The Nebraska Cornhuskers will hold their annual Red-White Spring Game on Saturday, April 15. Here are the five storylines to keep in mind for Saturday.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers really had a season of two halves. Until about Halloween, Nebraska football was the talk of the Big Ten West, starting the year 7-0. Then, the Cornhuskers turned into a pumpkin once the weather changed. Nebraska would lose four of its next six games to finish the year at an unranked 9-4 (6-3).
Was improved competition to blame? Probably, but having a porous defense didn’t help either. Nebraska fired former defensive coordinator Mark Banker in favor of former UConn Huskies head coach Bob Diaco.
Nebraska will show the world what it will be all about with their annual Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday, April 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Here are the five storylines to know with the Cornhuskers.
5. Will the secondary lead The Blackshirts?
It’s going to have to start somewhere. Nebraska has to get back to being a dominant defensive-minded program. Yes, running the football is fun on offense, but we’re talking about The Blackshirts, people.
Being a Blackshirt on the Nebraska defense is a badge of honor, but it lost a bit of its gravitas in last season’s epic end-of-season collapse. If Nebraska is going to get back to playing well on defense, what area of it will carry the torch?
Look for Diaco, safeties coach Bob Elliott and secondary coach Donte Williams to help galvanize a Cornhuskers secondary that returns just about everybody but Nate Gerry. Diaco may have had his issues winning ball games in Storrs, but he was outstanding in coaching up defensive backs in his time with the Huskies.
If Diaco, Elliott and Williams have been able to lay the foundation of defensive success in these first 15 spring practices, Nebraska fans may be able to see their next secondary star emerge this fall. Who among The Blackshirts becomes the next Prince Amukamara or Stanley Jean-Baptiste in Lincoln?