Red squad grabs the glory

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BYSTEVENM. SIPPLE

When Nebraska quarterback Joe Dailey said Saturday that the Red-WhiteSpring Game didn't "mean anything,"he merely was suggesting that he'll need to continue to perform well in fall camp in order to earn the starting job.

Indeed, Saturday must have meant something, because a spring game-record 61,417 spectators didn't show up at Memorial Stadium just to work on their tans.

They came to witness the first public unveiling of new Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan's West Coast offense, and chances are fans departed with a feeling of optimism.

Dailey, a strong-armed sophomore from New Jersey, completed 29 of 49 passes for 241 yards and a spring game-record four touchdowns as the Red squad - featuring first-string players - rolled to a 35-6 triumph over the Whites in the annual intrasquad scrimmage.

The crowd - apparently eager to embrace a more pass-oriented system - rose and cheered even though Dailey misfired on a deep pass to tight end Matt Herian on the day's first play from scrimmage.

Nebraska last season averaged 14.8 passes per game in finishing with a 10-3 record. By the end of the first quarter Saturday, Dailey was 10-of-16 for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

"He's starting to get his rhythm," said Callahan, who has remained patient this spring as the offense struggled to achieve consistency.

After all, Callahan said, the new system represents a radical change from Nebraska's run-oriented approach of old. Consequently, the new Husker coaches anticipated growing pains.

But they saw progress Saturday, particularly with the line's pass protection.

"Going into today, we were struggling in that area, to be perfectly honest with you," Callahan said.

Given the new systems being installed on both sides of the ball, Nebraska coaches set up a spring game format that helped facilitate success, especially on offense.

The defenses blitzed sparingly and showed mostly base looks. What's more, Callahan put the first-string offense and defense on the Red team in order to establish continuity and to help ensure that the top players enter summer conditioning with confidence, especially on offense.

"We wanted to open up the passing game and give our kids a feel for it," Callahan said. "We wanted to play it safe and give the kids an idea of what it would be like on game day."

Although Callahan likened Saturday's scene to "a game-day atmosphere," Dailey said the fact Nebraska was playing against itself restricted his adrenaline flow somewhat.

"But we had a great day rhythm-wise,"Dailey said of the offense. "This was the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more to come."

Dailey's 241 passing yards set a spring-game record, surpassing Tommie Frazier's 228 in 1995. If nothing else, Dailey can use the performance to give him a measure of confidence entering this fall, when he's likely to be challenged by junior college transfer Jordan Adams for the starting job.

"I have to earn my spot come fall like everybody else," said Dailey, who took 90 percent of the snaps with the first string throughout the spring.

Junior receiver Ross Pilkington led the Red team with six catches for 61 yards, and Herian added five receptions for 46 yards.

Junior I-back David Horne carried 10 times for 59 yards and a touchdown, and classmate Cory Ross added 39 yards on nine carries for the Reds.

It should be noted the Red squad built its statistics against a White defense with only eight scholarship players.

The Red team scored touchdowns on its second and third possessions, with Dailey gunning TD passes of 19 yards to Mark LeFlore and 18 yards to Pilkington.

Ironically, Dailey sparked the first scoring drive - an 11-play march - with a 20-yard run on a naked bootleg.

"He had the run-pass option on that play, he made the decision to run, and it was a great decision," Callahan said.

Herian and Ross later added 10-yard touchdown receptions, and Horne capped the Red's scoring with a 9-yard run with 2:45 left in the scrimmage.

Callahan liked the fact 11 receivers caught passes for the Red team.

"That's what this style of offense is all about,"the coach said.

The Reds piled up 354 total yards while holding the Whites to 24 yards. It didn't help the Whites that their three quarterbacks were sacked a combined eight times for 54 yards in losses.

The Whites were no doubt thankful that all the quarterbacks wore "hands-off" green practice jerseys, as they have all spring. They were ruled down when tagged by a defender.

Defensive ends Adam Carriker, Wali Muhammad and Jay Moore recorded two sacks apiece to lead the Red team.

"I continue to be impressed with our front four," Callahan said.

This day, however, was about offense, not to mention a large crowd that materialized on a 70-degree day, for a scrimmage.

"The passion was flowing today,"Callahan said. "I can't thank our fans enough for their support, and for their loyalty to the Big Red.

"What a day."

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@;journalstar.com.