LINCOLN — The thought of integrating Nebraska's top backup quarterback into Saturday's game plan hasn't elicited much dialogue from the NU staff.

The coaches certainly don't hesitate to compliment Cody Green, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound freshman who moved ahead of the team's other quarterbacks last week and snatched the No. 2 job behind junior starter Zac Lee.

They say Green is a capable leader and mature 18-year-old. He made a pre-snap decision like a veteran Monday, one of many indications that the first-year signal caller could see some time on the field when Nebraska hosts Florida Atlantic for the season opener Saturday.

But coach Bo Pelini and his assistants have made their point clear on the plan for Green: Right now, they're not telling.

“The most important thing for me is to win the football game,” Pelini said. “I'll worry about all that other stuff when the time comes.”

Surely, though, the staff has considered it.

Ever since Lee emerged as the hands-down winner in last spring's battle for the first-team quarterback spot, he's been expected to become the manager of the NU offense. That hasn't changed.

But a preseason camp priority was grooming his reserves, not as eventual replacements, but as legitimate insurance policies in case of injury.

Green emerged as the guy — so much so that offensive coordinator Shawn Watson went out of his way this week to say that Green was further ahead than any other freshman he's ever coached. Pelini seemed pleased with Green's improvement as well.

“I'm seeing the things that are being taught to him applied,” Pelini said. “And it's fun to watch because I'm seeing a lot of development.”

However, it's still just an assessment from practice, where Green is protected by a no-contact jersey and not influenced by the numerous intangible elements associated with football game days at this level.

Nebraska helped its backups adjust to true game speed last year by inserting them into the action only during the final minutes of blowouts. Patrick Witt played in five games. Lee appeared in two.

Witt and Lee didn't have meaningful snaps, a philosophy that could be heavily criticized if applied again with Green this year. Much of Nebraska's enthusiastic fan base views Green, a highly touted recruit, as a future star — a future star who could redshirt in 2009 and have one extra year to wear Husker red.

But it appears that NU coaches will wait until Saturday to share any of their secrets on Green. Watson said they'll begin with Lee and do whatever it takes to win.

“We're coming out to win a ballgame,” he said. “We're going to play our starter.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com

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