Nebraska Football had a great day on Saturday.
In case you had not heard, the Nebraska Football spring game was Saturday. With new faces on the roster and a new coaching staff, things were certainly different in Lincoln. However, unlike several cases, different in this case was a positive thing. Many of the players that needed to have a good day on Saturday did so, and many new names stepped up to make their presence known to Nebraska Football fans.
Each position group had stars on Saturday, and it was great to see. Perhaps more importantly, it was great to see so many unsung players making an impact. That can only lead to good things come the fall and it will allow Scott Frost to be able to feel comfortable in the players he puts out on the field. If he can accomplish that, that is certainly a great thing. That is the type of situation that can breed success both in the short and long-term.
I take a look at three takeaways from the 2019 spring game, and the potential impacts they could have come the fall. Let me just say, fans should be excited. This has all the makings of what should be a great year, and it would certainly make the painstaking efforts of the players hard work in the off-season pay off
Unsung backs stepped up
The two running backs that were in a good position to have a big game on Saturday for Nebraska football did so. That was certainly great to see. Both Jaylin Bradley and Brody Belt lead their respective sides in rushing. Although they may not be as big a part of the equation come the fall, they certainly made a huge statement with their performance in the spring game.
Bradley led the White team in rushing. He carried the ball 12 times for 57 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. In 18-yard is scamper was his longest of the afternoon. Belt had a great game for the Red team as well. He carried the ball 13 times for 53 yards. Averaging 4.1 yards per carry, a 14-yard rush would be his longest on the day. They showed that they could be capable of assuming a larger role in the fall. They have certainly had good spring ball camps, and they had a chance to show their talents on Saturday. They certainly did that, and Scott Frost has to be happy with what he has seen so far.
This is certainly a performance that they can carry over to the season. They are in a rare position on this team where they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They can certainly look back at their performances on Saturday and be happy with the way they produced. They can take a look at this tape and build off it come the fall.
The wideouts have potential
This group of wide receivers is a raw, but talented one. All throughout the course of the preseason, you have heard me talk about “Who can replace Stanley Morgan?” Alternatively, you have heard me say something along the lines of “it will be tough to replace Stanley Morgan.” While that still may be true, Saturday showed me that Nebraska Football may have some options when it comes to wide receiver. That was certainly great to see, and it should make preseason camp even more fun.
Miles Jones led all receivers on the day with three catches for 44 yards. A 22-yard catch was his longest of the afternoon. The sophomore caught three passes for 44 yards on the day, including a 22-yard reception that was his longest of the afternoon. Other notable performances included Kade Warner who also had a tremendous day as well. He caught two passes for the white team for 58 yards. A 57-yard snag was his longest of the day. It would be fair to not mention Todd Honas. He led the Red team in receiving with three catches for 39 yards.
It was nice to see the ball being spread around. Even more, it was great to see all the receivers eager to step up to the challenge. They certainly did that on Saturday, and each of them needs to build on this momentum heading into the fall. If they can play like they did today over the course of the season, the depth at receiver will no longer be a problem. As a matter of fact, the Nebraska Football program will have a surplus. I’m expecting some big things out of this unit, and so far, they have given me reason to believe that this could be one of the stronger groups on the team.
The defense was agressive
There were seven sacks between the both the Red and White teams. That is perhaps the best sign of the day. With a new defensive line coach and a new style, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. So far this spring I have heard good things about the line, but they needed to show that they would be able to live up to the hype. They did just that, showing that they could be a force in the Big Ten.
Damien Jackson and Alex Davis each had two sacks. They really showed their ability to escape the offensive line and be able to make a play. Both lines did a decent job of containing the run game, averaging 3.2 yards allowed per carry. The Red team did a little bit better containing the run game, allowing 112 yards. The White team allowed 158, which given the fact that this was a spring ball contest is not a terrible number.
The line looked aggressive. They looked like they were hungry and getting to both sets of quarterbacks and they looked like they wanted to compete. Obviously, they should always want to compete but the fact that they looked so prepared in April is a good sign. There were certainly some things that they needed to do better, but there is definitely a foundation for success there. I’m excited to see how they can put it all together come the summer time.