LINCOLN — Mike McNeill said he and his Nebraska offensive teammates were on board.

Taylor Martinez was emerging as the Huskers' starting quarterback last week, and major change was on its way to becoming official by Saturday night.

Martinez was a redshirt freshman unseating a senior who had started 12 games last season (along with a sophomore who had started two). Some veterans would have to adjust to seeing one of their own on the bench as NU started the season.

McNeill was asked Tuesday if Martinez needed to be assured that he had their confidence.

“I hope he didn't feel that,” said McNeill, a third-year starter with 61 career receptions. “I hope that's not the way we come across. I think the receivers and the rest of the offense, we're open to whoever won the battle.

“You may be better friends with one person on the team, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be upset if he's not playing or if he loses his job. You're going to stick by what the coaches decide. If Taylor won the competition — like he did — he should know that he has the faith from all of us and the belief that he can do it.”

Quarterback feelings were a common topic Tuesday. It was a given through preseason practice that two players were going to walk away disappointed — and there was no guarantee they wouldn't walk away bitter.

NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson applauded both Zac Lee and Cody Green for their reaction, which he said could end up being “key to our success as a team.”

“I'm proud of what they've done, because both Cody and Zac obviously wanted to have that opportunity,” Watson said. “And those guys have put the team first, which is part of our culture here.”

Martinez started and played a total of eight offensive series in the 49-10 win over Western Kentucky. Green played one possession in the second quarter and another in the fourth. Lee finished with the last two series in duty more reminiscent of his time as Joe Ganz's backup in 2008.

Green said Tuesday that he felt he got a fair shake in preseason practice. Watson, he said, always let the quarterbacks know where they stood. Watson said he never met with anybody individually because he always wanted them to hear the same things.

“It would be a lot worse if everything was secretive and then all of a sudden, bam, here's the starter,” Green said. “It wasn't like that. We knew that he (Martinez) was starting and the reasons why he was starting, basically. We knew all the way through the things that he did and the things that we had done — the goods and the bads. So it wasn't such a surprise to us.”

Green, the only quarterback who chose to do interviews after practice Tuesday, said he could appreciate how tough the decision had to be for Watson.

“I would not like to be in his shoes, because there are three quarterbacks who were so close all through fall camp,” Green said. “Honestly, I don't think he would have been wrong picking any of us. For him and the job that he does, I don't know if I could do it. I'd rather sit here and play than call the shots.”

Watson hardly is through, however. The quarterback picture could be an ongoing drama for a team that climbed to Nos. 6 and 7 in the two major polls after the first weekend of games.

Martinez is clearly the starter heading into Saturday's home game with Idaho. NU head coach Bo Pelini said after seeing a game that “nothing's really changed as far as what our plan is with the quarterbacks,” but added that it's all subject to change depending on practice and games.

The current plan required Lee to step aside as a senior after taking the Nebraska offense through most of last season. Many still expected Lee to enter the season with the No. 1 job despite going through offseason surgery and rehab on his throwing arm.

Watson said he and Pelini sat down with Lee and told him they understood how hard it was to accept the decision.

“He has a strong leadership with our guys,” Watson said. “He's very well-respected. He's a guy we wanted to make sure he understood, from us, his role was even more important now, and how he handled it would really say a lot about who he is and what his intentions are for our team.

“I think he's answered like a champion, man. He's been awesome.”

Watson has other decisions brewing now.

Will the quarterback order and rotation be the same Saturday? Is NU set up to offer defenses a change of pace with substitutions? Does he see a scenario anytime soon of choosing one quarterback and one quarterback only?

“Stay tuned,” Watson said. “We'll see. We'll see where we grow to. See what happens.”

Contact the writer:

444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com

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