Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
The Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Wyoming Cowboys 37-34 yesterday at Memorial Stadium. Several players and in this week coaches made an impact on the game both, good and bad. Here are this week’s Studs and Duds.
Studs:
1 Quincy Enunwa- 3 receptions for 27 yards and 2 TDs! Quincy was not targeted much in the game but he did a tremendous job on the outside run blocking, and when he was thrown to he made the most of it with two of his three catches going for touchdowns. Quincy has developed nicely into a leader and he showed it in the game last night, coming through when the team was in a fight to hold onto the win.
2 Stanley Jean Baptiste– 3 tackles 1 INT! Out of the seven guys who were handed blackshirts this week at practice Stanley turned in the most impressive game. The coaches said coming out of fall camp that he is playing the best he has since moving to cornerback. Stanley has grown into a starter on the defense and he is proving his worth.
3 Terrell Newby– 15 carries 76 yards! The true freshman showed us that he could very well be the future of the Nebraska running game with his speed and balance. He is an exciting new face that fans will warm up to for sure because of what he shows us.
Duds:
1 Tim Beck– 530 Offensive Yards 5 offensive TDs! We don’t normally have coaches as duds but Tim Beck makes my list not due to a of a lack in offensive production, but because the play calling in the game was untimely. They didn’t look to pass enough and they were predictable. I know sometimes teams hide parts of the playbook so the opposition won’t know what you do, but in order to win you have to be your best and the offense just wasn’t in last night’s game.
2 Pat Smith– 1/1 field goal attempts 4/5 extra points! We knew going into the season opener that there is competition for the kicker spot. Smith ended up shanking a can’t miss extra points like that. The extra-point kicks should be automatic. He is a walk-on transfer from Western Illinois and his competitor is on scholarship. Smith’s opportunity may be slipping away.
3 Taylor Martinez– 17-22 155 yards 3 TDs through the air. 16 rushes 80 yards on the ground! Taylor had a real tough game. He put up a good stat line but a late interception nearly cost the Huskers the ball game. Taylor also seemed to be stinging a bit, holding on to his left shoulder. When you’re hurt, you’re hurt. What is the injury and will he be healthy going into next week. Perhaps we see a different Taylor next week, but this wasn’t what we all were expecting from our senior quarterback.