Nebraska Spring Game Recap

Husker Heisman edition

Sam Casaccio

On a cold and windy afternoon, head coach Matt Rhule took the field at Memorial Stadium for the first time in front of 60,000-plus Nebraska football fans who were just as tough as the team that walked through the tunnel, weathering the conditions to watch the Red-White scrimmage. And that was the best way to describe coach Rhule’s Huskers: tough. Rhule announced before the game that the quarterbacks would not wear green jerseys and tackling would be live, which set the tone. On both sides of the ball, Nebraska played fast and physical. Here were the pros and cons.

Pros

One of the most anticipated sights was Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims lining up under center for the first time. He did not disappoint. Sims was mobile in the pocket and flashed his arm talent going 9-of-13 passing for 139 yards, highlighted by a 38-yard strike to sophomore tight end Nate Boerkircher. Sims also made some big throws to the Virginia transfer wideout Billy Kemp, but perhaps his most impressive play was a designed quarterback run where Sims broke tackle and rushed 7 yards into the end zone.

“He’s a passer who runs 4.4. He’s not a runner who throws,” Rhule said afterward. “He’s a passer. I think he does some things with his legs extending plays, had dead to rights on the one he spun out. That’s really what we’re looking for from him.”

With the announcement that Casey Thompson is entering the transfer portal, Sims is in the driver’s seat to be Nebraska’s starting quarterback this season. On Saturday, Sims demonstrated a control of the offense with both his legs and his arms, which should not only relieve Husker fans’ concerns about Thompson’s transfer, but excite them about the offense’s potential for this season.

Another bright spot for Husker fans was seeing Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense on full display. Despite some concerns about how this defense would fair against the run in the Big Ten, the defense looked disruptive and dynamic. “I played against Coach White when I was at Georgia Tech my freshman year when he was at Syracuse. I knew all spring it was going to be a battle because his defense is really good. He threw a lot of looks at us,” Jeff Sims said of Tony White’s defense. Though the defense lists three down linemen, there were many instances where four and five defenders would be at the line. The different pressures and formations were effective at getting to the passer and stopping the run. Hopefully this holds true in Big Ten play. 

Cons

An issue that plagued the team most of the afternoon: the fumbles that stood out like a sore thumb on an otherwise positive showing by the Huskers. Though many of the eight fumbles came later in the game from players further down the depth chart, it is something that should be cleaner at this point in spring.

“To me, on offense, there’s no excuse for fumbles,” Rhule said. “I can live with an interception here or there, and it’ll result in you not playing, to be honest. You have to have the ability to protect the football.”

When the clock hit 00:00 on the Red and White game, it marked the conclusion of a successful first spring for Rhule. The first look at Satterfield’s offense and White’s defense passed the eye test, but more importantly the physicality of his Husker team was on full display. It appears the foundation of Rhule’s culture is in place and by welcoming back former players and coaches, including coach Frank Solich, Rhule has shown he will utilize every resource the Nebraska football program has at its disposal.

This spring was a good first step. It will take more steps just like this one to bring the Huskers where they want to be in the win column.

Tune in to the Husker Heisman Huddle to hear more on the Spring Game from Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch and Johnny "the Jet" Rodgers. Make sure to like and subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app (Spotify, iHeart, and Apple Podcasts).

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