The final practice of the spring for Nebraska football was more than just a scrimmage Saturday.
Coach Scott Frost called the event a “showcase” earlier in the week. It was also a celebration of the team and how far the community has come since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 36,406 fans in attendance, the largest gathering in Nebraska since most events came to an end in the spring of 2020.
“I don’t know who needed that the most, us to have the fans in there cheering for us or the fans,” Frost said. “The stadium wasn’t full but, man, there was a lot of people in there. The sooner we get back to normal, the better for everybody.
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost observes the action during Saturday’s Red-White game. (Photo by Kenny Larabee)
“That was a good first step in the right direction.”
Those fans saw a game that wasn’t what they were accustomed to in the first half, then new faces and live hits in the second half, all the way through an extra play that allowed the White team to squeak out a 21-20 victory.
For the purpose of evaluating players, Saturday is both useful and not so much.
For instance, Adrian Martinez is the clear No. 1 in that room. In his one half of play, he threw for 127 yards on 12-of-20 passing with one interception while adding 61 yards on nine carries.
The difficulty in evaluating that performance is that the first half only allowed for “thud” tackling—the play being dead at first contact—and quarterbacks being in green jerseys and the play ending as soon as one is touched.
“(Adrian)’s done a good job of limiting the mistakes this spring,” Frost said. “If he can get through games and just be who he is and not have the three or four bad plays that hurt you, he has a chance to accomplish whatever he wants to.”
But that first half rule created an impressive bit of play from the Red offensive line. If the quarterback is down at first touch, you need plenty of space for him to run. The unit of Cam Jurgens, Bryce Benhart, Ethan Piper, Turner Corcoran, and Matt Sichterman, with Brant Banks mixing in, did just that.
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez wears a headset while patrolling the sidelines during the second half of Saturday’s game. (Photo by Kenny Larabee)
“Ethan and I are always on the same page together,” Corcoran said of their work on the left side of the line. “He said we were passing (defenders) off really well. The whole offensive line did too.”
The other quarterbacks had both hits and misses.
For Logan Smothers, it was an 8-of-13 day for 76 yards and a touchdown to go with seven carries for 17 yards as he played at times for both teams. Of his incompletions, timing was an issue, something that has been noticed at the previous open practices this spring, but his command of the offense also led to a touchdown pass to Brody Belt in the final quarter.
For Heinrich Haarberg, it was a display of pure athleticism. Haarberg fired rockets both to receivers and past them, going 9-for-23 through the air for 121 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He showed elite speed on the few times he scrambled away from defenders. Once he understands the offense as well as Smothers, that is a competition for the future of this team.
“I think they’re both doing a really good job,” Martinez said of the young scholarship guys in his room. “(Quarterback coach Mario Verduzco) is on those guys to meet the standard that we need to be at.”
Haarberg also dazzled on the final play of the game, evading the rush to hit Wyatt Liewer in the end zone for the game tying touchdown before Tyler Crawford’s extra point sealed the victory.
There was one final untimed play in the @HuskerFBNation spring game.@HKHaarberg10 found @WyattLiewer to tie it, and the XP gave the White Team the dramatic dub. pic.twitter.com/HIrdG1Y5UR
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) May 1, 2021
After a full spring of evaluation and the Red-White game for looks in front of a crowd, Frost was asked if he was going to add another, likely older, quarterback to the roster.
Nebraska running back Jaquez Yant sheds a tackle on his way to a 21-yard third quarter TD run for the white team. Yant finished with 63 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. (Photo by Kenny Larabee)
“Those two are going to continue to improve and I got a lot of confidence in them,” Frost said. “Right now, our plan isn’t to use (the transfer portal) for a quarterback.”
Once the second half began with live tackling, it became clear that the coaches wanted to see the running back’s, the ones available at least, show what they could do.
Walk-on Jaquez Yant turned heads with nine runs for 64 yards and a touchdown, as did Marvin Scott III who poured on 75 yards and a touchdown over 11 carries. Gabe Ervin and Isaiah Harris each eclipsed the 50 yard mark in limited work.
“Watching them in the second half and seeing some tackles broken and guys running through contact, I thought that was a real positive today,” Frost said.
Pass catchers had plenty of chances as 59 passes were thrown during the game. Samori Toure and Omar Manning both had three catches for 47 and 24 yards, respectively. Those two are expected to be major pieces this fall.
Nebraska wide receiver Samori Toure (center) tries to beat his defender during the first half of Saturday’s Red-White game. (Photo Courtesy Nebraska Athletic Communications)
Will Nixon, Oliver Martin, and Belt led the game with five catches each. Liewer had the most yards for any receiver with 65.
“They got some speed,” defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt said of the receivers he has been going against in practice. “It’s the deepest (the receiving room) has been (since he got to Lincoln).”
A stiff wind out of the south meant special teams would be direction-dependent. The best punts were with the win, demonstrated by Will Przystup with a 70 yard boot inside the 20, while Daniel Cerni hit a 61 yarder in the same direction that was eye-level with the upper deck. Into the wind, Cerni impressed with a 40 yard shot that drove through the oncoming blast of air.
Nebraska wide receiver Oliver Martin hauls in a 13-yard pass from quarterback Adrian Martinez during the second quarter of Saturday’s Spring Game. Martin finished with five catches for 47 yards. (Photo by Kenny Larabee)
Other players that impressed NRG Media’s Kaleb Henry and Cole Stukenholtz:
KH: Nash Hutmacher got into the backfield a number of times for the White team. The Polar Bear was going against the presumed first team offensive line and holding his own. The freshman defensive lineman finished with six tackles and a strip-sack.
CS: No other wide receiver on the roster possesses Omar Manning’s combination of size, speed, athleticism, and potential. He flashed all of it throughout the spring, and Saturday was no different. Three grabs for 24 yards made the stat sheet in his first half for Red, while another reception was wiped away by a penalty. The question remains: can he be productive in the fall?
KH: Beyond the numbers, Yant ran hard and showed he is in the running for the running back spot this fall. He was the featured back on the first drive of the second half, capping it with a touchdown. Later in the game he was clearly gassed but continued to take the rock forward, refusing to give up chances to make that spot his. That’s the mentality of someone who will be on scholarship sooner than later.
CS: Marvin Scott seemingly grabbed the lead running back position heading into summer, taking advantage of a slew of injuries. He led all rushers with 75 yards on 15 carries, scoring one of the Red team’s two touchdowns. His blend of power and quickness could help him hold off Markese Stepp, Rahmir Johnson, and others getting healthy in a crowded backfield.
KH: Montana transfer receiver Samori Toure is expected to play the slot, which has been the featured spot within Frost’s offense since his time before Nebraska. While Toure only ended with three receptions, he was constantly open and making defensive backs work just to keep up with his speed. Expect big things from him this fall on the outside, perhaps on a level of what Wan’Dale Robinson was expected to produce in year two from that spot.
CS: Walk-on linebacker John Bullock from Creighton Prep had the non-game-winning play of the game when he stripped Oliver Martin on a second-half tackle and recovered the fumble for the White team. He made four total tackles on an afternoon to remember.