Training camp preview: It's time for quarterback Jeff Sims, Nebraska to throw more touchdowns

One could pick any number of games that came to define Nebraska football under Scott Frost without selecting one from the strange, COVID-shaped 2020 football season.
But few games underlined the frustrating nature of Frost’s red zone offense better than the Huskers’ 21-13 loss at Northwestern. An empty Ryan Field bore witness to a half of mind-numbing futility that briefly led to a quarterback change in the program.
The Huskers had second-half drives of 67, 70 and 78 yards — and didn’t score any points. NU’s lone touchdown of the day came in the first half off from a 3-yard drive. In the final 30 minutes, Nebraska ran into a purple wall of Wildcats who successfully dared two quarterbacks — first, Adrian Martinez, then Luke McCaffrey — to complete a pass in the end zone.
Neither could do it. McCaffrey completed a pass to Bryce Benhart’s helmet, the ball bouncing away to be intercepted by a Northwestern defender but not to a receiver standing beyond the goal line.
"We had the ball down there, and we got to punch it in,” Frost said then. “Had two field goals in the first half instead of two touchdowns. Missed another field goal. Two interceptions. To come away with 13 points is inexcusable. That’s my fault.”
As the training camp preview begins, we point out: It's a fault that never really got corrected. Frost’s QBs struggled to throw touchdowns. In the five seasons Frost was head coach, Nebraska threw 67 total touchdowns. Among Big Ten teams, only Northwestern and Rutgers threw fewer of them over that stretch.
The 67 represented a major drop from Nebraska’s previous four seasons in the Big Ten as well. From 2014-17, the Huskers threw 92 touchdowns, or 23 per season. That rate led the Big Ten West. The Huskers averaged 13.4 passing touchdowns per season under Frost. That tied for fifth in the Big Ten, 2018-22, and was ten fewer per season. (Removing the COVID season a little — 15.5 per year — but not much.)
The upshot? Outside of the service academies, teams that threw for fewer touchdowns tend to score fewer points. Iowa threw 27 touchdowns in 2017 and 2018, and averaged more than 28 points both times. Iowa threw seven touchdowns in 2022, and averaged 17.7 points per game.
Nebraska threw 17 touchdown passes in 2022, which ranked 92nd nationally. The Huskers scored 22.6 points per game. Anemic in recent Husker history.
Red- White Spring Game, 4.22
Nebraska quarterback Jeff Sims looks to pass during the Red-White Spring Game on April 22 at Memorial Stadium.
Now, Jeff Sims has a chance to throw the touchdowns. He arrives from Georgia Tech having thrown 30 of them in 25 games. That's 1.2 TDs per game and slightly ahead of Adrian Martinez's career rate at Nebraska (1.15). It's behind Zac Taylor (1.73), Casey Thompson (1.7), Tommy Armstrong (1.48) and Taylor Martinez (1.27).
Of course, it's well ahead of his two backups, Chubba Purdy and Heinrich Haarberg, neither of whom have thrown a touchdown at NU. Sims is the clear clubhouse leader for the job, as evidenced by Nebraska's decision to take him to Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days.
Below is a snapshot preview of Nebraska's quarterback group as the Huskers prepare to begin training camp. Here's who to watch, the prove-it players and the pecking order.
Who’s here
Jeff Sims, Chubba Purdy, Heinrich Haarberg, Jack Woche, Luke Longval
Who’s new
Longval, a Sioux City East graduate who redshirted his one season at Iowa Western Community College while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Who’s hurt
None
Snapshot
An anticipated quarterback race never materialized once Casey Thompson, who started 10 games in 2021, opted to transfer to Florida Atlantic for his sixth and final season.
Thompson wanted a play-by-play, day-by-day battle in camp that coaches — trying to solidify the offense in year one of the Matt Rhule era — can’t afford to spend August conducting.
So Sims, the Georgia Tech transfer who led the No. 1 offense all spring, assumed the starting job with such certainty that he’ll represent NU at Big Ten Media Days.
Sims threw for 138 yards and rushed for a touchdown in Nebraska’s spring game, showing good touch in the pocket on seam routes and decent accuracy on the move.
Rhule pursued Sims for his running skill, too. All of three of NU’s scholarship QBs can run.
Purdy flashed that skill last season, although, in two games of action, he was too unsettled of a pocket passer. Haarberg got a good, long look in spring camp — Rhule said he was one of the better athletes on the team — and will have a chance to become Sims’ heir apparent. At least until Daniel Kaelin shows up next year.
Prove-it player
Heinrich Haarberg has a platform to win the backup job — and perhaps a role on Nebraska’s offense.
He’s a long-striding, dynamic runner who run around or through a defense, potentially taking a few carries per game off of Sims’ wear-and-tear.
While Haarberg could play that role whether or not he’s the true backup quarterback, beating out Chubba Purdy for the No. 2 spot would lend credence to Haarberg’s threat as a passer.
In multiple spring games, he’s been a little hit-and-miss, and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield continues to work with him.
Walk-on to watch
Jack Woche, who last year played at Mississippi before transferring to Nebraska.
At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, he has major college size and should help the Huskers prep for opponents in 2023.