Zac Taylor vs. Kansas: A Little-Remembered Gem From the 2006 Vault

Yardage came in extra-large chunks for the Husker QB who will coach in Sunday’s Super Bowl

Zac Taylor was a record-setting ball-slinger and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year during his time at Nebraska a decade and a half ago. And yet the Husker quarterback-turned-NFL coach is often forgotten when legendary Nebraska signal-callers are discussed.

Perhaps that’s because fans would just as soon forget the Bill Callahan era in Lincoln. Perhaps it’s because Taylor lacked the cannon arm and blue-chip pedigree of, say, Harrison Beck, who left Lincoln after losing the QB competition to Taylor. That prompted Beck’s mother to infamously grouse: “It’d be different if he was sitting behind Matt Leinart or Brady Quinn. Zac’s OK; I wish him all the best, but he’s just OK.”

Perhaps it’s because there were a few too many losses and no major bowl wins. But just OK? Most would beg to differ, even if they aren’t ready to place Taylor on the proverbial Mount Rushmore of Husker quarterbacks. 

One thing’s for certain: In his third year as an NFL head coach, Taylor is doing far better than just OK.

As he prepares to lead his Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams, it seems appropriate to look back at a performance from Taylor’s two years as a Husker. Obvious choices would be the astonishing domination of Colorado in Boulder when the Buffs were two-touchdown favorites in 2005, or the improbable drive in the final two minutes to win at Texas A&M in 2006 and clinch the Big Ten North championship. Instead, we have chosen what seems particularly fitting: an underappreciated game from an underappreciated quarterback. 

Nebraska 39, Kansas 32 (OT)

On this nerve-wracking September evening in Lincoln, Zac Taylor completed just 15 of his 33 passes, but that didn’t stop him from posting spectacular numbers and delivering crucial plays in the Huskers’ conference opener against Kansas.

Three of Taylor’s throws went for touchdowns of 75 or more yards, the first time that’s believed to have happened at any Big 12 school. Those three plays accounted for more than half of his 395 passing yards, which at the time was the second-highest single-game total in program history. (Ho-hum: Taylor also owned the No. 1 and No. 3 spots on the chart.)

Taylor wasted no time getting going against the Jayhawks. On the game’s second play from scrimmage, Taylor connected with a wide-open Terrence Nunn down the left sideline for 75 yards, and Nebraska was on its way to a 17-0 lead. A 78-yarder down the right sideline to Frantz Hardy in the second quarter made it 24-7, with Taylor delivering the ball on the run just before being forced out of bounds.

This, however, would not be a good old-fashioned rout of Kansas. After an ineffective first 15 minutes, KU found a rhythm on offense and proved difficult to stop. Aided by a suddenly sputtering Husker offense and a pair of Nebraska fumbles, the resurgent Jayhawks reeled off 18 consecutive points over the next 30 minutes of play. With a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Kansas seized the lead, 25-24.

The Huskers began their subsequent possession poorly. A sack followed by a bad center snap had Nebraska quickly facing third-and-18 at its own 25 with under 4½ minutes remaining. Needing to make something good happen, Taylor dropped back and heaved a bomb down the left sideline. Thirty-five yards downfield, Hardy outmaneuvered a Jayhawk defender, latched onto the ball just inside the KU 40 and raced into the end zone.

“I just threw it up,” Taylor said afterward, “and Frantz made a play on it.”

Hardy’s 75-yard touchdown catch was followed by what turned out to be an equally big play, though it covered just three yards: a bullet from Taylor to a tightly defended Nate Swift at the goal line for a two-point conversion. That gave Nebraska a 32-25 lead with 4:13 remaining.

The Jayhawks, however, weren’t finished. Kansas quieted the crowd by driving 81 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown and the tying extra point. This thing was going into overtime.

The Jayhawks won the coin toss, putting extra pressure on Taylor and the offense to deliver. And deliver they did. On the second play of OT, Taylor connected with wide receiver Nate Swift on a crossing route for 21 yards to the Kansas 1, and I-back Cody Glenn did the scoring honors on the next play. 

Now it was Kansas’ turn on offense. The Jayhawks used a fourth-down conversion to keep their hopes alive, but the Nebraska 9 was as far as they could get. After surrendering 574 yards to the visitors, the Huskers’ Blackshirt defense forced three consecutive incompletions to end the game.

The 39-32 victory gave Nebraska a 1-0 start in Big 12 play en route to the North Division championship. As it turned out, the three longest touchdown passes of Taylor’s Nebraska career all occurred on this almost-forgotten September night.

Game gallery

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Nebraska’s Brandon Jackson is sandwiched by Kansas’ Russell Brorsen (81) and Mike Rivera after a five-yard gain on the Huskers’ first play from scrimmage. It was a nice start for the Huskers, but it paled in comparison to the following play.

Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics

Terrence Nunn is five yards behind the defender as he gets set to catch Zac Taylor’s pass in stride for a 75-yard touchdown. The Huskers were on the scoreboard  after running just two plays from scrimmage.

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Todd Peterson gets up after his six-yard scoring catch gave the Huskers a two-touchdown lead less than five minutes into the game. The score came one play after Andrew Shanle’s second interception of the still-young first quarter. 

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A third-down deflection near the goal line by Kansas’ Eric Washington keeps Terrence Nunn from giving the Huskers a three-touchdown lead late in the first quarter. Jordan Congdon kicked a 21-yard field goal on the next play. 

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Cortney Grixby takes down Kansas’ Derek Fine at the Nebraska 1 at the end of a 40-yard pass play in the second quarter. KU’s first touchdown followed, capping a 95-yard drive that served notice the Jayhawks would not go down without a fight. 

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Tierre Green celebrates with Cortney Grixby (2) and Andrew Shanle (8) after recovering a Kansas fumble at the Nebraska 2 in the second quarter. The turnover was forced by Corey McKeon, and it thwarted what had been shaping up as KU’s second consecutive touchdown drive.

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Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan celebrates with Zac Taylor after the senior quarterback’s 78-yard touchdown pass to Frantz Hardy in the second quarter. The score came three plays after Tierre Green’s fumble recovery at the Nebraska 2.

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For the second time in three possessions, a Kansas scoring threat ends with a turnover inside the Nebraka 5. Andre Jones (25) is shown celebrating his interception in the end zone with Ola Dagunduro (54) and Barry Cryer (94) with 2:20 left in the second quarter

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Corey McKeon (13) breaks up a third-down pass intended for KU’s Dexton Fields. The play forced Kansas to punt late in the third quarter after the Jayhawks had bolted from their own 24 to the Nebraska 36 on a 40-yard pass play.

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Nate Swift gains short yardage with a catch early in the fourth quarter against Kansas’ Aqib Talib. The possession was the Huskers’ seventh in a row to end with a punt or a turnover - and no points. One of the fumbles came when Zac Taylor was sacked inside the NU 10 on Nebraska's first possession of the second half. 

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska’s Tierre Green (30) and Andrew Shanle (8) stop Jon Cornish for a two-yard gain, but there was no stopping this Kansas drive. KU’s 88-yard march put the Jayhawks in the lead for the first time, 25-24, with 6½ minutes left in the fourth quarter. 

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Frantz Hardy sprints toward the end zone on a 75-yard reception to end Nebraska’s scoring drought. The Huskers now had the lead again with a little over four minutes left in regulation, and the ensuing two-point conversion - a pass from Zac Taylor to Nate Swift - proved to be crucial. 

More details about the game, including press coverage, stats and commentary, can be found on the HuskerMax game page. The full game is viewable on YouTube at this link.

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More images from Taylor’s Nebraska career