Wednesday notes: Gebbia changed tone after QB decision

Nebraska quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco has been coaching for a long time, and he’s never encountered a situation like he did this week with quarterback Tristan Gebbia.

When Verduzco told Gebbia he didn’t win the starting quarterback job on Saturday, the redshirt freshman acted as if he had no plans to leave. Then that all changed within 24 hours.

“Well I can only tell you, there was no indication to me whatsoever that any of this was going to take place,” Verduzco said. “And if there was any indication to me it would have come upon me to say, ‘Hey Coach Frost, this might take place, we’ve got to have some forward thinking about it and a plan and so forth.’

“But I can tell you when I talked to Tristan on Saturday, he said, 'Coach, I’m going to work as hard as I ever had, and when my number’s called, I’ll be ready to go. And I’ll be one of Adrian’s biggest supporters.' And he thanked me for our professionalism in terms of how we handled it, and that he didn’t have to hear it on the internet and all that sort of stuff.

"And I said, ‘Hey listen, as long as Coach Frost is here, those things aren’t going to take place.’ And then he called me on, I guess it was Sunday, and let me know, which I appreciated, obviously, and I wished him the best of luck and if there was anything I could do for him. So, I guess it’s a long-winded way of answering your question, I had no idea.”

Verduzco reiterated that from the time he talked with Gebbia on Saturday to the time they spoke Sunday, somebody had gotten to him and completely flipped his take on the situation.

“When he called me, he just had a different tone in his voice, you know, than when we had talked in person on Saturday,” Verduzco said. “And he’s such a neat young guy, you know, he answered me when we talked on Saturday in relation to the information we gave him like the champion and the great teammate that I thought he was. That was it.

“And then he called me on Saturday and his tone was different, and I could sense it, at least I could in my own little world, and so I just wished him the best of luck and if there was anything I could do for him for him to let me know. But I had no idea.”

- Sean Callahan

Nebraska’s quarterback situation instantly got a little dicey following Gebbia’s decision to transfer from the program, as it suddenly left Martinez as the lone remaining scholarship QB on the roster going in the season opener.

That led to questions of whether the Husker coaches would opt to dial things back a bit in their play calling as to not put Martinez in any additional risk for injury than necessary.

A player who missed his entire senior high school season to a significant shoulder injury, Martinez is a player who hasn't played a full live game in nearly two years. He also has two walk-ons as his backups in sophomore Andrew Bunch and true freshman Matt Masker.

All that considered, offensive coordinator Troy Walters said the new quarterback situation wouldn’t change the way they operate one bit.

“Our motto is ‘attack,’” Walters said. “We’re going to play to win, and whatever gives us the best chance to be successful, whatever Adrian does the best, that’s what we’re going to do. Obviously, he can beat you with his legs, but he’s getting a lot better with his arm, and you’ll see him make some plays with his arm out there on Saturday.”

- Robin Washut

No player has seen his role on the team change more over the past 48 hours than Bunch, who vaulted up to the No. 2 quarterback following Gebbia’s unexpected departure.

But even though his place on Nebraska’s depth chart took a major turn, Bunch hasn’t changed his approach at all from the way it’s been since the day he first arrived on campus.

“My preparation hasn’t changed,” Bunch said. “Whether I was third string or first string I was still going to prepare the same way. The preparation hasn’t changed, but I’m excited there will possibly be an opportunity to play Saturday.”

Bunch garnered a somewhat unexpected amount of praise from his coaches and teammates alike over the course of the offseason, as the Huskers’ new offense seemed much better tailored to his skill set than the previous system.

That confidence has only progressed now going into the first game week, as Walters said he still feels very good about the quarterback situation even after losing Gebbia.

“Guys have put in the work,” Walters said. “We’re excited about the guys that are still here on this team because they’ve proven themselves. We’ve thrown a lot at them. It’s been hard, it’s been difficult, and those guys have stuck it out.

“So we’re confident with whoever we put in the game that they’re prepared. We take a lot of reps in practice, and I think that helps. So whoever gets the call we’re confident they’re going to be able to go out there and lead this offense.”

- Robin Washut

The next layer of Gebbia’s transfer is what Nebraska would do if it eventually found itself in a situation where it needed to play a fourth emergency quarterback?

Given how recently Gebbia’s departure went down, Walters said the staff hadn’t had an opportunity to sit down and discuss that scenario yet.

However, the first potential candidate he mentioned was true freshman cornerback Cam Taylor, who was a standout at Montgomery (Ala.) Park Crossing last year.

Taylor racked up 2,496 yards of total offense and a combined 30 touchdowns as a senior last season, including throwing for 1,466 yards and 16 touchdowns. He added 1,030 yards rushing to earn first-team Alabama Class 6A all-state honors as an athlete.

“We’ll have to talk it over,” Walters said of the fourth QB. “Cam Taylor, the cornerback, he’s played some quarterback. We’ll have to talk it over, but hopefully it doesn’t get to that point.”

As for the No. 3, Masker’s plate got a lot fuller over the past few days. A two-time all-state selection in his own right, the former Kearney (Neb.) Catholic threw for more than 7,000 yards at a 63.4 clip with 86 touchdowns.

Walters said the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Masker had a lot of work to do before being ready to play in a game but noted he’s made a lot of progress in the first few weeks that he’s been on campus.

“He’s done a good job,” Walters said. “He can throw the ball, Any quarterback we have we want them to throw the ball, but we also want them to be able to beat the defense with their legs. He can do it all.

“As a freshman, we’re throwing a lot at him. But he’s doing a good job of grasping it, and when he gets his reps he goes in and makes the most of it.”

- Robin Washut

Martinez will make history Saturday as the first true freshman to ever open the season as Nebraska’s starting quarterback.

As rare as that is, offensive line coach Greg Austin says his group isn’t treating the situation any differently than they would if the starter was a fifth-year senior.

“I think it’s more of, if we do our job then he will be able to do his job," Austin said. "I think that’s the conversation that we have. I don’t try to put extra emphasis on, ‘Hey, we’ve got to cover up for the true freshman quarterback.’ If we do our job, because we’ve trusted the routines that we’ve built with all of our quarterbacks, no matter who they are, then we function as an offense because everybody just does their job.”

Austin did acknowledge that the offensive line does have a significant amount of experience that will certainly be an advantage as seniors Tanner Farmer, Cole Conrad, and Jerald Foster can make sure things don’t get out of control.

“Now there’s an extra little intangible experience up front that we have to make sure that those guys are keeping level heads so that (Martinez) can keep level-headed and not get happy feet in the pocket,” Austin said. “In terms of pass plays, being a controller of the game, I think it’s that brother-to-brother, eye-to-eye, kind of, ‘I got you’ deal that they have going on between Tanner and Cole and Jerald and all of those guys.”

- Nate Clouse

Sophomore cornerback Dicaprio Bootle enters Saturday’s Akron game ready to take on two roles. When the Huskers are in their base defense he’ll be a traditional corner, but when they move into a five defensive back look, he’ll move inside to nickel.

On Wednesday, Bootle said he feels like he’s prepared to handle both duties.

“Very comfortable,” Bootle said of playing corner and nickel. “I know when I’m at corner what I’ve got to do, and I know my job at nickel so I’m just trying to watch film from both perspectives seeing going out there at nickel, what can hurt me, what can’t, know the kind of routes I’m going to get and then doing the same at corner.”

However, even though Bootle will be taking on two different starting type roles Saturday, he’s not wearing a Blackshirt on the practice field this week. In fact, nobody is, and it’s a decision that defensive coordinator Erik Chinander made based on last year’s play and the number of undefined starters they currently have.

“You know if that’s what it’s going to be then that’s what it’s going to be,” Bootle said of Chinander’s Blackshirt approach. “We obviously have to prove that we deserve a Blackshirt, prove that we’re willing to go out there and work hard and just lay it on the line for this university, so I think it’s a good decision to hold out on the Blackshirts and earn the Blackshirts.”

- Sean Callahan

***Walters said he told all of his receivers before the Week 1 depth chart was released that there was no depth chart for the wideouts. He expects to play as many as seven receivers in games, meaning guys like Jaevon McQuitty - who was left off the initial two-deep roster - should still see the field on Saturday.

“I told the receivers before the depth chart came out that we don’t have a depth chart,” Walters said. “I’ve got to release something. So you’re going to see five, six, seven guys playing. We’re going to rotate guys, we’re going to keep receivers fresh and try to wear out secondaries. So you’re going to see all those guys play at some point in the game.”

***Walters and Verduzco said until NU hears something official on the eligibility status of Noah Vedral, he would continue to be the scout team QB and not be included in the quarterback game prep.

“Right now until we hear otherwise he’s ineligible," Walters said. "We’re trying to get the guys that are eligible, guys that have an opportunity to play on Saturday, we’ve got to get those guys reps. Until we hear further, he’s working with the scout team and not getting any reps.”

***Walters called Devine Ozigbo “Mr. Reliable” because of how consistent he’s been in all of his assignments from the running game to pass protection to route running. Walters said Ozigbo was a back that was going to get you four yards more often than not, and there was always a need for a guy like that.

“When he’s out there you know he’s going to know what to do…" Walters said. "He’s one of those guys, he’s going to get four yards. He may not bust a 50-yarder, 60-yarder, but he’s consistent and he’s going to get you the four or five yards, and at times that’s what we’re going to need.”

***Offensive line coach Greg Austin said he expects a number of his backups to see the field on Saturday, especially guard Boe Wilson. How many will rotate depends on the flow of the game, but they want to play as many linemen as they can.

***Verduzco said he sees a lot of similarities between where Bunch is at this point in his career and where Vedral was last year at UCF.

***Running backs coach Ryan Held said on every game day before kickoff he quizzes head coach Scott Frost on that week’s play sheet, which generally is around 100 plays. Even when he mixes things up with different game situations, Held said Frost always gets every call right, saying Frost had a “gift” with that ability. “It’s poetry in motion,” Held said.