Five Questions the Spring Game Should Answer
6 comments so far
April 17, 2009 by
Ah…Just a day away from almost real football in Lincoln before the summer heat kicks on and we all slip into a state of depression before Florida Atlantic arrives. The Spring Game is finally here. I’ve got to admit, this first stretch of offseason flew by. Maybe its because I’m in the middle of planning a wedding, but it really seems like yesterday that we were celebrating the Huskers win over Clemson at the Gator Bowl.
Of course not all of the questions will be answered in tomorrow’s spring classic, but we should get a look a few good things. Here are five questions I hope to have answered after the Red-White game:
Can LaTravis Washington honestly play QB?
The kid with wheels out of Bradenton, FL wearing #15 tomorrow is not Tommie Frazier but will show some similarities. But let’s be honest here, it is nearly impossible to start slinging balls after a few years off and expect to be any good at it. Reports out of camp suggest that Washington has a cannon of an arm but is about as accurate as Kenny Perry in a playoff at the Masters. And while this offense has changed some in the last year, there is enough West Coast offense to make the head spin. I hope he has enough plays learned to run any offense because we’ll have to see a lot of him in this week’s game.
Which WR will emerge as a leader?
With Niles Paul gone, the depth at wide receiver took a hit for the spring game. I am intrigued to see what Will Henry can do Saturday as well as guys like Menelik Holt and Currenski Gulliyen. Simply put, we need a wide receiver to become a go-to guy and right now I can’t pinpoint who that will be. Hopefully Saturday provides some clues.
Can Henery punt?
Those who have had a sneak peak into spring practice have said that Alex Henery has been booming some punts. The chief concern at this point is consistency. Can Henery consistently punt well? In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to rely on a punter so much but it is a big concern this offseason especially since it will take a little time to give Zac Lee the confidence to run this offense with precision. If Henery’s punting has any correlation to his FG kicking, we’ll enjoy what we see on Saturday.
Are our DBs as improved as advertised?
Last year our secondary let too many big plays get past them. This year, the system has become more natural. Will one year of experience of the system become enough to make this a strength of the team? If it is Bo Pelini running a defense, don’t doubt it. I think you’ll see players in much better position to make plays starting this Saturday. And with new QBs taking snaps, don’t be surprised to see a few INTs come from the defense this go-around.
Is Zac Lee ready to make this his team?
We won’t know completely after Saturday, but a key thing to watch is his huddle demeanor. Lee will need to show his offensive teammates that he can lead a huddle and show confidence in his play calls. Another big problem with new QBs is check-offs. Joe Ganz excelled at being able to check down receivers or make a play with his feet. Lee must figure out this concept of the offense or said offense will sputter. This will be a great learning experience for Lee and with a lack of QBs around (unless Marve really does suit up), Lee will be taking a ton of snaps. Should be fun to watch.
Many more questions left to be answered. What are some of yours?
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tom Apr 17 09
Will the option pitch be the first play this year? If that happens, who will be this year's Tyler Wortman to stop it?
Brandon Apr 17 09
I was thinking about this earlier in the week: Why don't they just make the first play of EVERY spring game the ceremonial "Runnin' of the Option"? Make it a tradition of sorts.
Sure the triple option might not be a part of the current offense, or offenses to come for that matter, but just imagine how easy it would be to formulate opinions on the upcoming squads based on that one play.
Conversations about returning starters, depth charts, schedule, etc. would be gone. All future estimations of the Huskers talent in any given year could be determined by answering the following question: "Did you see the way they ran the option?"
Run it well, we could have a banner year. Run it poorly, we might be looking at 6 or 7 wins.
darren Apr 17 09
Great question about the DBs. The missing ingredient in last year's defense was turnovers. IF (big if) NU can get more takeaways in the form of INTs, they could really be cooking.
We've heard anecdotally from players that more balls are being contested in practice, and that they are getting more INTs. So, yeah, I'll be watching those DBs closely.
bnahusker Apr 17 09
Unless there is an internet broadcast, the only thing I am looking forward to is BRN coverage. Mrs. bnahusker has to work tomorrow and I am scheduled on Sunday so we can't make the trip home.
Keep up the great work guys!
Hut, hut, HIKE!
GBR
Bob
fischalum'83 Apr 17 09
Some additional questions: Barry Turner, The speed at receiver, Henry/DJ Jones, & Baker Steinkuhler.
Is Barry going to be back for us? That might be the differance between a defense ranked 30 in the country & a defense in the top 25. Matt Herrion couldn't make it all the way back, lets hope Barry can because he could be a differance maker.
Last year some serious speed at receiver would have been a big help. Can Mendoza & Gilleylen provide that with surehandedness.
Who will step up, Henry or Jones. I believe the final product at O-line will include one of them (or both) and will they be able to handle it.
Looking forward to seeing what Baker can do. Is he too tall for DT? or a monster in the making to take over where Suh leaves off in 2010.
Dwayne Apr 17 09
fis,
I too am looking forward to seeing what and where Baker fits in. He has the pedigree, and he certainly had they hype coming out of high school. How effective are redshirts when utilized properly? We'll soon see.