bowl for the National Championship game.
18. Taylor Martinez: Redshirt Freshman Sensation Looks Forward
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Martinez teamed with I-backs Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead to form a triple threat in the backfield. Early in his career, he broke the school's single-game total offense record.
In his only season as a starter thus far, Martinez succumbed to injuries and Nebraska paid the price, finishing last year on a downer.
He hopes to rebound next season. Good luck, my dude.
17. Jeff Quinn: "Q" the List of 1,000-Yard Passers at NU
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Quinn earned three letters for the Huskers from 1978-80. Nebraska earned a top-10 national ranking each season.
He also holds the distinction of being the only passer on the school's 1,000-yard list whose surname starts with "Q."
The Ord, NE native ranks among NU's top 20 all-time passers with 2,005 yards, and completed 58 percent of his throws.
16. Bob Churchich (1963-66): NU's Passing Yards Leader in Bowl Games
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With 501 yards passing in three bowl games, Bob leads all other NU quarterbacks.
Surpassing Claridge, Churchich and his 893 yards through the air set the school record in 1964. He followed that up by becoming the first Husker to rack up 1,000 yards passing in a season with 1,136.
He set the single-season passing bar for his understudies Frank Patrick and Jerry Tagge.
15. Tom Sorley: Left Defensive Backs Emotionally Sore at Him
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Sorley racked up over 1,500 yards passing in 1978 for the Huskers, in only 172 attempts. In comparison, Dave Humm did it in 196 attempts in 1973.
Other than these two, none of NU's single-season passing leaders attempted under 200 passes.
14. Joe Dailey: Arm Cocked and Ready on a Daily Basis
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Dailey tossed the rock around the NCAA for 2,025 yards in 2004.
He became the first single-season 2,000-yard passer at Nebraska since Vince Ferragamo in 1976.
Dailey set a trend; Zac Taylor, Sam Keller and Joe Ganz surpassed the mark after him.
13. Frank Patrick: Set School Record for Single-Season Passing Yards
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Patrick hurled for 1,449 yards in 1967—the best in NU history until Jerry Tagge surpassed it in 1972.
In 1967, Frank led the Big Eight in passing yards and was second in total yards.
12. Jammal Lord: Supreme Lord of Crimson and Cream
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As a junior, Lord set the school record for single-season rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,412. Only two others have rushed for over 1,000 at Nebraska.
None of NU's quarterbacks have tallied 1,000 yards rushing in back-to-back seasons, but Lord almost did it in 2003 (984 yards). He holds other records at NU, including single-game rushing yards for a quarterback (234) and total offense for a season (2,774).
His total-offense record for a single game was broken by Martinez in 2010.
11. Steve Taylor: Hemmed Up Defenses on a Regular Basis
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Sharing the same last name with Zac (left), Steve Taylor succeeded the graduated Turner Gill and posted some eye-popping numbers at NU.
Taylor was 31-6 as a starter and led the team to the Sugar Bowl (1987), Fiesta Bowl (1988) and Orange Bowl (1989). He posted 4,940 yards in career total offense and was the 1987 Sugar Bowl MVP.
He was named an All-American for his efforts.
10. Gerry Gdowski: 2000 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Inductee
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Gdowski either broke or tied 11 school records in his senior season.
A backup to Steve Taylor for most of his time at NU, Gerry got loose for 925 yards rushing in 1989. He broke Taylor's mark of 826, setting the position record almost 100 yards higher. Gdowski's 13 rushing touchdowns tied Taylor's total.
Gerry's 174 yards and 74-yard sweet-tooth run against Iowa State in 1989 was the longest ever by a Nebraska quarterback. It was also NU's longest run from scrimmage the whole season.
Gdowski was a two-time Academic All-Big Eight performer in 1988-89.
9. Vince Ferragamo: 147.7 Career Passer Rating at Nebraska
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Vince was 14-5-1 as a starter and finished with 3,435 career passing yards and 34 TDs.
He led Nebraska to a victory over Texas Tech in the 1976 Astro Blue Bonnet Bowl.
Ferragamo set the NU career passer rating record at 147.7. He also held Nebraska's record for touchdown passes in a season for 30 years; his 20 surpassed Tagge's 17.
Vince was an All-American selection in 1976.
8. David Humm: Humdinger of a Husker
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Humm was 27-7-2 as a three-year starter. He completed 55 percent of his passes for 5,236 yards and 41 touchdowns from 1972-74.
Dave started in the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
In 1974, he led the Big Eight in passing and set a school record with 15 straight completions—both good reasons why he was named an All-American.
7. Zac Taylor: Signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2007
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Zac was the starter from 2005-2006 and posted a 17-9 record.
His 57.2 pass-completion rate led to 5,850 career passing yards—No. 1 in school history. He also scattered 45 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
Taylor holds the Nebraska school record for single-season passing yards (3,197), single-season total offense (3,165) and single-season touchdown passes (26).
He passed for 200 yards or more in 10 different games at Nebraska.
6. Joe Ganz: Nebraska's Joe Cool
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Joe Ganz is No. 1 in single-season passing at NU. He racked up 3,568 yards in 2008.
Ganz also set the career total-offense mark at Nebraska. In fact, he held 23 records at Nebraska, including 510 passing yards—the bar for one game.
As a Husker, he made the Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Academic Honor Roll from 2005-08 and First Team Academic All Big 12 as a senior.
5. Scott Frost: Ice-Cold Assassin
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In 1997, Frost led the Huskers to a perfect 13-0 season and a national championship.
From 1996-97, he rushed for 1,534 yards and 28 touchdowns, and passed for 2,677 yards and 18 sweets.
Frost left Nebraska in 1997 as the only quarterback in school history to tally 1,000 yards rushing and passing in the same season. He was also the first quarterback in school history to rush for more than 1,000 in a season.
Scott was one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was also a two-time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 member.
4. Jerry Tagge: Tagged for the Nebraska Hall of Fame
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Tagge was 22-1-1 and won two national championships—the Huskers' first two.
A 59.2 percent passer, he totaled 5,071 yards, 32 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in his career at Nebraska. He also set the bar in career passing percentage (63 percent).
Named Most Outstanding Back of the Orange Bowls in 1971-72, he was a first-team All-American and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.
3. Eric Crouch: On Your Mark, Set...Go!
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The only Husker quarterback to win the Heisman, Crouch set the NCAA record for career rushing scores by a QB (59).
He was the 13th NCAA player to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in a season and the first at NU. Considered to be more of a runner than a passer, he was drafted as a wide receiver by the St. Louis Rams.
He owns the longest run from scrimmage in NU history (95 yards) and set the school's total offense mark at 7,915. He finished third in career passing and first in offensive touchdowns, with 88.
His record was 35-7 as a starter at Nebraska.
2. Turner Gill: Accuracy and Precision from the Quarterback Postion
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Gill was the man.
One of the most accurate passers I've ever seen, he put the ball right on Irving Fryar in the end zone to tie the national championship game against Miami in 1984. Fryar dropped the pass, and fell to the ground outside the end zone in despair.
Gill lifted him, however, by making the spectacular pitch to I-back Jeff Smith who ran in for the 24-yard sweet tooth.
He lost perhaps the most classic Orange Bowl game ever, but I give Gill the benefit of the doubt.
1. Tommie Frazier: Number 15 Jersey Retired in 1996
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A four-year starter from Bradenton, FL, Frazier was good. Often dipping and dodging through defenders like "Smoking Joe," Tommie was also the first Husker to win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Frazier was the MVP of both the Huskers' back-to-back national championships and was named an All-American by eight different media organizations in 1995.
He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, but received the UPI's and The Sporting News' Offensive Player of the Year awards.
He set the NU school record with 43 passing touchdowns, while ranking second with 5,476 total offensive yards and 79 touchdowns.
Frazier was 33-3 as a starter. He knew how to put on a show.
Well, that does it for now. Join me for the next Lake's Big Red Reasoning.
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