For those who did not watch or attend the Spring Game, and by all accounts there seems to be several of you, Nebraska’s Spring Game was played on Saturday with the Nebraska team defeating the Husker team 22-17. Yes, an actual scrimmage was held rather than the joke we witnessed last spring. I still struggle with Rhule thinking what he trotted out last season could be seen as Nebraska football. In my estimation you reap what you sow, causing the 2025 season to end in the same fashion it started. Nothing resembling Nebraska football. If that’s true, then this fall could be promising because this spring started the right way, with real football. Hopefully it will end that way as well.
Tickets sold for the game on Saturday were said to total 27,188 and from the looks of the stadium that’s accurate. For some that was a good turnout, for others, Matt Rhule has lost the fan base. Either way you look at it, it was the lowest number for a Spring Game since 2000 when just over 25,000 tickets were sold. Personally, I’m not going to read too much into it. There are legitimate reasons that number wasn’t higher.
They range from the fans still being miffed over not having a game last season and Rhule bamboozling us. To the early start, 11:00am in March. Throw in the basketball season being prolonged and there being Husker baseball, softball, and soccer games on Saturday. As well as the game being on the Big Ten Network this year. You may not think that makes much difference, but it does. Personally, I don’t care when the game is played, I just want to see real football and a team that is competitive. Nebraska was not competitive in their last three games last season. Not even close.
As for the Spring Game, you can’t read too much into it. It’s a glorified practice, a scrimmage, and while there’s real hitting and real tackling while running real plays, it’s far from a game with meaning. For coaches, it gives them the opportunity to put players in game situations and see how they respond. For players, it’s an opportunity for them to showcase their talent and what they’ve learned thus far. For fans, it allows them to read too much into who is and who isn’t on the field and who the starters might be.
So, let’s do that.
Of the 112 listed on the roster, 96 saw the field on Saturday. Players limited or out with injuries include:
WR – Demitrius Bell, Nyziah Hunter, Janiran Bonner.
TE – Carter Nelson.
LB – Dexter Foster, Jacob Bower, Dawson Merritt, Gage Stenger, Trent Ulir.
Edge – Anthony Jones, Mac Markway, Conner Connealy.
DB – Rex Guthrie, Blye Hill.
OL – Nolan Fennessy, Gunnar Gottula, Gibson Pyle, Juju Marks, Jake Peters.
K- Kamdyn Koch.
As for the game, Nebraska started the day offensively with 12 personnel which is, 2 wide receivers, 2 tight ends, and 1 running back. A total of 118 offensive plays were run on the day.
Offensive Line – Elijah Pritchett, Paul Mubenga, Justin Evans, Brendan Black, and Tree Babalade.
Wide Receivers – Kwazi Gilmer and Jacory Barney Jr.
Tight Ends – Luke Lindenmeyer and Eric Igwerson.
Quarterback – Anthony Colandrea.
Running Back – Mekhi Nelson.
With new DC Rob Aurich implementing the 4-2-5 the starting defense on the first snap was:
Ends – Kade Pietrzak and Cam Lenhardt
Tackles – Riley Van Poppel and Jahsear Whittington
Linebackers – Owen Chambliss and Vincent Shavers Jr.
Corners – Andrew Marshall and Jeremiah Charles
Safety – Jahmir Conn and Dewayne McDougal III
Nickel – Donavan Jones
Anthony Colandrea started at QB and finished the day 12 of 19 in the first half, for 80 yards. He threw a 27-yard dart down the sideline to Jacory Barney in tight coverage. A pass we could only wish for last season. He also completed a good 8-yard back shoulder throw to the endzone and Quinn Clark who made an exceptional catch for a TD. Colandrea plays with quickness and intention. He is decisive and likes tempo, something that will suit OC Dana Holgorsen’s offensive scheme well. He also showed flashes of his running ability picking up 21-yards on three carries. His only mistake on the day, an interception he tried to force to Kwazi Gilmer, the ball bounced off his hand into the awaiting arms of Donavan Jones.
Nebraska will enter the season with three quarterbacks with game experience. It’s a luxury most teams do not have. TJ Lateef completed 6 of 15 passes for 33 yards while rushing for 16 yards. Danny Kaelin completed 10 of 18 passes for 54 yards with one carry for 7 yards. Lateef showed more mobility than Kaelin which could make a difference in playing time.
It would be difficult to say who the starter at running back is, as the top four players rushed for 255 yards on 37 carries, or a 6.9 yard per carry average. True freshman Jamal Rule had 10 carries for 121 yards and 1 TD with his longest being 75 yards. He also had 1 catch for 15 yards. Mekhi Nelson had 7 carries for 38 yards. Isiah Mozee, 6 carries for 41 yards, and Kwinton Ives, 14 carries for 55 yards and 2 receptions for 7 yards. As a depth piece Conner Booth had 15 carries for 87 yards with a game ending 32-yard run for a TD.
Receiving stats on the day: Jacory Barney Jr. had 6 receptions for 43 yards and 1 TD. Luke Lindenmeyer, 3 receptions for 11 yards. Quinn Clark, 1 reception for 8 yards and 1 TD. Kwazi Gilmer, 1 reception for 8 yards. Cortez Mills, 1 reception for 4 yards. Luke Sorenson, 1 reception for 1 yard. Larry Miles, 3 receptions for 15 yards. Jeremiah Jones, 2 receptions for 15 yards. Hayes Miller, 1 reception for 15 yards. Danny King, 1 reception for 8 yards. Jackson Carpenter, 1 reception for 8 yards. As you can see, there weren’t many completions down the field. But in games like these, it’s Vanilla offense against Vanilla defense.
While it’s difficult to get a good feeling for what the defensive line is capable of in this type of game, players sometimes still stand out. Comments continue to be made about defensive tackle Jahsear Whittington being undersized, but he proved to be disruptive and showed his quickness with a sack on Colandrea. It’ll be interesting to see if that continues into the season against Big Ten opponents.
The kicking game was limited as well, but all three kickers scored, John Hohl was 2/2 making kicks of 33 and 32 yards. Kyle Cunanan made one kick from 38 yards, and Australian freshman Micheal Sarikizis made an impressive kick from 49-yards into a south wind.
Rhule and several players spoke after the game and Husker fans want to believe what they are being told by the media, the coaches, and the players. But honestly, fans have heard the same old broken record so many times that it’s become white noise. Fans aren’t going to believe anything until they see it. So, when defensive back and former San Diego State player Dwayne McDougle III made the following comment after the spring game, for most, his words simply dissipated into the dry Nebraska wind.
“I think this group is pretty good. Well, not pretty good. I think we’re going to be great this year. I think we may be the best defense in the Big Ten. That’s my opinion,” McDougle said.
If the ‘Dude’ from the Big Lebowski had been sitting with the media, he would have responded with, “Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”
I hope McDougle is right, but believe me, there wasn’t anybody chiseling what he said in stone. I’m not against McDougle believing in what he said. The players need to believe in themselves and each other. I’d be disappointed if being the best defense in the Big Ten wasn’t this team’s goal. Because it should be.
But these players and coaches can’t be discouraged by the fan’s lack of belief. We’ve heard it too many times, from everyone, including Matt Rhule, talking about his defensive line last year, “We’re going to be hell on wheels.” We did see a version of hell from the defensive line, but it wasn’t the kind of hell Rhule was suggesting.
The early spring was a good thing. Now Rhule and this team have time to put their heads down and go to work. Just work and work some more, work until they are too tired to talk.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
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