See it here.

Not a ton of jaw-dropping changes, but here's the latest:

*Quentin Toailoa is no longer on it. No surprise there. Toailoa hasn't been right since getting two shoulder surgeries his freshman year.

*Khiry Cooper moves from No. 6 to No.1

*Chase Rome is No. 97.

*Jay Guy takes Barry Turner's old No. 99

*Baseball-pitcher-turned-QB Joe Broekemeier is now a wide receiver. Last fall, then-safety Larry Asante said Broekemeier ran good routes and made tough catches, for what it's worth.

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We begin our second edition of “Springtime with Bo” with our long countdown of “50 Huskers to Know.” It’s our spring edition, so a whole new crop of red shirt freshmen - plus two true freshmen - enter the list, which has been retooled to reflect contribution and performance.

Each blog post with be a single entry, so check back throughout the day for more entries, as there are more players than days before spring football kicks off in mid-March.

To be perfectly accurate, there are actually 53 players on the list (What can we say? We love the Huskers!) with ties at the No. 50 and No. 48 positions. Because he’s playing baseball this spring, Khiry Cooper is not on this list; he’ll rejoin it in the fall.

The list is compiled with two variables in mind. We use kicker Alex Henery in both examples:

*Predicted excellence at position: Of all the players on Nebraska’s list, Alex Henery would probably get the highest grade here. He’ll be better at what he does - kicking field goals and downing punts inside the 20 - than probably any other Husker is at what they do.

*Positional importance to the team: But certain positions simply carry more weight. So Henery isn’t at the top of our list, because he only affects certain portions of the game. Make sense?

(FYI: Henery’s still pretty darn high in our rankings)

So, without further delay, we'll begin the list on Friday. Check back for all the insight and fun.

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When Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini gathered his team together two days after the end of spring practice, he delivered a simple message: Camp might be over, but summer can’t turn into a vacation if the Cornhuskers are to progress in 2009.

“We can’t really be with them, but they need to take it upon themselves to not drop football and all the sudden pick it up in August,” Pelini said on the Big 12 coaches teleconference Tuesday. “We’ve got a long way to go as a football team. And every day, each player needs to work on their own stuff.”

Alongside strength coach James Dobson, NU coaches have crafted personalized plans for each of the players. Midway through the summer, 2009 recruits who haven’t already enrolled will join the fray. Pelini said he expects stronger, faster Huskers by two-a-days in mid-August.

“We have a mature enough group of kids who understand what’s at stake,” Pelini said. “We’ll be able to get that done.”

Pelini didn’t have much publicly to add about Saturday’s Red/White Spring Game after viewing film other than, “it became obvious we have a long way to go,” especially with “young guys who need to grow up and mature.”

The second-year head coach is counting on a stronger running game, though. NU returns Roy Helu and Quentin Castille, who combined for 1,344 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2009, and has enough experience and talent on the offensive line, Pelini said, to ease pressure on junior quarterback Zac Lee, whose speed should further help the ground game.

“We need a couple guys to come through,” Pelini said. “We’re not as deep as I’d like right now, but we got deeper as the spring went on. I like it. I think we’re going to have a formidable running team… the talent at running back is there. We just got to make sure we develop it and make sure all the pieces of the offensive line fit.”

An ESPN reporter asked Pelini whether he was considering adding a quarterback who’d be eligible in the fall. Former prep star and Duke basketball guard Greg Paulus has talked with NU about joining the program, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson confirmed.

“You never say so, never, but I like the way our young guys developed,” Pelini said.

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Close the book on the 2009 spring season for Nebraska football. Smile at the positives NU took out of these four weeks, while being mindful of all the Cornhuskers must do before the Sept. 5 game vs. Florida Atlantic.

The Red/White Spring Game was a kind of final exam for spring, but not one of those final exams that was worth, say, 50 percent of a player’s grade. Head coach Bo Pelini and his staff had already completed most of their evaluations by Saturday, and had done so by conducting some of the longest – and reportedly toughest – this side of Kansas State’s Bill Snyder. And we all know what kind of workaholic that guy is.

“Let me tell you, it was a long, physical spring,” Pelini said. “The practices were long; the practices were physical. The competition was there. I think we’re a deeper football team because we have more guys that know what’s being asked of them. We’re nowhere near being a finished product and we’re nowhere near being game-ready. But we made a lot of strides in a lot of areas."

Why’d Pelini do it? Well, mental toughness and stamina is part of the man’s signature. It’s why the Huskers got better in the second half of games last year. It’s why NU busted wide open a close Kansas game, survived an upset-minded Colorado and came back on Clemson, Baylor and Texas Tech. Those second-half performances were forged in the heat of practice, when players wanted to give less, and Pelini wouldn’t allow it.

He still didn’t allow it this spring. And his assistants – even a mild-mannered bloke like Shawn Watson – got in on the act, too.

What did we learn? That Zac Lee says the right things, and he throws a decent ball, too. That Roy Helu is such a valuable commodity that he can sit out the final two weeks of spring because he’s already dazzled the coaches enough. That Ndamukong Suh has a great motor. That NU might have some great young talent on defense, but not all of those guys are quite ready.

We learned that smart kids, like Niles Paul, make poor decisions just like smart adults. We learned that former starters like Phillip Dillard sometimes have to begin again, at the back of the line. We learned that Alex Henery just might have the most golden foot in the Big 12 – and maybe college football.

And we learned, once more, that while it’s only practice, it’s a nice little fix of Husker football to tide us over for May, June, July and half of August. On with the review.

Five Guys We Loved

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: Suh didn’t take off the spring game. Didn’t take off a single play, for that matter. He fought center Jacob Hickman and right guard Ricky Henry, got across their faces a couple of times and even made a spectacular tackle of formidable Quentin Castille for a loss.

“Suh’s the kind of guy where, if you don’t do the right thing, he’ll beat you,” center Jacob Hickman said. “And guys were a little overanxious, not doing the right footwork, attacking him the wrong way.”

Suh looked every bit of the nation’s best defensive tackle.

Wide receiver Chris Brooks: Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson didn’t want to make too much out of “just a couple of catches” in the game, even though several of them were quite good, and caught off of the rocket arm of Latravis Washington.

What impressed us more about Brooks was his hustle on a punt that he and Lester Ward downed at the one-yard line. Brooks has been in the program for five years, and he’s still willing to make that kind of effort on a punt in the middle of a glorified scrimmage, you at least know that, next year, he can be a locker room guy and a dependable third or fourth option. And maybe more than that.

Left guard Keith Williams: The junior big man battled No. 1 defensive tackle Jared Crick most of the day, and won more scrums than he lost. A quiet guy who occasionally flashes immense talent, Williams, according to coaches and teammates, seems to have pulled alongside Jacob Hickman as the best offensive lineman.

“You want to be playing on their side of the line of scrimmage, and you want to keep the quarterback clean,” offensive line coach Barney Cotton said. “I saw some good things from him out there. He put in an honest day’s worth of work. It was great to see when the white team came out with an eight-minute drive.”

Running back Collins Okafor: A good day, really, from all of the NU running backs, as Castille looked faster and more agile, Lester Ward showed off wiggle and hustle, and Austin Jones looks like a Cory Ross guy, a change-of-pace option. But Watson was happiest for Okafor, a player who had struggled to pick up the offense this spring, but made it click over the last week, and especially on Saturday.

It’s not hard to see Okafor’s natural talent. Just like he did at Omaha Westside, Okafor has a real gift in the open field, able to shift directions and accelerate at the same time. For him, it’s about seeing the hole, picking up his feet and finding the second level. When he does it, look out. If it sounds a lot like Marlon Lucky, well, there’s some of that. Lucky had pretty great hands, but Okafor is faster.

Overall, though, you have to like NU’s running back situation. Ward was better than I thought, and Jones wasn’t bad. Castille, already a threat, just keeps adding to his game. Throw the best of the bunch, Roy Helu, into the mix, and NU can give Oklahoma and Oklahoma State a run for their money in the backfield.

All of the tight ends: OK, OK, this is clearly about six or seven guys, including Mike McNeill, Dreu Young, Ben Cotton, Kyler Reed and Mychael McClure, but they collectively deserve the honor, as Ron Brown’s group flashed potential and production in equal measure. Husker fans already knew what McNeill and Young brought to the table, and they didn’t disappoint. But the young pups made the future of this position look bright until, oh, the next presidential election. We’ll take it.

Three Concerns We Have

Inconsistency at linebacker: Part of what makes him such a skilled recruiter and communicator is that linebackers coach Mike Ekeler wears his heart on his sleeve. On Saturday, he might have been a little too hard on himself by labeling his unit’s play “poor” – we saw some pretty good flashes out of Sean Fisher, Matt May, Will Compton and Colton Koehler – but he knows the unit is a work in progress.

Too many tight ends were open underneath coverage, and Watson exploited it over and over to give his quarterbacks confidence. Yeah, sometimes a tight end be might a check down guy who’s the last option remaining. But some of those tight ends were 10, 15 yards down the field. It’s either a safety or a linebacker with responsibility there.

The wild card remains Phillip Dillard. He played OK Saturday. Whiffed on one Lester Ward run, but stuck a few backs in the hole a couple times, too. Dillard isn’t going to climb the depth chart until he turns in a strong summer of conditioning and leadership. If he does that, and comes into fall camp at the right weight, Ekeler will likely give Dillard a long, good look.

Lingering doubt on the offensive line: Both the Red and White offensive lines opened holes and protected their respective quarterback – at times. On other occasions, especially with the Red unit early in the game, we were left scratching our heads a little. Nebraska’s going to face some solid defensive ends and tackles this year.

Mediocre Meno: Menelik Holt was supposed to be the heir apparent to Mo Purify and Nate Swift. But, by his own admission, Holt could have had a better spring and, on Saturday, Brooks Bell and even Wes Cammack stole the spotlight. Holt was a non-factor, and he was well covered. Was that NU’s defense, or Holt’s inability to get open? Holt is still a good blocker and leader and all that. But is he dynamic?

Reviewing the Five Keys

Why Safe May = Sorry: We thought it’d be best if NU’s offensive playcalling, while vanilla, still took advantage of some personnel advantages. After playing a little too safe with Zac Lee to start the game, Watson dialed up some nice zone-busting pass plays and Lee responded nicely. We also liked that wide counter sweep Castille ran midway through the second quarter. The White defense didn’t see it coming.

Clean and efficient: A whistle-happy officiating crew didn’t exactly help things on Saturday – two pass interference penalties were either called on the wrong players, or simply bogus – but NU was a bit sloppy as the game wore on. A number of false starts, an illegal substation penalty, several holding calls on punt returns. Well, hey, it’s a practice.

Busting the defensive advantage: Just from this eye, it seemed like the top White defense was only entirely intact for the first two or three drives. Probably a good thing for the Red offense.

At any rate, NU coaches did a nice job of balancing out the process. The offense got some plays, and the defense did, too. And Lee’s touchdown toss to Wes Cammack was against Anthony West and Larry Asante. Cammack got inside West and Asante was too late getting to the over-the-top spot.

Young pups and unknowns: As we reviewed above, many of the young pups on offense looked a little better than the young pups on defense. They were put in better position to look good, mind you, but guys like Bell, Cotton, Reed, Brandon Thompson and others made me more optimistic about the young offensive talent than what I saw of the defensive guys, many of whom – save Fisher and P.J. Smith, who looked pretty comfortable – need work.

The Specials: Alex Henery looks like a good punter to us. Sign him up to start. On punt returns, Bell and speedy Tim Marlowe will give Pelini a lot to think about this summer. Both were fearless and fast.

Three Questions We Still Have for the Summer

How daring can Lee be in the fall? And we mean running the ball on zone read plays. That’s one thing it would have been hard for Watson and Lee to gauge this spring.

How much – if any – attrition and addition is there over the summer? It’s possible – although not necessarily certain – that Nebraska could drop a couple more players before the beginning of fall camp. NU could also be adding a guy like Robert Marve or now, apparently Greg Paulus, the former Duke point guard who wants to play one year of college football.

Does every nose stay clean, and which new leaders emerge? A two-for-one deal here, but both pertain to the same issue: Team chemistry. The Huskers need to stay way off the police blotter – and that’s not easy to do with a team of this size, but Pelini runs a fairly tight ship – while key guys develop as leaders. The offense especially needs somebody to stand alongside Jacob Hickman. Arrest and all, our money is still on the likable, smart Niles Paul. But Lee has to become “the guy” this summer in arranging workouts and conducting film study. It’s his team, and his time.

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Our report card from Saturday’s Red/White game, modified slightly to exclude coaching and game management for obvious reasons:

Quarterbacks: A- Five touchdowns, no interceptions and six plays over 20 yards. Hard to argue with the production of Zac Lee, Latravis Washington under those circumstances, isn’t it?

Running Backs: A- Aside from Lester Ward’s lost fumble, this unit arguably had the best day. Quentin Castille, Ward, Austin Jones and Collins Okafor all showed off skills that could help NU in 2009. Only Castille is a shoo-in to play every game, but we could envision Ward, Jones and Okafor all finding their spots.

Tight Ends: A An Excellent day for these blokes, who caught 17 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed especially earned some fall playing time with their work. Cotton has the tools to be an all-time great at Nebraska.

Offensive Line: C+ The White bunch really plowed some holes early, but struggled more in the second half. The Red offensive line, meanwhile, couldn’t knock guys like Barry turner and Ndamukong Suh out of the box for a full quarter. We know center Jacob Hickman and left guard Keith Williams are studs. Now, Mike Smith, Marcel Jones and Ricky Henry and/or Mike Caputo need to get more consistent.

Wide Receivers: B Chris Brooks, Antonio Bell and Marcus Mendoza all made nice grabs and earned themselves some more reps in 2009 fall practice. Menelik Holt and Curenski Gilleylen had quiet, somewhat disappointing days.

Defensive Line: A- Suh, Turner and Baker Steinkuhler wreaked their share of havoc on that White defense. Life wasn’t quite so easy for Terrence Moore and Jared Crick on the Red, but Moore cause the game’s only turnover.

Linebackers: C Not a great day for Mike Ekeler’s crew. Young and inexperienced. Too many open tight ends over the middle, especially from the second quarter forward. The linebackers also bit badly on playaction bootleg plays.


Secondary: B- The lower grade is Anthony West and Larry Asante underestimating Wes Cammack, who schooled them both on a 42-yard touchdown reception from Lee. The safeties also seemed absent on a few post routes over the deep middle. Where were all those interceptions Asante had been bragging about during spring camp?

Kickers/Return Game: B+ Alex barely missed a 50-yard field goal try, but made another. He punted especially well, too. Punt returners Antonio Bell and Tim Marlowe both look better than Niles Paul; they should duke it out for the job.

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Latravis Washington made a smart observation a few days ago.

“Nobody knows who the backup linebacker is,” he said.

You already know the other part of that sentence.

So the real question for Washington heading into Saturday’s Red/White Spring Game wasn’t whether the 77,000 fans at Memorial Stadium would recognize his green No. 15 jersey. It was whether he’d do anything worth remembering.

Judging by that perfect grin he wore the post-game media room, Washington did OK by his standards – and by the coaches’.

“I just executed the offense,” he said. “I didn’t try to do nothing out ordinary and be somebody I’m not, try to take the whole team under my hands. You’ve got to push the offense and it’ll work itself out.”

Work itself out? Sure did – to the tune of 13-of-21 for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Yes, Washington threw some passes so high and hard they sailed blissfully into the sidelines. Yes, he fumbled a couple snaps. Yes, he rolled into a sack or two – sacks he couldn’t have escaped from without a green jersey - and failed to change a couple plays correctly.

“There were some things that, even when he made plays, he did something wrong,” head coach Bo Pelini said.

But here’s the thing: He made plays.

Washington lacks the polish of a great college quarterback. Yet the presence is there. And the daring is there. While Zac Lee and Cody Green mostly played catch with tight ends held the ball considering more high percentage throws, Washington flung a few in there. And he was rewarded for it with nice grabs from Chris Brooks and Antonio Bell.

Generally, No. 15 progressed through his reads, only forced a couple dangerous passes – and Washington throws so hard he’ll be hard to intercept anyway – and stepped up when necessary.

The best part of his game? The attitude. After shying away from the quarterback spotlight for two years – Washington thought it too time-consuming and too difficult – he’s embracing with what has to be the biggest smile on the team. He makes offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s job easier. He makes his receivers laugh. And he’s handled the media as well as Zac Lee.

The number and hometown – Bradenton, Fla. – might remind you of Tommie Frazier. His demeanor couldn’t be more different.

“As far as backing up Zac Lee – it’d be a wonderful deal for me,” Washington said.

And chances are quite good that Washington, if he stays healthy progresses reasonably well in the fall, will be the No. 2 quarterback through the non-conference season. Kody Spano won’t be ready by the Florida Atlantic game. Maybe by Missouri – maybe, although I doubt he’ll be ready at all –but not during September.

And judging by his so-so work Saturday, Cody Green needs time and seasoning. Pelini called him a “nervous camper.” I’ll be more blunt: Until the second half, when he was facing more scrubs, Green seemed to be thinking too much. He double-clutched a couple throws. He seemed cautious. Although he threw a beautiful incompletion late in the fourth quarter on a go route, most of Green’s throws were about as long as a backyard game of catch with your dad. NU coaches had him on a pretty tight leash.

Washington was, too. Ditto Lee, for that matter. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was a little too conservative with Lee’s first couple drives; the No. 1 quarterback didn’t hit his stride until Watson stretched the White defense downfield a little bit.

What Husker fans saw out of Lee should be some of the norm in 2009. He’s good at routes over the middle. He throws a flat ball, but he’s got decent touch. He’s athletic, as he showed on a jump screen pass to Quentin Castille. Lee doesn’t love pressure, but what quarterback does?

Best of all, Lee didn’t make too many “dumb passes.” He had a chance to force one to Menelik Holt, but threw it wide and to the outside, where only Holt could catch it, and only with a great grab that Holt didn’t make. Another pass to Ben Cotton was thrown to the far end zone pylon instead of into double coverage. Cotton didn’t get there, but Lee made the right decision.

It was, of course, impossible to tell what these guys would look like running with the ball. We may not know much about Lee until the first snaps of the FAU game. Until then, it’ll be hands off No. 3 in the most dramatic way.

Hands off them all. There is much more for all of them to learn.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Watson said. “But we’ve got talent, I know that. And anytime you’ve got talent and a willing soul, you can get it done.”

Sums up the position – and Latravis Washington – pretty well.

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Five big plays in the Red/White Game:

Zac Lee’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Mendoza: Probably Lee’s best throw of the day, a lofted pass over the head of a slow-to-react Will Compton for the red team’s first TD. Lee made a good read and threw the ball at the right time.

Latravis Washington’s 71-yard touchdown pass to Kyler Reed: Washington showed a strong instinct to step up into the pocket on Saturday, and it served him well on this play, as he found Reed standing alone on the sideline about 15 yards away. Reed did the rest, turning on some serious jets for the score. We thought we’d see more of Reed, but we saw enough.

Micah Kreikemeier’s stuff of Quentin Castille on the Red team’s first drive of the game: Castille is a big dude, but Kreikemeier shot in unblocked and took him down for a three-yard loss on 3rd-and-1. Hello! Castille got his frustration out for much of the rest of the game, running over guys and generally playing with a physical attitude. But Kreikemeier got the better of that play.

Antonio Bell’s circus catch: Bell only made two catches on the day, but one of them was the “the” play of the spring game: A spinning, leaping grab to set up the White’s first touchdown.

“I took the liberty to throw to Antonio,” Latravis Washington joked. “Because I had been throwing to him all practice. I should laid it out there a little more. But he made a fantastic catch.”

Terrence Moore’s strip of Lester Ward: Not that it mattered who won the Red/White game all that much, but Moore’s textbook tackle/theft of Ward, and Tyrone Fahie’s subsequent recovery, was the game’s true turning point and one of the best defensive plays of the day.

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After the Red's 31-17 victory over the White team, seven Huskers who impressed us on the white team:

Chris Brooks, wide receiver: Brooks made a number of difficult catches in the first half off of the arm of Latravis Washington, and hustled down on a Brett Maher punt to help down it at the one-yard line. Brooks finally looked ready Saturday to break the two-deep and be a capable backup to Menelik Holt. He hustled, ran good routes, and made tough catches.

"He played like senior today," offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. "Really played big, which is good to see."

Latravis Washington, quarterback: By no means is Washington ready to lead the Cornhuskers. But, in a mop-up or limited role, he showed Saturday he can make a play or two. Washington played quite well against the red’s top defense.

"For where he started as a linebacker about a month ago, he came a long way," head coach Bo Pelini said.

Antonio Bell, wide receiver: Bell’s going to be a stud, Husker fans. He made an incredible catch to help set up the white team’s only touchdown, and he showed impressive burst on punt and kickoff returns. Bell’s ready. Now.

"He made a very competitive catch today, which was awesome to see," offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. "He's really talented kid."

Keith Williams, left guard: Punishing performance from Williams. He helped open a lot of holes for the white offense early in the game.

"I always was going against Keith today," defensive tackle Jared Crick said. "Every play was just a battle. It's been a battle all spring inside. He's 330 and strong as an ox. So he's really taught me to play great technique."

Will Compton, linebacker: Compton got burned a few times in pass coverage, yeah, when Zac Lee threw right over his head. But Compton was very active against the run, and generally around the ball quite a bit.

Austin Jones, running back: It was Jones, and not Lester Ward, who received more carries Saturday and looked like the team’s No. 3 guy. Jones showed wiggle, toughness and good hands.

Baker Steinkuhler, defensive tackle: Obviously Ndamukong Suh was more dominating – pretty much unblockable for the first quarter – but Steinkuhler showed good technique and push, as well. He’ll challenge Jared Crick throughout the fall.

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After the Red's 31-17 win over the White, here's seven Huskers who impressed us on the red team:

Ben Cotton, tight end: Cotton had an adventuresome day. He missed an assignment on the Red’s first drive that led to a three-and-out and had a false start penalty. But Cotton also proved to be an excellent pass catcher, hauling in four passes for yards and a touchdown. This kid has so much all-around potential it’s scary. And NU’s got him for four years.

"Ben made several good catches," offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. "He executed a route to detail and caught a touchdown pass."

Zac Lee, quarterback: He didn’t get much help from his offensive line for the first quarter or so, but once he got a little time, he made a few nifty plays, including a sweet little jump pass on a screen to Quentin Castille. His best throw of the day was his first touchdown, a 21-yarder to Marcus Mendoza in which he floated a ball over the head of Will Compton, who was sleeping in two-deep coverage. Lee wasn’t eye-popping. But he was solid.

Alfonzo Dennard, cornerback: Dennard looks like one of NU’s two kickoff returners, and he did a better-than average job at cornerback. Dennard had especially good coverage on Antonio Bell a couple times. And Bell’s going to be a stud. He also had a nice tackle on Stephen Osbourne in the second half.

Marcus Mendoza, wide receiver: A little guy like that, not afraid to go over the middle? We’ll take it. Mendoza made one terrific catch in the first half and nearly made another, had Lee thrown a better ball. We’ll like this kid out of the slot a couple times a game. Lee does, too, apparently.

Cameron Meredith, defensive end: Not a lot of tackles, but some serious push on the pass rush. Meredith is more physical than I expected he’d be.

"He's had a good spring," defensive ends coach John Papuchis said. "He's giving great effort."

P.J. Smith, safety: Smith was much like Will Compton on the white team. He made a few mistakes, but he was active and around the ball a lot. Five tackles in the game.

Collins Okafor, running back: Okafor reportedly has work to do to move up the depth chart. But he looked very good on Saturday, especially on a 33-yard touchdown run. Okafor has natural running talent. He changes direction and accelerates well. He has to improve vision, though.

"He did a really nice job," Watson said

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By the time Zac Lee finally got the play, the route and the read he had been looking for, he had to deal with something that’s typical of just about any Red/White Spring Game: A player slightly off assignment, out of position. Only this time it was linebacker Will Compton, right in front Lee’s perfectly lofted ball to receiver Marcus Mendoza near the goal line.

For Lee, it figured. The first two drives of his debut as NU’s top quarterback had been unceremonious three-and-outs, punctuated with a “phantom sack.” Seems a ref thought somebody touched Lee’s emerald green jersey for a half second while Lee stood in the pocket.

Meanwhile, White team quarterback Latravis Washington had already spearheaded two scoring drives – helped greatly by good hands of receivers Chris Brooks and Antonio Bell - leading his bunch to a 10-0 lead. The White looked surprisingly in control.

Finally, the junior from San Francisco got some breathing room on the third drive. And as he watched his pass float toward Mendoza, he wondered, why was Compton so close to it? Mendoza wasn’t his man.

“Will was a lot deeper than I would have liked,” Lee said. “The ball was close to being tipped.”

But it wasn’t, as it landed right over Compton’s hands and into Mendoza’s waiting arms. It was first of three Lee touchdown passes, and the first six of the Red’s 31 consecutive points in a 31-17 victory over White Saturday in front of more than 77,000 fans who enjoyed a sunny, warm day at Memorial Stadium.

For the game, Lee completed 15 of 18 passes for 214 yards. He also threw touchdowns to tight end Ben Cotton (24 yards, on a similar route over the middle) and Wes Cammack (42 yards, with a perfectly thrown pass in between cornerback Anthony West and Larry Asante).

“I’d like to say it went pretty well,” Lee said. “I’m sure I’ll see some things on film that I’d like to get better at. It was good. We had some success.”

As did the White bunch, which controlled most of the first half until Lee’s first touchdown pass and a fumble on its following offensive drive by reserve running back Lester Ward. The White defense, led by Ndamukong Suh and a surprisingly quick and physical Barry Turner initially stung the No. 1 Red offense and its top offensive line. Quentin Castille was twice dragged down behind the line of scrimmage, and Lee was forced to throw the ball quickly.

On White’s offense Washington, a converted linebacker who’s been a quarterback for all of four weeks, started his day with an eight-minute drive, culminating in an Adi Kunalic field goal.

He completed of 9 of 13 passes in the first half for 112 yards and a touchdown to Brooks. The highlight play was a 27-yard fade route to freshman Antonio Bell, who leapt on one foot to make the catch and landed on his back. Washington found Brooks two plays later with a four-yard TD pass.

“Some of my passes, I was just jumping at them,” Washington said. “But after that first series, I calmed down and managed the game really well.”

Meanwhile, Lee was trying to dodge rushers and pick his spots wisely.

Surprising? Not necessarily. It was part of what head coach Bo Pelini envisioned in equally splitting up the teams for the game.

“We had a lot of guys playing next to people that they haven’t played next to before,” he said. “That takes some time. It’s not an ideal situation, but for what we wanted to accomplish today, it’s the right thing to do…you saw them get more confident and kind of get their feet underneath them.”

Once Lee hit Mendoza, the Red’s collective feet hit the ground rather quickly. They amassed 380 total yards in the game, almost all of it in the final seven or so drives.

Defensive tackle Terrence Moore stripped Ward on the White’s next drive. Tyrone Fahie recovered for the game’s only turnover. Lee took back over and hit Cotton for a touchdown two plays later. The Red led 14-10 at halftime. After the White team punted to begin the third quarter, Lee completed three consecutive passes, the last of them to Cammack, who badly beat cornerback Anthony West on a post route, then scooted around Asante at the five-yard line and dove into the end zone.

“We were moving in a good direction in terms of just being aggressive to the football and finishing plays,” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. “I just saw shades of last of year and I didn’t like that. That’s got to get fixed.”

The Red tacked on an Alex Henery field goal to begin the fourth quarter, then benefited from the day’s best run, a 33-yarder by redshirt freshman Collins Okafor, who cut back left into a wide hole, shimmied to his right, and accelerated through two tacklers on his way to the end zone. Okafor, who entered the game as NU’s No. 5 running back, led all rushers with 79 yards.

“Every day, he’s been getting better,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “Today was icing on the cake for him. He really stood out.”

Washington capped scoring for the White with a 71-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyler Reed. Washington sidestepped the rush and found Reed, wide open, 15 yards away from him. Reed hauled in the pass and did the rest, outsprinting all of NU’s defensive backs to the end zone.

“He’s very explosive,” Watson said. “As he grows, he’ll really enhance us.”

Reed’s performance was part of a strong group showing from Ron Brown’s crew. In all, tight ends caught 17 passes for 255 yards - almost half of the passes caught in the game.

Quite frequently, they were wide open on short curl routes underneath the linebackers, who were often camped out in unusually deep Cover 2 zones. Lee and redshirt freshman Cody Green in particular feasted on throwing to them, while Washington was a little more apt to stretch the ball downfield.

“A lot of talent there, and some experience,” Bo Pelini said. “We feel real good at that spot. We’re deep at that spot.”

Overall, Pelini declared himself “happy” by the scrimmage, and the spring itself, which he called “long and physical.” Many of Nebraska’s practices dragged near the three-hour mark, and were longer than the Red/White Spring Game itself. NU’s coaches mixed and matched quite a bit throughout the spring, trying to find the right combination of players.

Players must now hone their talents on their own this summer, and prepare for an even more competitive fall before the Sept. 5 Florida Atlantic game.

“We got a lot accomplished in spring ball,” Pelini said. “We got a lot done. I’m happy. I’m not satisfied, but I’m happy with the progress we made. But we have a long way to go yet.”

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Let us be clear: It’s not the real thing, Nebraska’s Red/White Spring Game on Saturday. Oh, it’s important, and the Memorial Stadium crowd will be tingling with excitement for at least a quarter or two. But it’s not quite the magic of a Husker home game. After all, it’s still a practice.

But head coach Bo Pelini provided the Big Red Nation with a nifty present with his clever, provocative splitting of the teams late this week. His choices will pit, for example, NU’s red offensive line against an equally good white defensive line. No. 1 quarterback Zac Lee faces a secondary of Anthony West, Larry Asante, Anthony Blue and Rickey Thenarse, with Eric Hagg thrown in for good measure. That’s a test, folks. A legitimate “can you beat this?” test.

Jacob Hickman and Ricky Henry vs. Ndamukong Suh for 20-30 snaps? We’ll take that and a chicken dinner any evening of the week.

And Pelini has suggested the game will resemble an actual contest as much as possible. Maybe there will be no running clock in the second half. Maybe Lee (or even better, Latravis Washington) will be forced to engineer a comeback drive. Maybe Alex Henery or Adi Kunalic has to hit a clutch field goal.

If NU’s reportedly physical scrimmages are any indication, this spring game should be an alley scrum between guys fighting for playing time and fall practice snaps. Yes, at some point, the scrubs will take the field. But the Huskers are limited enough at the skill positions to keep those guys on the field for most of the game.

On with the keys:

Why Safe May = Sorry: Nebraska has to protect its remaining quarterbacks with a green jersey. And it’s wise to hold out running back Roy Helu. He has nothing to prove.
But NU’s receiving corps has a great deal to prove after an intense spring of competition. And the more offensive coordinator Shawn Watson dials up plays to see who’s up the challenge, the better the scrimmage will be.

We remain dubious about guys like Menelik Holt, Curenski Gilleylen, Chris Brooks and Will Henry. NU can’t just test their work ethic and blocking ability; the Huskers need to find out who can go out and make a play (or two, or three). Marcus Mendoza and Tim Marlowe, two speedsters on the red team, could really make an impact Saturday. Gilleylen, too. He sure looks the part of a top receiver, and he’s versatile enough to play all over the field. Now - does he have the hands, or is the Huskers’ version of Featherstone?

Clean and efficient: It can’t necessarily be expected in a spring game, but Nebraska’s coaches would like both teams – the offenses especially – to get lined up properly and execute without a dump truck of penalties and mental errors. The schemes will be pretty vanilla, so it shouldn’t be that hard.

Busting the defensive advantage: Just about any coach wants his defense to be a little ahead of his offense right now. The defense ought to know its own offense’s plays pretty well, after all. If the defense is giving up big chunks of yards now, that sure doesn’t bode well for the fall, does it?

Thus far this spring, NU’s defense has outpaced the offense. To be expected, especially when you’ve got new, inexperienced quarterbacks. Still, look for NU coaches to create opportunities where, should the offense properly execute, the potential for a big play is in the cards.

Young pups and unknowns: On both sides of the ball, a bevy of redshirt freshman will be showing, for the first time, if Pelini kept them under wraps for good reason, or as an exercise of discipline. We’re especially intrigued by the four linebackers – Sean Fisher, Will Compton, Alonzo Whaley and Micah Kreikemeier – and tight ends Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed. These guys won’t make or break Nebraska in 2009. But 2010 might be a different story. Never too early to look ridiculously ahead, right?

Then, you’ve got those one or two guys buried deep on the depth chart who can suddenly leapfrog a player or two with fine work in the Spring Game. You don’t think guys like Colton Koehler and Lance Thorell benefited from strong springs last year?

The specials: With Niles Paul suspended for Saturday’s game, Nebraska will be trying out a whole slew of brand new punt and kickoff returners. Who gets the opportunities and makes them most of them? At punter, the battle between Alex Henery and Brett Maher will likely extend into the fall, but the Spring Game should be the best barometer of their skills thus far. Our money is on Henery – but you never know.

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Now that the rosters for Nebraska’s Red/White Spring Game have been set by head coach Bo Pelini, we take a look at which squad has the advantage at each position group. Keep in mind that players may switch jerseys during the course of the game, but Pelini said Wednesday he didn’t expect it.

We look at the defensive roster. Note that not every player is mentioned; just the ones we expect to have the most impact on Saturday.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Red Team: Pierre Allen, Jared Crick, Terrence Moore, Cameron Meredith, William Yancy, Ben Martin. White Team: David Harvey, Ndamukong Suh, Baker Steinkuhler, Barry Turner, Josh Williams

Breakdown: While the red will roll out a line that Nebraska could actually see in 2009 (we’re figuring somewhere along the way, Suh might get a breather or two) the white bunch has Suh, the team’s best player, and Steinkuhler, who could take that mantle in two or three years. Harvey and Turner are experienced at defensive end.

Advantage: White

LINEBACKERS: Red Team: Matt May, Colton Koehler, Sean Fisher, Phillip Dillard, Thomas Grove. White Team: Alonzo Whaley, Will Compton, Matt Holt, Micah Kreikemeier. Injured: Blake Lawrence

Breakdown: Great split by Bo Pelini and the gang, as we’re going to love watching NU’s young, hungry linebackers take on Zac Lee in a game of cat and mouse. The red team has the better unit, though, with May, the experienced Koehler and the nation’s best third-string middle linebacker in Dillard.

Advantage: Red

SECONDARY: Red Team: Prince Amukamara, Alfonzo Dennard, Matt O’Hanlon, P.J. Smith, Courtney Osbourne, Lance Thorell, Mason Wald, Jase Dean. White Team: Anthony West, Anthony Blue, Dejon Gomes, Larry Asante, Eric Hagg, Rickey Thenarse, Austin Cassidy.

Breakdown: The red team has more raw talent in Amukamara, Smith and Osbourne, but the white team has more experience in Asante, Hagg, West and Thenarse. Fans are going to like, too, what Gomes and Blue bring to the field by next fall.

Advantage: White

OVERALL DEFENSIVE ADVANTAGE: The white team has a little more experience and maybe one or two more playmakers. Hagg, Suh and Asante are a pretty terrific trio of players, and we expect those young linebackers on the white team to make some plays, too.

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Now that the rosters for Nebraska’s Red/White Spring Game have been set by head coach Bo Pelini, we take a look at which squad has the advantage at each position group. Keep in mind that players may switch jerseys during the course of the game, but Pelini said Wednesday he didn’t expect it.

We begin with the offensive roster. Note that not every player is mentioned; just the ones we expect to have the most impact on Saturday.

QUARTERBACK: Red team: Zac Lee and Cody Green. White Team: Latravis Washington and Cody Green. Injured: Kody Spano

Breakdown: Lee is clearly the No. 1 quarterback, but he’s had his growing pains this spring like any new quarterback would. Green might have the most physical talent, but he’s young and still limited by injury. He’ll play on both rosters. On the white team exclusively, Washington has little to lose by playing poorly, which could either free him up to make some big plays…or lead to sloppiness.

Advantage: Red

RUNNING BACK: Red Team: Quentin Castille and Collis Okafor. White Team: Lester Ward and Austin Jones. Injured: Roy Helu

Breakdown: What an opportunity for Ward and Jones, who have established themselves as the team’s No. 3 and No. 4 backs. They’ll get all the carries they want, that’s for sure. For Castille, this spring game is old hat, so we don’t expect him to get a ton of carries. Instead, Okafor and his long-striding style will get a long look. Who emerges as the No. 3 guy? We’re about to find out.

Advantage: Red

OFFENSIVE LINE: Red Team: (Left to right) Mike Smith, Andy Christensen, Jacob Hickman, Ricky Henry, Derek Meyer. White Team: (Left to right) D.J. Jones/Brandon Thompson, Keith Williams, Mike Caputo, D.J. Jones/Seung Hoon Choi, Marcel Jones

Breakdown: Smith and Hickman anchor the red, while Henry gets his shot to cement the right guard position and Christensen and Meyer shake off the rust. The white team should be a little stronger at tackle, and Caputo has shown himself to be capable at center. When he’s on, Williams is the team’s most dominant lineman.

Advantage: Slightly to the white.

TIGHT END: Red Team: Mike McNeill, Ben Cotton, Mychael McClure. White Team: Dreu Young, Ryan Hill, Kyler Reed

Breakdown: McNeill is team’s best pass-catching weapon, and Cotton has the strength, speed and size to become one of NU’s best. McClure’s reportedly been impressive this spring. For the white, the intrigue goes to Reed, whom position coach Ron Brown fought to keep at tight end for his wide variety of skills. Reed can also line up as a fullback/H-back type guy. Young is dependable in a backup role.

Advantage: Red

WIDE RECEIVER: Red Team: Menelik Holt, Curenski Gilleylen, Marcus Mendoza, Tim Marlowe, Wes Cammack White Team: Chris Brooks, Will Henry, Antonio Bell, Adam Watson, Steven Osbourne. Suspended: Niles Paul

Breakdown: Holt is ostensibly the team’s No. 1 guy, but he hasn’t necessarily had a great spring. Gilleylen, on the other hand, has improved over the last three weeks and will get some passes from Lee on Saturday. Mendoza and Marlowe are burners in the slot. On the white, we’re most intrigued to see Bell and Henry, both of whom has strong springs.

Advantage: Red

OVERALL OFFENSIVE ADVANTAGE: Red. At quarterback and wide receiver, the red team just has a little more experience.

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