What To Watch For Saturday

Tens of thousands of Nebraska fans will be watching  the Husker's annual spring game this Saturday. While it won't be on television, scads more will listen on the radio and digest every bit of information they can from news reports. What should the fans inside Memorial stadium direct their attention? Well, other than the Husker Vision screens ("Oh look honey, an animated pop bottle race!"), Lil Red's creepy stare, or the Fairbury brand hot dog being shot at them - here are some ideas.

It's very easy to get excited for the first glimpse as the re-vamped Husker offense. It's okay to want to see if the Pelini brothers have tweaked their defense. It's even understandable to worry about special teams (NERD). But, here's a word of advice - think players, not plays on Saturday. As Carl Pelini told Randy York earlier this week, the spring game is more about player evaluation than schemes.

"You're not evaluating your scheme in the spring game," Carl said. "You're grading players on their fundamentals and techniques. We don't go into a spring game trying to out-scheme our offense. It's all about evaluation."

Let that be instructive to fans. Don't chart personnel groupings. Don't worry if one play or series is setting up another. Don't fret about the number of blitzes. That's for the fall. On Saturday, watch the players. See how they perform. A few positions might merit the most attention.

Quarterback
No doubt about it, all eyes will be on Taylor Martinez on Saturday. Does he look comfortable in the offense? Is he in control of the huddle? The game? His team? It's fair to wonder, after all this is the player who went from Heisman hopeful to near pariah status in Nebraska in just a few short months. Could a good performance be the start of his redemption? Nebraska's offensive prospects hinge on it.

The quarterbacks behind Martinez are worth watching as well. If last season confirmed anything, it is how quickly a team can be derailed due to an injury to their starting quarterback. So, watch Cody Green. Does he look sharp? Are his throws more accurate? Does the new offense suit him any better than the heavy zone-read scheme of last year?

Brion Carnes appears to have separated himself from other hopefuls for the third spot. Though, his task may have been made a bit easier by Jamal Turner moving to wide receiver and Cody Spano's recent injury. Still, is he ready to step up and contribute? Does he look overwhelmed in front of a large crowd? Does the game appear too fast for him? Watch closely, folks. With an injury, suspension or just a weird situation, Husker hopes may ride with this kid under center during a Big Ten road game in November. Saturday is your first look. See which quarterbacks answer the bell.

Wide Receiver
This is the position where the Huskers entered spring with the most departures and the most questions. Saturday is the first step in knowing who will step in to replace Niles Paul and Mike McNeil. Compounding this interest is the fact that numerous candidates are available to help returning senior Brandon Kinnie. Tim Marlowe, Kenny Bell, and freshman Jamal Turner have all had buzz worthy spring practices. Who will step up Saturday?

The wide receivers also merit watching because they are the position group that may be most directly affected by any changes in the offensive scheme. All the talk from spring camp has been that the new offense gives them options and choices in their routes. With that comes the need to read and choose correctly and be on the same page with the quarterback. It's an added responsibility that first-year position coach Rich Fisher will have to manage. It's harder to spot mistakes than big plays. But, don't be too quick to hang any interception on just the quarterbacks.

Linebacker
Bo Pelini has admitted that his Blackshirts are very talented - but not very deep - at linebacker. So, there are two reasons to watch. Watch LaVonte David, Will Compton and Sean Fischer rip it up. That is a talented, prepared and hungry group out there. After that, watch for somebody to try and step up and fill the void. Pelini hasn't named any names in terms of who has stood out among the second group. And, sometimes, you really don't know what a player can do until they are on the big stage or under the bright lights. Is there a "gamer" somewhere buried in that linebacker depth chart? Maybe we can find out Saturday.

I know I recommended not watching schemes closely on Saturday.  But I'm going to offer one exception when it comes to linebacker. Watch Eric Martin. Or, more specifically, watch how the Huskers use Eric Martin. Martin is a former linebacker converted to defensive end. Will they deploy him as a hybrid of sorts, shifting from an end in a 4-3 alignment to a stand-up linebacker in a 3-4 set? The same could be said for Fischer, who has the size and length to put his hand on the ground and rush the passer. Deploying talented players like Martin in multiple ways may be one way to mask a lack of depth at the linebacking spots.

Offensive Guard
For many fans, line play is sometimes boring to watch. But, do yourself a favor on Saturday and take your eyes off the ball and just watch the big uglies for entire plays or series. You'll be glad you did. Nebraska coaches and players continue to sing from the hymnal of physicality. Maybe it will be in tune this spring. It had better be, because Nebraska needs good guard play.

The Huskers top two offensive guards - Keith Williams and Ricky Henery - have departed, potentially for NFL careers. Henery was the physical leader up front for NU last year. That leaves a void to fill. The candidates to replace those to seniors includes some serious talent.

Sophomore Andrew Rodrigez was talented enough to crack the depth chart and play last year as a true freshman. The same could be said of Brett Qvale, had he not been injured. These two are the real deal physically. They are both 6'6'' and 325 pounds. That's an "all bus" team right there.

After Rodrigez and Qvale, there are a host players seeking opportunity along the line, many of them underclassmen as well. Pay attention to newcomer Tyler Moore. Instead of prom, he's knocking heads with the Blackshirts this spring. Of course, all those offensive linemen will get a tough test Saturday. Last time we checked, Nebraska can develop some pretty nasty defensive lines. It's worth watching them mix it up.

There are the four positions that might be most worth keeping track of on Saturday. Just keep the general rule of "players, not plays" in mind this spring. You might just notice a player's ability that you might have missed if you were too worried about how the wide receivers are lined up. Oh, and watch out for those flying hot dogs.