Five things we learned from Nebraska's Red-White Spring Game
With more than 66,000 fans on hand, Nebraska unofficially debuted the Matt Rhule era during Saturday’s annual Spring Game.
Here are five of our biggest takeaways from the White team’s 21-7 victory over the Red…
Ball security is a problem
Since the day he arrived, Rhule has made it clear that taking care of the football was priority No. 1, 2, and 3 for his program.
If Saturday was any indication, Nebraska has a long way to go in that regard.
The Huskers turned the ball over a whopping eight times between the two teams. They put the ball on the ground eight times, losing six fumbles.
That included a strip-sack on quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (which was probably an incomplete pass) that got returned for a touchdown.
Quarterback Richard Torres lost a fumble and threw a pick, while Chubba Purdy was also picked off and gave it away on a fumbled snap.
Running backs Gabe Ervin Jr. and Ajay Allen both coughed the ball up, as did receiver Ty Hahn after a would-be first-down catch.
At one point in the third quarter, NU committed four turnovers over a span of just eight plays.
Rhule said the carelessness with the football obviously “bothered me,” adding, “For me, there is no excuse for fumbles.”
Quarterbacks weren’t perfect, but showcased potential
Saturday was a bit of a mixed bag for one of the most important position battles on the roster.
Nebraska’s quarterbacks all showed flashes in the spring game, led by newcomer Jeff Sims. The former Georgia Tech transfer finished 9-of-13 passing for 139 yards with a rushing touchdown.
That included a seven-yard touchdown run where he barreled through a would-be tackle and trotted into the end zone. He also fumbled two snaps but was lucky enough to recover both.
Haarberg took his first snap of the day for a 23-yard option keeper and then capped off the scoring drive with a two-point conversion pass to Billy Kemp. But his lost fumble on a sack resulted in the Red team’s first touchdown.
Haarberg missed his first six passing attempts and took a 16-yard sack leading to a missed field goal. He ended up just 2-of-9 passing for minus-1 yards while rushing seven times for 19 yards.
Purdy was 6-of-13 for 55 yards, a pick, and a lost fumble while playing for both teams. Torres had a tough day, going 9-for-18 for 66 yards and two turnovers.
Nebraska’s young d-line impressed
One of the pressing concerns for Nebraska this offseason is retooling its defensive line. It was only a spring game, but several young Huskers made their presence known on Saturday.
Cameron Lenhardt, AJ Rollins, Princewill Umanmielen, Maverick Noonan, and Brodie Tagaloa created splash plays in their spring game debuts.
Lenhardt was a force off the edge, finished with four tackles, and easily beat starting left tackle Turner Corcoran to the backfield on several occasions.
In his first “game” since moving from tight end to defensive end, Rollins posted four tackles and a TFL. He also batted a third-down pass.
Umanmielen dropped Haarberg for a sack that led to a missed field goal and stuffed Anthony Grant for a five-yard loss on third down. He finished with a game-high three TFLs and a breakup.
Noonan had two stops and pressured Haarberg before Umanmielen finished him off. Tagaloa ended with two tackles for loss and dropped Brian Buschini on a fake punt run.
Kicking and punting remain very much a work in progress
Given how limited and modified the third element was in Saturday’s scrimmage, it was difficult to fully evaluate Nebraska’s special teams.
But much was left to be desired when it came to making field goals and executing punts.
After knocking in his first attempt from 49 yards on the opening drive, incumbent No. 1 kicker Timmy Bleekrode missed his next two field goal attempts from 46 and 43 yards.
Backup kicker Spencer Pankratz connected on his lone try from 38 yards.
Even the punting game was a bit shaky with the usually dependable Buschini. He only attempted one punt that traveled just 35 yards. Buschini tried to run on two other punts, getting stuffed for turnovers on downs both times.
Rhule took the blame for those runs after the game. He told Buschini to try and convert first downs to balance out the snaps because of all the turnovers.
A special day for Frank Solich
One of the best storylines from the day was former Nebraska player and coach Frank Solich being honored at halftime.
Athletic director Trev Alberts, legendary former NU coach Tom Osborne, and several family members were all in attendance. Solich got a loud ovation from the fans as he took the field and said a few words to the crowd.
During the ceremony, Alberts also announced that the Huskers would be naming their new football locker room after Solich.
It was a day many felt was long overdue, marking Solich’s first public appearance at NU since he was fired as head coach in 2003.
Nebraska also painted “45” at each 45-yard line on the field, a tribute to Solich’s old number as a Husker fullback. Even more, Rhule’s very first play call from scrimmage was a fullback trap to Janiran Bonner.
