Keller, Ganz lead Reds to rout of White squad
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz tried organizing a group Macarena dance in the end zone.
“That turned out bad,” Ganz said. “A couple of guys forgot it.”
Running back Cody Glenn flexed his muscles after scoring. Quarterback Sam Keller then lined Glenn up with J.B. Phillips and Thomas Lawson, and acted as if he was taking an end-zone snapshot of the group, which was supposed to be larger.
“But the offensive line was too slow to get there,” Keller said.
That’s right. Touchdown celebrations, penalty-free. Who says you can’t have fun in the Spring Game?
Perhaps Marlon Lucky. The fun and games of Saturday’s annual Red-White Game were offset by a late knee injury to Nebraska’s junior running back. Lucky left Memorial Stadium riding a utility vehicle and left the locker room on crutches. He was injured on a fourth-quarter run with 12½ minutes remaining.
An MRI will be performed on Lucky’s right knee today, although head coach Bill Callahan said it’s likely an medial collateral ligament sprain.
“It’s always serious when anybody gets injured,” Callahan said. “But I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to be career-ending or anything of that nature.”
If it’s any consolation, Lucky was laughing and smiling on the bench, with his knee wrapped.
“I know one thing,” Nebraska running backs coach Randy Jordan said. “He’s a tough kid, he’s smiling, and he’s in a good mood.”
Most of the 54,288 fans who watched Saturday’s 38-0 Red team victory at Memorial Stadium probably went home feeling the same, despite Lucky’s injury.
They came to see two quarterbacks duke it out. They didn’t know the battle included organizing the best touchdown celebration. Ganz, by the way, jokingly accused Keller of stealing the picture-posing idea from him. Keller said he knew nothing Ganz’s plans, and apologized for any confusion.
Had they not spent so much time in the end zone, perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered.
Ganz, a fourth-year junior, and Keller, the heralded senior transfer from Arizona State, rotated series on the first-team Red squad. Keller started and led the Red to touchdowns on each of his first three drives; Ganz’s first three series resulted in two touchdowns and a field goal.
Stats? Ganz finished 11-of-18 passing for 157 yards and a touchdown. Keller was 10-of-13 for 193 yards and a touchdown.
Separation?
“Not that I could tell,” Ganz said. “You (media) guys could maybe pick out something different, but not that I could tell. Today looked pretty even to me. Maybe that’s just my sense of reality.”
Callahan said he was impressed by both Ganz and Keller, then noted the battle for No. 1 will continue through fall camp. Keller, who graded his Saturday performance at an “B-plus or A-minus,” said he’s come “miles” in terms of learning the offense.
“Anything that we dial up, I know exactly what we’re doing,” Keller said. “And that’s a good feeling. When it gets the most fun is when you start game planning for teams and you start figuring ways to beat ’em.”
That’s when Keller and Ganz will face defenses that will blitz and stunt and offer various other challenges that the Blackshirts didn’t on Saturday. Callahan noted the vanilla defense — one coverage, same front, little to no blitzing — and an equally-bland offense.
It still produced. Lucky had 16 carries for 94 yards, and Glenn ran 11 times for 52 yards. Todd Peterson and Maurice Purify had four receptions apiece.
“That receiving corps is the strength of this football team,” Callahan said, “and we’re going to have to rely on that heavily throughout the course of the year.”
The offensive line seemed solid, despite entering the day with three players — Andy Christensen, Mike Huff and Jacob Hickman — out with injuries. A third tackle, Lydon Murtha, left in the first quarter Saturday with a right ankle injury. Callahan said X-rays were negative but that Murtha was to have an MRI. He was in a walking boot after the game.
Defensively, the No. 1 Red unit shut out the Whites with ease. Question marks entering the spring centered on a secondary that was troublesome last season, and a defensive line that needed overhauled after losing four starters.
Both areas, albeit against second-team White players, seemed fine. Tackle Ndamukong Suh registered three tackles for loss, including two sacks. Cornerback Andre Jones had two pass breakups and an interception off a tipped pass. The White team, with junior Beau Davis and true freshman Patrick Witt at quarterback, managed 9 total yards.
This, however, was a day to analyze two other quarterbacks, minus their touchdown celebrations. Let the analyzing continue through August.
“I wish I had the crystal ball,” Callahan said, “but you can’t make determinations too soon.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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