Reds down Whites in spring exhibition

By halftime of Saturday's spring game, it was obvious many Nebraska fans had seen their fill.

The score was 38-0. The Red team had 23 first downs. The White squad had 23 offensive plays, totaling minus-10 yards.

OK, so the outcome of the game wasn't exactly nail-biting.

As it turned out, the final score of the scrimmage was no different than at the break, though many of the 54,288 fans who stuck around still got to see some late-game drama.

Cornhusker junior running back Marlon Lucky went down early in the fourth quarter with a knee injury on a run play as he was tackled by a swarm of players.

Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan said Lucky sprained a medial collateral ligament in his left knee, though an MRI test performed Sunday would give the team a better indication of the severity of the injury.

"It's always serious when anybody gets injured," Callahan said. "But I don't think it's going to be anything that's going to be career-ending or anything of that nature."

Lucky finished the game with 16 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. He also had two catches for 21 yards.

Junior offensive lineman Lydon Murtha also suffered an injury during the game. His came on the game's third play from scrimmage, and he had to be helped off the field.

Callahan said Murtha endured an ankle sprain, but X-rays showed no fracture.

Aside from the pair of injuries, Saturday's scrimmage left Husker fans with a sweet taste of what to expect when NU opens the season against Nevada on Sept. 1.

Topping nearly everyone's list was the play of the Husker wide receivers. Senior Maurice Purify and juniors Nate Swift and Todd Peterson combined to catch 11 passes for 250 yards for the Red team, including 105 yards from Peterson.

"That receiving corps is the strength of this football team," Callahan said. "We're going to have to rely on that heavily throughout the course of the year.

"It's great to have wide receivers that have been in the system and that have experience and knowledge about how to get open and how to make plays."

Quarterbacks Sam Keller and Joe Ganz certainly appreciated the wideouts' efforts. Keller completed 10-of-13 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, including a 47-yard strike to Peterson.

Ganz also had his moments, completing 11-of-18 throws for 157 yards and a touchdown. The junior also ran for a 10-yard score, diving into the corner of the end zone after being unable to find an open receiver.

The Red team finished with 511 yards of total offense. The White team, which included a majority of second-stringers, collected nine total yards.

Keller said scoring on the game's opening drive was key, considering the competition he and Ganz are in for the starting quarterback spot.

"You always want to start off on a high note," Keller said. "That was the first time, the first drive I've been in front of a crowd since (2005 with Arizona State). It felt really good just to get things going, get the crowd behind it and get some first downs.

"After that first touchdown, it really felt good."

After Ganz added a touchdown for a 14-0 Red lead, Keller led the Reds back to the 1-yard line, where Lucky ran the ball in. On the next Red drive, Ganz capitalized on an interception thrown by White quarterback Beau Davis and hit Swift for a 15-yard touchdown.

Junior running back Cody Glenn also had a 5-yard touchdown, and redshirt freshman Alex Henery kicked a 36-yard field goal with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left in the half for the final margin.

Keller said the talented players around him - receivers, running backs and linemen - made his job seem easy.

"We just have a really good offense," Keller said. "I think everyone here can see that. We had a good day today and we showed how efficient we can be."