A revamped Nebraska program under first-year coach Matt Rhule will put itself on display for public consumption Saturday for the first time in its spring game at Memorial Stadium. The Cornhuskers have suffered through six consecutive losing seasons but have a new source of hope in Rhule, who resurrected Temple and Baylor before an unsuccessful two-and-a-half year stint with the Carolina Panthers.
Now back in the college game, Rhule enters an evolving Big Ten landscape with the chance to revitalize yet another struggling college program. With just over four months remaining until the season opener at Minnesota on Aug. 31, the spring game could offer some clues as to what the Cornhuskers will be under Rhule’s direction.
Rhule said Nebraska plans to play a normal game with elements of the program’s real playbook.
“What we’re not going to do, a lot of time coaches will say, ‘Hey, we’re going to keep it vanilla.’ Especially in your first time. We’re not doing that,” Rhule said, per Husker247. “We’re going to run our plays on offense and defense. I can certainly understand where maybe we could surprise Minnesota with something. But we got to get good at playing football. So we’re going to play. Do what we do and see who plays well.”
How to watch Nebraska 2023 spring game live
Date: Saturday, April 22 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Memorial Stadium — Lincoln, Nebraska
Channel: Big Ten Network | fuboTV (try for free)
2023 Nebraska spring game storylines
1. Quarterback battle: Starting quarterback Casey Thompson returns after throwing for 2,407 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. The former Texas signal-caller completed 63.1% of his passes under the former regime but faces some competition for the job under Rhule. The room’s big-name new addition is former Georgia Tech QB Jeff Sims, who tossed 30 touchdowns and 23 interceptions during his career in Atlanta. Sims is also an adept runner and could add a dynamic element to the offense. Also in the mix is Chubba Purdy, who struggled when forced into action as the backup last season. The safe bet is on Thompson to win the battle, but Sims is an experienced option who could challenge for QB1.
2. Offensive line concerns: Nebraska’s offense is going to struggle regardless of who is at quarterback unless the offensive line can make strides in pass protection. The Cornhuskers ranked 127th nationally last season by…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…