If Nebraska's offense is going to improve, it will be on the arm of quarterback Taylor Martinez.

Almost since the start of the Bo Pelini era in Lincoln, Nebraska's offense has been a stumbling block for its success.

When Martinez got his first start as a freshman in 2009, many Nebraska fans thought that problem was solved.

Watching him work his T-Magic with his legs and with his arm, it looked like Nebraska was going to get an offense to match the world-class defense Pelini had put on the field.

Then the injuries happened.

And the losses started to mount.

And Martinez's deficiencies, particularly in throwing the ball, became more apparent.

Crucial interceptions in crucial games vs Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Michigan laid the foundation for many fans to question Martinez's ability to lead NU's offense to glory.

With that as a backdrop, it is interesting to see two separate stories come out about Martinez working on his throwing mechanics leading into his junior season.

The Omaha World-Herald recounted a training session Martinez had with Steve Calhoun, a quarterback coach who worked with Cam Newton and Jake Locker prior to the NFL draft.

The primary message Calhoun imparted to Martinez, according to the article, was for him to work on his footwork.

"Get off the back right foot, transfer the weight to the left front foot and point that left foot toward the target. Then," Calhoun said, "Martinez can easily clear his front left shoulder and use his 'super-strong throwing arm' to its full potential."

According to the article, Martinez was open to the coaching.

"He taught me a lot of stuff," Martinez said.

Martinez's footwork was also the subject of a BTN interview between Gerry DiNardo and Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck, as recounted in the Omaha World-Herald.

As with Calhoun's tutelage, Beck focused on Martinez's footwork.

In demonstrating the concept, Beck referred to tape from Nebraska's game against Wisconsin where Martinez started on the wrong foot dropping back from a shotgun snap, resulting in him being too close to the line of scrimmage and in the wrong position when receivers went into their routes.

The result was a broken play and an interception.

Beck then showed film of this spring's seven-on-seven drills, where Martinez was using proper footwork and able to step into his throws with timing and accuracy.

Evidence, Beck claimed, of Martinez's improvement mechanically, and reason to be optimistic about his performance at quarterback in 2012.

This increased attention to Martinez's passing mechanics is certainly welcome.

As has been discussed previously, Martinez throwing the ball has frequently not been a pretty sight, and his passing deficiencies have played a part in Nebraska's struggles offensively.

But this is also the first year where Martinez hasn't had to learn a new offense.

Beck also has a year of experience under his belt and is not in a position where he is learning the offensive coordinator position and installing his vision of an offense.

Beck has also taken over the duties of quarterback coach, working directly with Martinez on his skills as a signal-caller.

Will it pay off?

We might get a glimpse at the Spring Game, but we are likely not to know the full answer until the fall.

After all, good technique in seven-on-seven drills is one thing. Good technique when opposing linebackers are chasing you down is quite another.

But, clearly, there is at least proper focus on the problem.

That's always the start of a solution.

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