Nearly 78,000 fans showed up at Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon to witness yet another Husker spring game. Clear skies and some sun gave the fans an extra incentive to come out and watch their beloved Huskers. Fans wanted to see their pair of 2009 recruiting class quarterback signees, Cody Green and Taylor Martinez. Husker fans were especially eager to see Martinez after hearing a large amount of hype about him from essentially everyone involved with the program. Taylor Martinez directed a scoring drive on the first possession for the Red team, and his speed did not disappoint.
Martinez showed a different element when running the football that Green doesn’t seem to posses. His lateral movement and quickness are much noticeably different than Cody’s. Martinez led all Huskers with 60 yards on nine carries, and showed some playmaking abilities on pass plays that resulted in Martinez rushing for first downs. He also completed five of nine pass attempts for 79 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He displayed some zip on his passes, but as expected, he still has some room to improve.
After some early struggles, Cody Green showed Husker fans why he arrived in Lincoln with so much hype. He connected with senior Will Henry for a 72-yard touchdown on a beautiful deep pass after Henry had gotten behind redshirt freshman Lazarri Middleton. Cody completed seven of fifteen passes for 155 yards and the one touchdown to Henry. Like Martinez, Cody still has plenty of room to grow as a passer.
The offensive line was missing new JUCO tackle Jermarcus “Yoshi” Hardrick, as he missed the spring game to recover from a broken hand. However, they looked improved and will only get better when fall camp opens in August. Both offenses were able to run the ball efficiently, as Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu Jr showed they will provide a great one-two punch for the Huskers ground game. I would’ve liked to have seen more out of Tray Robinson, as he certainly looks the part as Nebraska’s big bruising back they desperately need. He carried the ball just one time for four yards.
Niles Paul and Brandon Kinnie solidified their spots as the top two receivers for the offense. “B.K.” made the play of the day after catching a pass from Taylor Martinez. Kinnie made the third down conversion and carried Husker defenders ten yards until reaching the end zone. What excited most Husker fans was the fact that O-linemen were running down the field, pushing the pile to ensure that Kinnie made it all the way for the touchdown.
Overall, the atmosphere was phenomenal, filled with plenty of cheers for the Huskers. Fans surrounding me at the game couldn’t stop raving about Martinez. His ability to move around and escape trouble has Husker fans excited for his development. Zac Lee, Cody Green, Taylor Martinez. Should make for a very interesting fall camp.
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