Red 24 White 13: Recap and Post-Game Thread

It doesn’t happen at every Nebraska football game that a “YouTube sensation” is asked to sing the national anthem. In this case it was Mason Ramsey (who I had never heard of until now). I guess he has a concert tonight at 8 p.m. at the Bourbon Theater.

A 12 year old on tour. I’m sure that won’t end badly...

Oh there’s a game right. Or a practice. Here we go!

First Quarter

After a 57 yard pass from Adrian Martinez to Kade Warner, the Red squad finished the drive off with a one yard touchdown by Brody Belt but it was negated by a penalty. That didn’t hurt the red squad too much as Adrian Martinez scored a touchdown on a QB draw from the six yard-line.

Red 7 - White 0

Andrew Bunch started for the white squad and handed it off to Jaylin Bradley for 18 yard gain. The next play was another hand-off up the middle for 12 yards. Two big gash plays from Bradley. The white squad stalls and was forced to punt.

The second drive for Adrian Martinez about ended with an interception on the second play and failed to get a first down on a scramble. Three and out for the future Heisman front runner.

The white’s second drive starts off with a five yard pass to the outside to Jaylin Bradley. Then Andrew Bunch throws a beautiful 22 yard out rout to Miles Jones for a first down. After what looks like should have been defensive holding on a pass to the end-zone to Katerian Legrone, the white team settles for a 27 yard field goal.

Red 7 - White 3

Adrian Martinez’s third drive ends with a three and out. Garrett Nelson make’s a great play on 2nd down. He should be in high school?

Andrew Bunch’s third drive starts with two hand offs to Miles Jones which get them the all important first down in a glorified scrimmage. Then on the very next play Mohamed Barry came on a blitz that could have ended Bunch’s life but just touched him because this is a glorified scrimmage. Interesting enough though is that Alex Davis actually made a great play on the pass (which came after the sack) to get the interception. Great to see. But it was negated by the Barry “sack.”

Adrian Martinez’s four drive starts with a five yard loss. Maybe we should try somebody else who can actually do something. Oh never mind, he followed it up with a 30 yard pass to Austin Allen. Allen is super tall. That helps. The drive is ended on a four down sack by Damian Jackson. I’m thinking that Frost needs to looks somewhere else at quarterback.

Andrew Bunch’s fourth drive started with a fumbled exchange that resulted in a three yard loss. Then the first turnover of the game happens as Marquel Dismuke gets the turnover on an interception.

Martinez is back on the field, again, for his fifth drive. First play results in a false start.

That’s how we end the first quarter. The red is barely hanging on as they lead seven to three. Besides a couple big plays the offenses have had a little trouble consistently moving the ball.

Second Quarter

Resuming Martinez’s fifth drive and he gets lucky as he throws a dart on the move to his left to Jaron Woodyard for an 18 yard touchdown pass.

Red 14 - White 3

Bunch’s fifth drive starts with a pass to Jaylin Bradley which Bradley makes a couple miss as he gets eight yards on an impressive run after the catch.

Jaevon McQuitty gets his first reception of the game on 12 yard comeback route for a first down. McQuitty was worried we didn’t know it was a first down so he showed the crowd the first down signal. Very nice of him.

Miles Jones has been getting the ball catching it out of the back field, from the slot and from hand-offs. Makes you think that is how they plan on using Wan’Dale Robinson.

Another great play from Alex Davis as he sacked Bunch for a five yard loss. We are seeing what the coaches have been saying about Davis all spring long.

A new quarterback sighting! Noah Vedral takes the place of an unproductive Adrian Martinez. Quarterback controversy anyone? Two straight passes to tight end Kurt Rafdal shows how the coaching staff may have to give this Vedral guy a look at the starting quarterback position.

Luke McCaffrey replaces Andrew Bunch for his first drive and in his first snap he carries the ball for seven yards. He is very fast. On a scramble to his right McCaffrey completed a beautiful pass on the sideline to Miles Jones. He directed Miles Jones on where to go and it worked. Impressive. The drive ends with a Barret Pickering field goal. The third down incompletion from McCaffrey was actually a great throw that went through the hands of Wyatt Liewer. Should have been a touchdown.

Red 14 - White 6

In Noah Vedral’s second drive, Brody Belt goes for 13 yards on the rush. Noah Vedral scrambles for 18 yards as he shows off his speed. I hope Coach Verduzco is paying attention. I hope he realizes he has other options besides Martinez. The red team goes for it on fourth down and gets it. Vedral makes a couple great passes and the finishes the drive with a one yard touchdown run by Wyatt Mazour.

Red 21 - White 6

Andrew Bunch comes back in for his sixth drive. Not sure why Luke McCaffrey is not back out there. It stalls after three plays. GET MCCAFFREY OUT THERE. HE IS OUR FUTURE!

Noah Vedral’s third drive and he starts out with a beautiful screen pass to Brody Belt for 12 yards. It felt like more. Then Vedral completes a 20 yard pass to Todd Honas. Vedral’s favorite target in the entire country gets another ball thrown his way as they team up to complete a 17 yard pass. The first half ends with 45 yard field attempt which IS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Red 24 - White 6

Halftime

The announced attendance in the press box was 85,946.

Third Quarter

Bunch begins the third quarter as the white team’s quarterback. It results in a three and out.

Noah Vedral comes out for his fourth series it starts with a 25 yard pass to Austin Allen down the right sideline. Avery Anderson ends that drive as he blows up a pass that gets intercepted by Jordan Paup. Try to find that replay if you can.

Bunch comes out for his eighth drive and his first pass gets tipped and almost intercepted at the line of scrimmage. The drive ends with Alex Davis’s second sack of the game. By sack I mean he touched Bunch while he held onto the ball. Great again to see the play by Alex Davis.

Noah Vedral starts off his fifth series with an incomplete pass to Kurt Rafdal. I’m telling you, they must be like best friends! Oh and then a completed pass to Todd Honas for his third catch of the game. Maybe they are best friends! Well you never want to define the term “best” when talking about friends. The drive ends with a punt.

Matt Masker is out for his first drive for the white team. Masker gets the longest pass play of the day with a 55 yard completion to Wyatt Liewer for a touchdown.

Red 24 - White 13

FINALLY LUKE MCCAFFERY IS BACK. He is now leading the red squad in what I believe to be his second series of the afternoon. Austin Hemphill gets the ball three straight plays for 18 total yards.

We have now reached the end of the third quarter. That went quick.

FOURTH QUARTER

Luke McCaffrey continues his second drive from the 40 yard line. After two very un-McCaffrey like incompletions the red team is forced to punt.

Matt “lightning in a bottle” Masker starts his second drive of the afternoon. Three straight incompletions lead to a punt by Caleb Lightbourn. The punt traveled 25 yards.

McCaffrey starts his third drive looking fast again for five yards. Then he follows up with another un-McCaffrey like incompletion. After a great pass to Austin Allen it is dropped and popped up into the air and intercepted by Chad Alioth Jr..

Andrew Bunch is in for one play and is then replaced by Matt Masker. There must be something in the works.

Well the game ends with a final score of Red 24 - White 13.

Bummer. Now we have the entire off season to wonder who will be the starting quarterback for Nebraska in the fall.