Tight ends thrive in basic offense
It was a good day to be a tight end.
The simplified offense both teams used Saturday relied heavily on play-action roll out passes, with tight ends serving as the primary receivers. That position might be the deepest on the team, meaning plenty of catches to go around.
Redshirt freshman Ben Cotton emerged as a favorite target for Zac Lee, leading the Red team with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Mike McNeill, Dreu Young and Mychael McClure each had three catches, and redshirt freshman Kyler Reed made the most of his only catch — a 71-yard touchdown.
NU offensive line coach Barney Cotton was particularly proud of Ben, his son.
"As a dad, it's kind of nice to see your son have a chance to get his hands on the ball," Cotton said. "I'm proud of him; hopefully he's going to earn some things here."
Marlowe impresses as returner
Due to the absence of suspended receiver Niles Paul, a number of Cornhuskers tried their hands at fielding returns in the Red-White Spring Game.
Alfonzo Dennard, Prince Amukamara, Antonio Bell, Curenski Gilleylen and Larry Asante all returned kicks during the game, but it was Tim Marlowe who impressed the most.
The 5-foot-10 redshirt freshman receiver quickly became a fan favorite in the second half, returning five punts for 96 yards, including a 38-yard return late in the fourth quarter that earned much applause.
Marlowe, who hails from the same high school as coach Bo Pelini — Cardinal Mooney High in Youngstown, Ohio — won scout team Offensive MVP honors last fall.
Attendance second-best in school history
One of the most glaringly analyzed stats coming into Saturday's game was the attendance figure.
An official attendance of 77,670 was announced at the beginning of the second quarter. That number is believed to be second-highest in school history behind last year's sellout attendance of 80,149.
Alabama got 84,050 to attend their spring game Saturday, which was televised nationally on ESPN. Tickets to the game were free.
-Compiled by Max Olson
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