Matt Rhule explains reasoning behind game-like format in Nebraska spring game

Taking in the atmosphere inside Memorial Stadium for the first time as Nebraska head coach, Matt Rhule couldn’t say enough about the fanbase showing out 60,000 strong for a spring game.

Rhule revealed what he is looking for in his team during the showcase, saying he wants his players to get the closest thing to real game experience in his system that they can before the regular season begins.

“I think it’s so important for our guys, we’re going to play it just like a game,” Rhule said prior to opening kickoff. “We need to see how we can handle the situations in a game in everything from how we dress, to the penalties. It’s a great dry run for the fall.”

After an XFL-style kickoff, transfer QB Jeff Sims was the first-team quarterback for the Cornhuskers, who found TE Nate Boerkircher down the seam for a 38-yard gain on the opening drive, but was stalled by the first-team defense and was forced to settle for a field goal. Chubba Purdy started as quarterback for the second team.

Aside from the kickoff, everything else is formatted as if it were a regular college football game. Behind a big crowd that Rhule expects to be rowdy all afternoon, Nebraska fans should get a real-time look at exactly where their Huskers are at this point in the season.

Leading into the spring game, Rhule indicated that Nebraska is a bit farther along than he originally expected. He’s been emphasizing ball security on offense and taking the ball away on defense.

Something else that sets Nebraska’s spring game apart from the rest — the quarterbacks are live and are able to be hit, within reason of course. He explained his reasoning for this after the second scrimmage last weekend.

“A lot of people don’t have their quarterbacks live in scrimmages, so the quarterback doesn’t turn the ball over, doesn’t get hit and fumble,” he said. “So at least we’re getting that work done now, but just I won’t say it’s a major thing. Just one of my observations coming out (of this scrimmage).”

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Catch the rest of Sims’ and Rhule’s Nebraska debuts live on the Big Ten Network. The White team — the first team offense — was in firm controls of Red team — the first team defense — at the end of the first quarter.