Huskers name Keller starting QB
10/29/2007
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LINCOLN, Nebraska (Ticker) -- Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller
will miss the remainder of the regular season with a shoulder
injury, the school announced Monday. Keller suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of
Saturday's 28-25 loss to Texas. Nebraska coach Bill Callahan
did not reveal any details concerning the injury. A senior, Keller was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise
dismal season for the Cornhuskers (4-5), who are just 1-4 in
Big 12 Conference play. Playing in his first full season since transferring from Arizona
State, Keller started all nine games for Nebraska, completing
63 percent of his passes for 2,422 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10
interceptions. "I'm appreciative of (Keller's) efforts," Callahan said Monday
during a conference call. "He's a good kid, a classy
individual. He was a real leader for us during some troubled
times." Keller came from Arizona State last year after a bizarre turn of
events in Tempe. Named the MVP of the Sun Bowl after leading the Sun Devils to a
comeback victory over Purdue to cap the 2004 season, Keller
started 2005 by throwing for 2,165 yards and 20 TDs in the first
seven games of the season before a hand injury ended his
campaign. After being tabbed as the starter for Arizona State last season,
Keller was suddenly replaced when then-coach Dirk Koetter
changed his mind two days later and went with Rudy Carpenter. Callahan said Monday that junior Joe Ganz will start at
quarterback this coming Saturday against eighth-ranked Kansas. More of a scrambler than Keller, Ganz has 27 rushing yards on
just three carries this season and also has completed 3-of-4
passes for 75 yards and a TD. Ganz appeared in five games last
season, passing for 122 yards and three scores in limited
action. Keller's injury marks the latest disappointment in a disastrous
season for Nebraska, which is mired in its first four-game
losing streak since 1961. The Cornhuskers suffered a 45-14
defeat to Oklahoma State on October 13, their worst home loss
since 1958. The school fired athletic director Steve Pederson on October 15
and replaced him the following day with coaching legend Tom
Osborne, who guided the Cornhuskers to a 255-49-3 (.836) record
and national championships in 1994 and 1995. Nebraska did win the Big North title last year with a 9-5 record
before losing to Oklahoma in the conference championship game
and falling to Auburn in the Cotton Bowl.
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