According to his favorite receiving target, Zac Lee is always doing something “crazy” in Nebraska’s locker room.

Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee celebrates after throwing a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Niles Paul, part of a comeback from a 12-0 deficit to a 27-12 victory on Oct. 8 in Columbia, Mo. (JEFF ROBERSON / Ap)

Niles Paul said the junior quarterback from California often cuts it up, whether he’s telling a joke, pulling a prank or impersonating one of his coaches.

“It’s pretty funny,” Paul said of Lee’s impressions, although he wouldn’t reveal which coaches provide the comedic material.

Paul said Lee’s demeanor on the field is usually much more serious, but he offered a glimpse into his other personality during last week’s win at Missouri. When the Cornhuskers’ offense erupted for three touchdowns during a span of less than four minutes early in the fourth quarter — turning a 12-0 deficit into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish — Lee was all smiles and even did a little dancing in the rain at the Tigers’ Faurot Field.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen Zac do something like that on the field in the game,” Paul said. “… It made me laugh a little bit.”
Not much earlier, though, the Cornhuskers’ mood — and that of their first-year starting quarterback — was much more somber. Lee completed only eight of his first 24 pass attempts, and with Nebraska still scoreless well into the second half, backup quarterback Cody Green was warming up on the sideline.

But Lee remained in the game, and he eventually came through. Beginning with Nebraska’s first scoring drive, which started with 1:25 left in the third quarter, he was 6-of-7 passing for 83 yards and the three TDs, the first two of which went to Paul.

“I think we just got in a rhythm — not just me but everybody,” Lee said. “In the third quarter we hit like two or three passes before the fourth quarter started, and I also think we just started feeling better about ourselves for whatever reason.”

The Missouri game could be considered a microcosm of Lee’s first season succeeding wily veteran Joe Ganz — up and down but good enough in the end. In Nebraska’s first two games the 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior college transfer completed 42 of 57 passes for 553 yards with six touchdowns and only one interception, but in the next game — a 16-15 loss at Virginia Tech — Lee was just 11-of-30 passing for 136 yards, no TDs and two picks.

He returned to top form in a 55-0 blowout of Louisiana-Lafayette, completing 15 of 18 attempts for 238 yards and a score, and then came the roller coaster performance against Missouri.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini described Lee as a work in progress but said, “He’s played pretty consistent football throughout. I like where Zac is.”
“I’ve seen a lot of growth in him, and we need a lot more to happen,” Pelini said. “I think we’ll see a lot more. You get better with experience, and I think we’ll see that with Zac.”

Despite his uneven performance so far, Paul said he has “all my confidence in Zac” and trusts him to make the right plays and at the right times.

“Game by game, Zac’s getting better and better and getting more comfortable in that position,” said Paul, who leads Nebraska with 16 receptions for 212 yards and three TDs. “Quarterback is probably the toughest position to be in in college ball, and he’s adjusting great to it. Even when he’s not doing too great or people don’t think he’s doing too great, he sticks with it and always pulls it out.”

Lee will get another challenge today against Texas Tech, which is tied for the Big 12 Conference lead with 18 sacks. Lee said he has great respect for the Red Raiders’ defense, especially against the pass, and he hopes to emulate Ganz’s performance against Tech from a year ago.
In a game Nebraska lost 37-31 in overtime, Ganz was 36-of-44 passing for 349 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Cornhuskers hold the ball for more than 40 minutes of regulation.

“We feel like they have a really good defensive line,” Lee said of the Red Raiders. “We feel like their front seven is very strong, and their (defensive backs) are Big 12 DBs.

“They’re very good at what they do. They fly around to the ball and they’ve got some guys that make plays. It’s critical that we have some sort of ball control and sustain some drives.”

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