SAN DIEGO — Cody Green feels strongly about his coach.
The sophomore quarterback stayed quiet as NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson came under fire often during the past two years from NU fans and media — criticism that reached a high point this month after Oklahoma held the Huskers scoreless in the second half of a 23-20 win over NU in the Big 12 championship game.
Green has something to say about it now.
“When people say bad stuff about Coach Watson, it’s one of those things that hits a button for me,” Green said, “because I know that it’s not what people think.”
Green said Watson isn’t the type to respond publicly to his critics.
“And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want us to either,” Green said, “but there’s a time and a point where you’ve just got to stand up and say, ‘Hey, you know what? It’s time to back off a little bit.’”
Green made the comments Monday after the Huskers prepared for the Holiday Bowl with a two-hour practice at the University of California, San Diego.
Green said he has watched with some concern as Watson got involved in the head coaching searches this month at Vanderbilt and Miami of Ohio. Vanderbilt hired Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin on Dec. 17.
Watson, 51, still appears under consideration at Miami, though the coach on Monday declined to discuss his interest in that job or any others.
“I don’t want to do that,” Watson said. “That’s not what’s important this week.”
In his first meeting with reporters since before the Dec. 4 Big 12 title game, Watson, 51, said he considered lifting freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez for Green or senior Zac Lee against the Sooners.
Aside from inserting I-back Rex Burkhead periodically as a Wildcat quarterback, Watson stuck with Martinez through a mistake-plagued performance. He was sacked seven times — more than once after holding the football for several seconds in the pocket — and committed two turnovers.
“The thing there, Taylor was struggling,” Watson said. “He got caught up in a lot of stuff going on. He was hurt. It was hard for him.”
Martinez fought an ankle injury that lingered during the final six games before this Holiday Bowl rematch with Washington. The quarterback also injured a foot in the Huskers’ Nov. 20 loss at Texas A&M.
He’s back now practicing at 100 percent health, Watson said, after the Huskers got a break from practice last week.
“That week off was good for him,” Watson said. “He needed that, obviously, needed the time to heal up. He’s running and making the same cuts, being explosive like he was in the preseason. It’s good to have him back healthy.”
Martinez looks intent to “prove himself” again in San Diego, Watson said.
Some observers see the need for the coach to do likewise after Nebraska’s offensive production dropped from 35.8 points per game during its first four Big 12 games to 24.4 in the final five against league competition.
“The people in the stands and people watching on TV,” Green said, “they don’t see what we see on a daily basis. He really is what everybody thought that he was. He’s a great offensive mind.”
While Watson has long had a goal of becoming a head coach, he said he’s not necessarily looking to leave Nebraska now. Regardless, he said, coach Bo Pelini and Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne have “been awesome” in their support.
“They understand,” Watson said. “It’s hard in this coaching business to put a time frame on it, because you don’t know. The beauty is in the beholder’s eye. You’ve just got to keep working hard and have a plan when the time comes. And if you’re the right guy, it’ll find you.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1031, mitch.sherman@owh.com, twitter.com/mitchsherman
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