Callahan praises defense

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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan credited the offense for having the upper-hand in Wednesday’s first mini-scrimmage of the spring.

Saturday was the defense’s turn.

Callahan said the Blackshirts produced “a lot of positive plays” in the 50-play scrimmage that was closed to the media.

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Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan holds a press conference on the first day of spring practice earlier in March. Callahan praised the defense's performance after the Huskers' second spring scrimmage Saturday. (Lincoln Journal Star)

Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan holds a press conference on the first day of spring practice earlier in March. Callahan praised the defense's performance after the Huskers' second spring scrimmage Saturday. (Lincoln Journal Star)

“I like everything they did,” Callahan said. “It all starts up front, and the ability to penetrate and make plays in the pass rush.”

Callahan said he didn’t want to single out individual performances but did note a tipped-ball interception by senior linebacker Steve Octavien.

“I thought our ’backers flowed to the ball well,” he said. “I thought our secondary was very sound and solid defending the pass. I’m encouraged with each level and each phase of our defense.”

As for the offense?

Senior quarterback Sam Keller said the tempo could’ve been better.

“Defense was pretty good,” Keller said. “They were definitely better than they were Wednesday. They were a little more aggressive, brought some blitzes.

“But the offense kind of let them have their way, at times. … We could’ve pushed them a little harder.”

Keller said the tempo of the offense begins with the quarterback, and he shouldered some blame in that department Saturday.

“But I felt comfortable — with the plays, the concepts, with the defense, what I was seeing,” said Keller, beginning his second season at Nebraska. “Some of the throws I made were pretty good, some not so good. It’ll be good to get in and watch film tomorrow and see what I can improve on.”

Keller is battling junior Joe Ganz for the starting quarterback job. Callahan wouldn’t comment on the quarterbacks’ performance Saturday, saying he wanted to first dissect film.

In injury news, freshman running back Marcus Mendoza injured his hamstring while breaking loose on a long run in the scrimmage, Callahan said. Also, junior strong safety Larry Asante was held out of the scrimmage with a hamstring injury. Neither injury appears to be serious.

Saturday’s scrimmage capped a busy weekend that included a coaching clinic for high school coaches. Callahan said nearly 800 high school coaches attended.

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.