Shawn Watson said there were nerves entering Saturday’s spring game.
A 31-17 victory for the Red team didn’t show it.
In front of 77,670 fans, the Red and White offenses amassed 653 total yards. But the excitement of deep passes and tight throws intermixed with misreads and mistakes.
“We’re very thankful for Nebraska fans coming out like that,” said Watson. “You can never explain 80,000-plus until you experience it. Now that (the players have) all been there, they’ll all be cool customers.”
The coolest of them all, according to the offensive coordinator, was quarterback Zac Lee. The junior led the Red team to a 31-17 victory, but it was the youth around him that made his 214 passing yards and three touchdowns possible.
Marcus Mendoza hauled in the Red team’s first score on a 21-yard pass from Lee in the second quarter after the White had jumped out to a 10-0 lead. The sophomore’s touchdown sparked a run of 31 unanswered points for the Red.
“He’s learning,” said senior receiver Menelik Holt. “The biggest part is in route recognition and learning the defenses. He’s figured that out.”
Lee then found tight end Ben Cotton over the middle for a 24-yard touchdown with 57 seconds left in the half. The redshirt freshman finished with a team-leading four catches for 48 yards.
At halftime, the Red team led 14-10.
That lead was extended by a 40-yard hook-up between Lee and wide receiver Wes Cammack in the third quarter and a 40-yard field goal by Alex Henery early in the fourth to push the Red team’s lead to 24-10.
Later in the fourth quarter, Collins Okafor busted through arm tackles on his way to a 33-yard touchdown for the Red team. The redshirt freshman I-back received high praise from teammate Quentin Castille.
“Oh man, he turned it on at the end of the game,” Castille said. “In the second half, he took over. He had some pretty good runs. That touchdown was crazy.”
Just when it seemed like Okafor’s play might have been the most exciting of the game, White team quarterback Latravis Washington found redshirt freshman Kyler Reed for a 71-yard score.
Scrambling to buy time, Washington zipped the ball toward the young tight end near the sideline. Then, Reed’s speed took over, blowing past the Red secondary.
That explosion showed a promising future for Reed and the offense, Watson said.
The Cornhuskers’ youth took advantage of Saturday’s opportunity, showcasing their talent in a big way.
Of the 653 total offensive yards, 347 were caught or ran for by redshirt or true freshmen.
“We got to see a lot of guys get the ball and do something with it,” Watson said. “We needed to test that and see who could step up and make plays.”
The coach said a multitude of weapons would be essential to the success of his Husker offense in the fall. The group has talent, willing souls and kids with great spirit, Watson said, but the current product hasn’t fit his offensive vision just yet.
Holt also saw something he liked — new faces and names getting attention.
“Those are some guys that are sometimes underneath the radar, some guys you might not hear of too much,” Holt said. “It was good to see them make plays. Those are the things you’re looking for. You need those guys coming in at receiver.”
For a glorified practice in front of a near-capacity crowd, Coach Bo Pelini was happy with the spring’s climax.
“The practices were long, the practices were physical, the competition was there, and I think we are a deeper football team because we have more guys that know what is being asked of them,” Pelini said. “A lot of guys stepped up.
“The competition has been good and all this does is set you up to have a good fall. That’s what spring practice is about.”
davehoufek@dailynebraskan.com
