Three instant takes from Nebraska's Red-White Spring game
Husker Head Coach Matt Rhule and his staff had their first chance to show their program and team. Nebraska’s Spring game was on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The White team took home the victory 21-7.
The White team had the No. 1 offense and the No. 2 defense. On the other sideline, the Red team featured the No. 1 defense and the No. 2 offense. This way the first-string players on both sides of the ball could play each other.
After the first glimpse of a new team, there are always so many observations to make but here are three instant takes from the spring game:
Quarterbacks
Both Jeff Sims and Heinrich Haarberg were on the White team with the No. 1 offense. Casey Thompson, who has been out this spring and was in street clothes, was on the White team too.
Sims and Haarberg switched off every two drives of Nebraska’s spring game.
Chubba Purdy, Richard Torres and Jack Woche were on the Red team.
Sims led Nebraska’s first two drives for team White. Nebraska scored back-to-back field goals. He had two consecutive big passes to wide receiver Billy Kemp IV and a 38-yard pass to Nate Boerkircher to get down the field.
He went 9-for-13 for 139 passing yards and seven rushing yards.
The Georgia Tech transfer has great zip on the ball and good accuracy. He and Kemp already look like they’ve developed a strong connection as Sims went to him twice in big moments.
As for Haarberg, he ripped off a 23-yard rush on his first snap of the game. He led the Huskers to their first touchdown of the game and connected with Kemp in the endzone for the two-point conversion.
However, with two tipped passes, Haarberg ended up going 0-for-6 in the first half with his only competition to Kemp in the endzone when they went for two. He went 2-for-9 for -1 passing yards during Nebraska’s spring game.
The sophomore was also sacked for a loss of 16. Maverick Noonan flushed him out of the pocket and Princewell Umanmielen sacked him.
Purdy had a 17-yard run and went 4-for-9 with 39 passing yards for the Red team. He took over on the last drive of the game for the White team. Purdy went 2-for-4 to go down the field and get into the red zone at the very end of the game. He threw an interception on the last play of the game.
Billy Kemp IV
Wide receiver Billy Kemp IV seems to be Nebraska’s No. 1 receiver at this point. Sims went to him on a big third down then followed it up with another gain of 15 yards or more.
Kemp was the guy Haarberg found wide open in the endzone for a two-point conversion to go up 14-0.
The Virginia transfer had one kick return of 16 yards and a punt return for a loss of three as Isaac Gifford brought him down.
The senior’s targets decreased toward the end of the game. However, he showed enough to make Husker nation feel good about his abilities.
Who will be another downfield threat is still a question. Marcus Washington had a team-high three catches for 42 yards. Nate Boerkircher had two catches for 39 yards.
Turnover trouble
Nebraska had eight turnovers. Five were by the Red team and three were committed by White. Sims fumbled on the handoff with Gabe Ervin Jr. but recovered his own fumble.
As for the Red team, Torres, WR Ty Hahn and RB Ajay Allen were all charged with a fumble.
Both of the white team QBs fumbled. Elijah Jeudy delivered a huge hit on Haarberg which caused him to turnover the ball. Michael Booker III scooped up the ball and ran it back for a 53-yard touchdown.
Phalen Sanford had the first interception of the game as he snagged one of Torres’s passes.
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Obviously, the Huskers’ offense was very sloppy with the ball. At one point, there were four turnovers in eight plays.
The only good thing that comes from having so many turnovers is that the defense forced three of them. Jeudy’s hit to Haarberg and Sanford’s interception were two of the forced turnovers. Gabe Stenger ended the game with an interception of Purdy.
Stenger had a few head-turning plays.
Jeudy delivered several big hits and one quarterback hurry. Unfortunately, the sophomore was injured with 42 seconds left in the game.
White’s defense had four QB hurries and 10 pass breakups including a few at the line of scrimmage.
Nebraska’s offense did not react well to the pressure.
