Nebraska Football: ‘Banged up’ Logan Smothers takes center stage

Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Logan Smothers (8) passes in the second half (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)
Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Logan Smothers (8) passes in the second half (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports) /
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The Nebraska football team’s season hasn’t been going the way many hoped for quite a while now. But even in a season where few people thought much good would come of it, the final couple of weeks are seeing this campaign spin out of control. The latest problem that’s arisen? It appears the Cornhuskers are out of healthy quarterbacks they feel confident in playing.

So Logan Smothers – interim head coach Mickey Joseph said is “banged up” – will likely be starting next weekend’s game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Should that come to pass, he’ll be the third starting quarterback for Nebraska football this year. Just how effective he can be is yet to be seen.

That Logan Smothers is banged up is a rather new development. Joseph said his third-string quarterback has been dealing with some injury for the last few weeks. However, the usually forthcoming coach wouldn’t elaborate on what the injury might be.

Joseph did make it clear that Chubba Purdy exited the game with a high ankle sprain. Considering he was spotted on crutches wearing a boot, it doesn’t appear he’s going to be playing anytime soon. It would seem his season is likely over, actually.

As has been pointed out, if Logan Smothers has been banged up for two weeks, it explains why he didn’t start for the Nebraska football team despite looking like the better quarterback whenever he’s entered the game.

Sadly, according to PFF, Purdy was having the best game of his Husker career before the injury. However, once he left, the Huskers went to their third QB, who graded out ok (64.3) but only threw for 15 yards.

Nebraska football limps to the finish line

Of course, against Michigan, it didn’t even seem as though the Cornhuskers expected to do much. They threw for 71 yards total. They ran for 75. Nothing worked. Including the quarterbacks.

Maybe now that the game where the Huskers were 30-point underdogs and still lost ATS is over, they can regroup a bit. Maybe not wondering who will start between Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers will allow the team to gather itself behind the new number one.

Related Story. Progression of Logan Smothers sounds promising. light

The first order of business is to see how good Number 8 can be now that he seems to have the job. There’s also the question of whether the Nebraska football team might change up its game plan for Logan Smothers or continue along with the game plan it installed for Casey Thompson. That could go a long way to determining how much success the offense has at least next week.