1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Naming the Husker QBs starting from 1980: May 18th, 10am

Episode Date: May 18, 2022

Who were the starting QBs for Nebraska from 1980 to today?Chris Raff (Co-Host of Riffin' with Raff and AD) joins the showAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the Coppull Chevrolet GMC Studios. Here is your host, Derek Pearson, presented by Beatrice Bakery, on 937 The Ticket and The Ticket FM.com. Oh, I wish that we could share all the stories that we talk about on here, but we can't. 402, 464, 56685, start a hearing of text line. Honda Liggin, Hotline, if you want to jump in the conversation,

I know Chris Raff is already ready to chime in. As a matter of fact, Chris, you could probably call in. We'll do this. The live video stream is up Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and now live on Twitter. On the Twitters. On the Twitter. Yeah, I just, I'm constantly in search of more information about the programs here. And then you go back in history and I try to kind of re-remember different segments of Nebraska history.

From the outsider perspective, like, so no matter where I was in the country, at some level, I was following Nebraska athletics. And because of that, you remember them in a certain way. You remember them, how you remember them, not how they always were. So last night, again, Big Ten Network, and they went back through 1997, 1996 and 1997, and what it was like in the program, what it was like being around the programs. And I couldn't remember because they started talking about, well, you know, Scott didn't choose Nebraska chose Stanford. And so while he was at Stanford playing, you know, offense and defense, he then decided that wasn't the place for him so he wanted to come back to Nebraska and play for the Huskers.

And my first question was, well, who was the quarterback in the year that Scott Frost was on the practice team? Who was Nebraska starting quarterback? The year that he was on the, wasn't that Tommy Frazier? So Scott's? Scott came back in 95. 95, no, 96. 96? Was not Tommy Frazier?

Is that Raff? Thank you, Mark. Tommy was done after 95. Thank you. I want to go through the history of this thing, and it's really good. I was going to actually call Steve Taylor and Aaron Davis, but Chris Raff is called it. He's on the Honda Lincoln Hotline. Let's bring Raff in.

Raf, how are you, brother? I'm good. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. So when we started talking about quarterback history and Raff goes, this is right down my lane. This is my jam. So let's bring you in and have you have the conversation with us, because I was

trying to line up all of Nebraska quarterbacks as far back as we could. And so I said, in fairness, I remember Nebraska when I was in college. So I got to college in 1980. I'm good with that. Right? So I am not. Walk us through because what I remembered was Jeff Quint. Yep, you're correct.

1980. Right. That Quinn and what he did, how would you, give me a quick breakdown, scouting report on Jeff Quinn? Well, the scouting report I really don't have, but I have an awesome Jeff Quinn's story. I'm all for it. Give it to me. So Jeff Quinn's parents moved into the neighborhood where I grew up. Well, when Jeff left Nebraska, he backed up Terry Bradshaw for the Pittsburgh Steelers. So it was one summer, the word started getting around the neighborhood. Terry Bradshaw and Jeff Quinn have been great friends since he went to Pittsburgh. So Terry Bradshaw came to our childhood neighborhood one summer.

So that was like the huge thing. So we got to actually see Terry Bradshaw. And that was, oh, God, I think 1981, 82, I believe. So that was pretty cool. Jeff Klan, he's a decent quarterback, decent mobility. Took him to a ball game. Took him to the ball game. Yep, yep.

And then I remember, and the only reason I remembered it was because there was a young lady I went to school with who was cousins with this guy. And Mark Maurer. Correct. Like, and I thought, I understood who it was and I paid attention to it. He started the season. I don't remember how the rest of the season went for them in 1981. Oh, there was a bowl game. It was, oh, gosh, I'm trying to think if Mark Maurer, Nate Mason,

if they sort of flip-flop back and forth, I know that Nate Mason was in that, was right in there. And that was just leading up to the, you know, one of the greatest ones of all time, in my opinion. Well, let's go into it. Is Turner Gill early or late 80s? No, Turner Gill is right there. Okay.

So you got Turner Gill stepped into the starting role in 82. And then he had a, oh gosh, I believe it was a leg injury. So then Nate Mason actually had stepped into that, stepped into that role at the end of the year. And so then it was Turner and Nate Mason in 82. So the 80 team went, and again, this is, this is framing. current conditioned circumstances to what it was back then, even pre-coach Osborne winning titles, that this team went, they went to the Sun Bowl,

they finished 10 and 2, 6 and 1 in the Big 8. Then the 81 team finished 9 and 3 and Coach Osborne. They were still running the 5-2 defense. This was the team that lost 2215 to Clemson in the Orange Bowl. And then 82 with Turner Gill, they go 12 and 1,

finish number 3. Yeah, I believe they played LSU that year. The crazy thing about that Clemson game in 81 was everything fell into place that day for Nebraska to actually win the national championship that night in the Orange Bowl. It was crazy that they, I think they were, they went into that game like,

six or seven and they needed like three teams to lose and it all fell into place that night but i believe it was homer jordan the quarterback for clemson and they got their title that night i think it was coach coach ford if i yeah that was danny for it was danny forward i'd seen that clemson team three times that year because i was still hanging around the acc and yeah clemson was impressive they they were impressive and it was scary um we're talking to chris raff and again a lot of the stuff that's in play, right? That the program can be identified through Coach Osborne and these quarterbacks.

Definitely. Right? The progression, the natural progression of greatness. You could also do this with running backs, which is the thing I'd probably like to do tomorrow, is to go all the way back and go through the running backs through the course of this thing. But 82, they go and they go to Orange Bowl and they beat the LSU.

You're right. They beat an LSU 21 to 20. go 12 and 1. They're undefeated for the first time. They're undefeated in the Big 10, and the Big 8. And that's a big deal, because now with the triplets in play, there's an opportunity. Sorry to interrupt, that 82 season was another year. They probably should have won the national championship.

Right. That was the year at Penn State where the guy clearly caught the ball out of bounds. And so that cost Nebraska undefeated season and probably shot at the national. championship that year. And they were loaded that year. They had Roger Craig and Mike Rozier in the backfield. So that was quite a combination. Well then.

A ton of awards. A ton of awards in that thing. Yeah, the loss to Penn State, the 27, 24 lost to Penn State down in, that was over at University Park. This is when it was, you know, Beaver Stadium, University Park. And then, but then they go on a roll. They go down to Jordan Hare and they beat. Auburn pretty soundly, 41 to 7.

They go to Colorado and load up on them. The scoring, the scoring explosion continues versus Kansas State. They have the face-to-face battle with Missouri here in Memorial. They blow out Kansas. They blow out Oklahoma State. They blow out Iowa State. And then they get to Oklahoma, and they beat Oklahoma in a brawl. here at Memorial State of 2824.

So, man, remember the days where you were actually talking about, you know, 12 win seasons as they were. 1983, Raff, what do you remember before the debacle finished? Oh, what do I remember? 83. I remember it was almost a foregone conclusion that MicroZer was going to win the Heisman Trophy. Yeah. I remember everybody knew it. I still remember.

God, that would have been a really young kid. And I still remember me and my dad were like, we got to go down to Stacey's locker room, pick up a football. We're going to an autograph day, and we got to get a Mike Rozier autograph because he's winning the Heisman trophy. And he did not let down that year, let me tell you. What was that like? I mean, listen, the jet had already won the Heisman,

but that sort of year for Rozier, what was that like to follow this team? the explosion? It was, it was, it was crazy. I remember where it really kind of hit its peak was, there was Time Magazine, and in the top right corner there was a picture. It was after the Syracuse game,

and there was a little slice of Micro's year on the top right corner of Time Magazine, and that's where they would, they pretty much coined Nebraska, the greatest team of all time. So that, that was just an insane year, That offense was so crazy.

I mean, they were the scoring explosion. Yeah. I think they had one game against Colorado. They racked up, I think it was 42 points in the third quarter. This is, this is, so here's what they scored. They scored 44 against Penn State, number four Penn State in the season over, which open the door and let everybody know, okay, this is going to be different. They got 56 against Wyoming.

They got 84 against Minnesota. They got 42. against UCLA. They got 63 against Syracuse. They had a week off and they played poorly offensively against Oklahoma State. They only had 14 points. They bounced back. 34 against Missouri. 69 against Colorado. 51 against Kansas State. 72 versus Iowa State. 67 versus Kansas. Oh, and then they put the 28, 21 win over Oklahoma down in Norman before they went down to the Orange Bowl. it would it be true to, would it be fair to say that if the two-point conversion happens, that this team is talked about as the greatest team ever?

Yep, definitely. They would, they would be, they would be right up there. It would, and I think that was like, we always talk about it, like me and AD, you know. I know there's some players off that team, they're like, man, I wish we would have kicked that. at least got the ring and stuff like that. But that night, I felt like they were playing Miami, but they were also playing against history. If they make that two-point conversion,

they're known as the greatest team of all time. We don't talk about that defensive unit. That defensive unit held, again, they held Penn State to six points. They held UCLA to 10 points. They held Syracuse to 7. They held Oklahoma State to 10. They held Missouri to 13.

They held Colorado, you know, they got 19, but it wasn't a big deal because they were just getting it done. If you don't give up 31 points against my mind, again, this team is one play from being legitimately considered the greatest college football team ever. That's amazing. And then it's funny, too, the Minnesota game, they went up. Lou Holtz was the coach for Minnesota. And they, back in the, well, their travel squad, I think you could only take, was it like

60-some players or whatever on their travel squad. So what happened was coach pulled out the starters and put in his backups. Well, the backups got tired. So you'll notice in that Minnesota game, Turner Gill and Micro's Year and Irving Fire are back in the game in the third and fourth quarters because his backups got too tired of scoring points. So that was always an interesting thing about that game was it like, why was Turner Gill and Micro's Year's still playing late in the game? Well, what happened was the backups got tired.

So he had to put his starters back in. You imagine the numbers Rosier has if he plays legitimate. You know how good your team has to be for your backups to get tired? Not used to performing. Not used to being out there. Because that means your backups are in for such a long time that they are getting tired. Like, that's just crazy to me. And you look at Mike Rozier statistics for that year.

I think he averaged like 7.8 yards of carry or something crazy like that. and in my opinion Barry Sanders you know the greatest college running back of all time that's the best I have seen but if you would have played Mike Rozier because you got to realize Mike was only playing half

he wasn't he probably played probably that entire season he probably played maybe three full games the rest of the year he was out by half time like that Kansas game his senior day in Lincoln, I think he had 296 yards rushing. I don't think he even played the fourth quarter. He tells the story that he had, in his mind, he prorated his numbers

because that's the only way out of fairness that he can measure up. We also talked, again, great historians are all over Lincoln, and when you start talking about that era of quarterback playing, that era of football. but the great question is ask people right after Turner Gill who was the starting quarterback for the Huskers? Who was the next starting quarterback for the Huskers? You want the answer?

Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Craig Sunberg. Right, and in a year where you've come off of the explosion, right? Was the expectation too great? Was the moment too great? What was it? Again, and full disclaimer, that following team, so 1984?

Was it 84 or 85 that he takes over? 84. 84. The 84 team goes 10 and 2, right? Yeah, and what was crazy about that year was they started out rolling. Like I remember Jeff Smith was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and it was like, it was pretty much business as usual. coming out of the gates that year.

The one thing I'll say about the 84 team was I think the offense probably took a step back, but the defense took a step up. So if you would have took that 84 defense probably and put it with the 8, 83 defense was good, but they were a year, it was a year early. So if you would have that 84 defense to the 83, then hands down, I don't think that there's any question. There probably won't have been a two-point conversion in Miami. I think it would have been.

over quickly. Raff, and again, perspective, that coming off the offensive explosion and then the expectation of what this team is going to do offensively versus the reality. And the reality is they scored 42 points, 38 points, 42 points, 17 points, 33, 24, 64, 41. and they were disappointed to do so.

Right? And I think the Syracuse game change is where Nebraska football changes because it gets kicked in the shins and has to adjust because there's the 17-9 loss on the road, pretty disappointing, no matter who you were playing against. And this team still had opportunity to get it right if they could finish against Oklahoma here at Memorial, they lose at 17-7.

The Syracuse game, the crazy thing about that, the story they'll always tell about that game is Tom Rathman, fullback, San Francisco 49ers, the first kickoff of that game, a guy from Syracuse came down and knocked him pretty, like, concussion-wise. and that was when they were like, the Nebraska players were sort of like,

yeah, we're in for a game today. Well, that's the rule. You go after the biggest and the baddest, and you punch them in the jaw and see what happens. Well, that's what happens.

And again, perspective, the season ends with a pretty dominant win over LSU and the Sugar Bowl. That was 30 to 15? 2810. 20, 10, okay.

Right? And so, again, they finish 10 and 2 in 1984 and then 1985 comes along. And, Rath, do you remember who takes over there? I'm going to go with Travis Turner. You are correct.

Started the season. Started the season. Start at the season opener. But then McAthorne-Claighton takes over pretty quickly. Now, what kind of season do you think you're having where your quarterback is replaced in the opening game? What kind of season do you expect to have? They lose to Florida State, number 17, Florida State, at home 1713.

Things could go remarkably wrong, except the following week. Face number 20, Illinois, they put up 52 points. They blow out Oregon 63 to nothing. You beat up on New Mexico. You beat number five Oklahoma State. That's a good one, right? That's a loaded game. Do you recall that one at all, at all, that Oklahoma State game?

Oklahoma State. They win at 34. I think it was, I want to say Rusty Hill, Rusty Hilger. Rusty Hills. Yeah. Is it Rusty or Dusty? Rusty. It was Rusty.

What was the score of that game? 34-24. They win it down in Stillwater. which I thought was big because Missouri was next and they were going to have to go on the road to Missouri and it seemed like a game that Missouri is going to find a way to beat Nebraska except for the Huskers to figure out a way to win and then they come home and face Colorado.

They knock off a tough Colorado team 177. They thump Kansas State. They blow out Iowa State. Of course they route Kansas. And then once again, the season, comes down to Oklahoma, Thanksgiving Day-ish, and not the best performer. It's a 27-7 loss to Oklahoma.

Yep, I believe that was the, yeah, I think that was the Keith Jackson end around, I believe, if I'm not mistaken. Yep. 88 yards, I think, got in a tight-in reverse. But this is why, like, for the moments of it, right? and then they go to the I figure which boy, the Fiesta Bowl

and I believe it was one of the very first festivals maybe where they go and they take on number five Michigan and they lose 27, 23. But this team finishes 9 and 3 with quarterback changes and other. And I think you can identify quarterback play with a lot of the records that we're talking about. That was 85.

That was 85. That was 85. that was 85. And I believe, I could be wrong on that 27, 23 game, but I'm pretty sure there was a freshman quarterback that was wearing number 11 that day that actually came into the festival and played. Mm-hmm.

Set the table. Can you name that number 11? Set the table. We were a different number. We know them as a different number. We know them as a different number. Taylor made is what we. We would.

That's who we're talking about. That's who we would identify with. Do we, Raff, let me ask you. Again, I think of it, remember, I've looked at Nebraska athletics from 10,000 square feet,

10,000 feet above. And my recollection of Steve Taylor was, I thought he's going to have a better career than Turner Gill. That was the expectation outside of Nebraska. just because I remember Steve being drafted at baseball. And I thought, okay, there are too many correlating paths

between Steve Taylor and Turner Gill. Definitely. Where do you place Steve Taylor amongst all-time Nebraska quarterbacks? Where do you put him? I would have them in my top five. Right? Definitely, definitely in my top five. Right?

Because you got Tommy at one, which, in my opinion, Tommy is the greatest quarterback in the history of college football. And I'll sit and argue that point all day long with people. So I got Tommy at one as the greatest best quarterback. Gosh. It's funny, you know, we always talk about the greatest running backs in history, but the greatest quarterbacks, I've never really sat down and thought about it. Probably Tommy at one, Turner, two. I had Taylor a three. And I said this to somebody the other day because they wanted to put Brooke there.

And I thought, yes and no. That I thought when Steve ended his career, he led in rushing attempts, by a quarterback over the career, rushing net yards game by a quarterback in a single game. Most rushing net yards game by a quarterback in a career. And that's all up and. until 1988. And he had an absolute cannon for an arm. Yeah.

He could sit flat-footed. I guarantee you to throw the ball 65, 70 yards flat-footed. I mean, he had that motion. I mean, he wouldn't even step in the throwals sometimes, and, I mean, that ball would just pop off his hand. He had an amazing arm, that's for sure. Yeah, I just, I remembered being in the circle of folks who would talk about the multiple sport athletes.

and we kept thinking that that was a time where quarterbacks across America were playing multiple sports. And a lot of them had baseball opportunities and had to make a decision on whether they were going to do one or the other. And we would argue that like Steve would have been, had a much better baseball career than he had in football, even going, you know, Canadian Football League. So, okay, so if, give me your top five in quarterbacks all time. Give me that top five. We'll go to break. All right.

So we got Tommy at one. Oh. Turner at two. I'll put Steve at three. Okay. Oh, this is where people always, I get in trouble with people. Because of, look, nobody's going to agree on the top five. So, you know, you probably got to look at Jerry Taggie at four.

I mean, two national titles. Taggie was a stud. Jerry Tagging was a stud. Yep. and he put in, and he put in, you know, years at Green Bay. So I'd go Jerry Taggy at four, five. I, man, you could say crouch, but crouch to me was, he was a football player. But you could go crouch at five.

Like Brooke, I love Brooke. I knew Brooke. I worked out with him when he was getting ready to go to the NFL. Brooke was a great, great, great guy, great teammate. and he had he had the you know the abilities that he was going to be you know he would play in the NFL I thought he'd probably be a backup quarterback in the NFL and he would have done it for a long time

but but as like top five like if you just look at Nebraska like just playing at Nebraska I don't know if you put him in the top five I when it comes to a teammate person stuff like that definitely probably number one but I don't know if I would if he'd throw him in the top five because there's been so yeah five is kind of a toss-up for me well well you know you you're not you can't you're as I would tell Tom Stevens you're you're you're absolutely right and you're

probably wrong that's no matter what you put no matter what five you put in the place um it's all there and that but this is the discussion and I don't think I think you can talk to to a hundred Husker football fans fanatics and none of them were going to have the same five at quarterback and that's kind of why I wanted to have the discussion was just to go through it how you remember things

versus how you re-remember them when you find out if you put the stats of Steve Taylor and Eric Crouch together you'd have an interesting conversation that's all I'm saying you got it well you even you got that same

issue with the quarterbacks that have played in the current times. I mean, you could make a case for Zach Taylor or Joe Gans to be that number five. I mean, they put up some great statistics, you know, and Joe Gans, I mean, I think if he would have got a couple years to start, things might have been a lot different for Nebraska. I mean, he was a heck of a player. It's, uh, Raf, can you, can you hang on? You betcha.

All right. We're going to go to break. We'll continue the quarterback conversation here on one on. what. Download our app by searching 93.7, the ticket in your app store. You're listening to One-on-One with DP on 937 the Ticket and the Ticketfm.com.