Due to a hectic sports weekend with the kids, I didn’t get to attend Nebraska football’s Red-White Spring Game, or even watch it live. I had to wait and watch the BTN telecast later on.
As I watched, a handful of things jumped out at me:
Let’s try to not overreact to a scrimmage.
I’ll be honest: after Raiola hit Janiran Bonner for a pretty touchdown on his first drive, I started dreaming big.
The Kool-Aid flowed strong and sweet on Saturday. I saw many things that have me optimistic for the fall. There were three capable quarterbacks! Speedy, big play receivers! A serviceable running game!
But let’s pause and remember how many defensive starters either sat out or played limited snaps. Notably, five Blackshirts who earned a single-digit jersey number last fall (Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, Isaac Gifford, John Bullock and DeShon Singleton), plus Tommi Hill and other veterans. The defenders who did play weren’t allowed to touch the quarterbacks.
Remember: there’s a yin and yang to scrimmages.
If one unit shines (Jacory Barney Jr. had a great kickoff return!), it means another unit struggled (NU needed a Tristan Alvano tackle to prevent a kickoff return touchdown).
Okay, with the disclaimer out of the way, let’s top off our cups.
So, that Raiola kid is pretty good.
What was your favorite Dylan Raiola moment? Going 4-4 on his first drive as a Husker? That gorgeous touchdown to Bonner? The effortless deep ball to Lloyd? The physics-defying throw on a two-point conversion?
For me, it was watching him pre-snap. He did not look like a true freshman. He looked mature, comfortable, and confident. Yeah, there are asterisks a plenty, but it was hard to not be impressed by what you saw.
If this is what all five-star recruits look like, Nebraska should get some more.
New quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas looks like a keeper.
Remember the 2023 version of Heinrich Haarberg? Great runner with a strong arm, but the accuracy left a little to be desired. While we’ll pause to note that one spring scrimmage is a very small sample size, Haarberg was a combined 8-of-13 passing for 163 yards. I wonder how much of that is due to his new position coach.
More importantly, Haarberg showed improved touch on short throws. Did anybody bet that he would be the only one of the three QBs to NOT throw an interception?
Daniel Kaelin – another true freshman – looked good as well. From what I saw, he’ll enter the fall as Plan C. But I’d feel more comfortable with him playing than any other Plan C in recent memory. And I feel his development is in good hands.
Aside from the quarterbacks, the highlight of the day was listening to Matt Rhule in the broadcast booth.
The Husker head coach spent the majority of the second quarter in the booth. While Rhule obviously used the time to sell his program (more on that in a second), he also provided great insights on his team, what they coach, and what he looks for. It was surprisingly captivating for a scrimmage. There’s a reason the networks wanted him after he was fired in Carolina.
Rhule has a great knack for pointing out small things, and explaining why they can make a big difference. For example, he was frustrated with a defender who went low on a ball carrier in the red zone. Rhule wants them to “thud up,” because when they go low, the runner can fall forward for additional yardage. It’s a small detail, but there will be a game where the defense gets a critical stop because of it.
The BTN broadcast – and especially Rhule’s time in the booth – was an excellent sales pitch for Nebraska.
During the second quarter, the broadcast team (Larry Punteney and former Husker Kenny Bell) took turns lobbing softballs. Rhule, a masterful communicator, kept knocking them out of the park. Among the topics discussed:
• Nebraska’s multi-sport athletes. Much was made about guys like Jaylen Lloyd and Jeremiah Charles, who are participating on NU track team, and Nash Hutmacher, who wrestled over the winter. Rhule made it clear that if you’re talented enough to play multiple sports, he’ll support it.
• The culture in Rhule’s program, and how very few guys have entered the transfer portal.
• The new Tom Osborne Legacy Center and new weight room. Punteney set this topic up right as an injured player was being taken off on a cart. It was unfortunate – and unavoidable – timing. I appreciated how Rhule showed concern for his player, but didn’t waste the opportunity to sell his new facility.
• Praise for Nebraska fans, including the 60,452 who came out for an 11 a.m. game less than 24 hours after tornados ripped through the state.
If I’m a recruit – or the parent of one – Nebraska looked very attractive during that telecast.
Tony White got some on-the-job training.
Even though it was a scrimmage, BTN still did the “let’s talk to the coach as the team goes to halftime” interview. But with Rhule still making his way down from the broadcast booth, that responsibility went to defensive coordinator Tony White.
White was a candidate for several head coaching jobs during the offseason. With his impressive résumé, he is all but guaranteed to be a head coach in 2025. There are a lot of things White can do to prepare for his next career step, but it’s hard to practice answering questions from a sideline reporter seconds after the quarter ends, when all you want to do is get into the locker room. I’m guessing it’s one of those things you just have to do … unless you get a chance to do it in a scrimmage.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Rhule made sure his stay in the press box was long enough to ensure that White got the chance to speak.
As expected, White did a great job. Some team is going to get really lucky with him.
The play caller may feature his guys.
Several of the plays called by offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield ended up with the ball in the hands of the position group he now coaches: tight ends. Spring game stats are a bit of a mixed bag (defensive lineman AJ Rollins was credited for two receptions), but around 180 receiving yards were brought in by the tight ends.
It makes sense. Thomas Fidone is a walking mismatch. Nate Boerkircher is a crafty veteran. Luke Lindenmeyer, Ismael Smith Flores and Ian Flynt show promise.
I’m not alone in the opinion that Nebraska has criminally underutilized its tight ends for the better part of this century. Nebraska has a nice room – led by a guy poised for a breakout season – and I’m sure nobody knows that better than their position coach. And he just happens to call the plays.
Kenny Bell made me laugh.
The former Husker wide receiver, serving as the color commentator, did a nice job Saturday. In a game where Nebraska threw a lot of passes, Bell offered good insights on the finer points of playing receiver. An excellent blocker in his day, Bell was quick to call out current receivers being active on the perimeter. But there was a moment during the second quarter that had me laughing.
As the cameras showed Tom Osborne, Matt Rhule (in the broadcast booth at the time) talked about the reverence he had meeting the legendary coach for the first time. Bell responded with a story of meeting Osborne on his recruiting trip, wondering what T.O. must have thought when Bell – sporting his trademark Afro – walked in the room.
While Bell’s line – “Who the (expletive) is this kid?” – was a) definitely NOT something you can say on TV and b) definitely NOT what Osborne was thinking, it did crack me up.
