Uncle Taylor

PYB would like to thank the Omaha World-Herald's Jon Nyatawa, as he replied to a Twitter request that asked him to further dissect some statistics he'd published earlier this week. We had asked him to sort Taylorina Martinez's passing stats by weeding out the games against inept teams, leaving just games against UCLA, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. Of course, these teams are marginal in their own right, but are obviously a notch above the Idaho States of the world:

Throws of < 10 yards: 67%. This proves what we already know. Tim Beck likes going sideways with meaningless passes against better defenses, even if it means giving Ohio State seven free points to start the game by telegraphing a seven-yard out pattern.

Throws of 10-25 yards: 39%. These are the throws that would be meaningful to success in close games. Passes that would move the chains and keep better teams off balance. As you can see, a mere 31% under T Vagic's season-long goal of 70%.

Throws of > 25 yards: 80% (4/5). A couple meaningful gains, and the rest garbage-time desperation passes. Irrelevant, for the most part.

Completion percentage on 1st and 2nd downs: 67%. When Beck can dink and dunk for three or four yards, trying to sugar-coat Martinez's numbers.

Completion percentage on 3rd down: A very unsurprising 30%. When the money is on the line, Martinez is terrible. Always has been, always will be.

This will never change and is why Taylorina should have been jettisoned two years ago. None of this really matters, though, Nebraska can still make the Rose Bowl.

PYB again thanks Mr. Nyatawa for the time spent on this and for providing us solid sportswriting without the ego shown by some of his OWH counterparts. We urge PYB readers to send  him thanks as well at @JonNyatawa as you have time....