Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team wrapped-up its 14^th practice of the 2015 spring practice season on Wednesday afternoon. The Huskers practiced outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields in misty conditions for just over two hours in full pads.

Nebraska Head Coach Mike Riley met with the media following Wednesday’s practice, noting that there are a few things to look for from players during the scrimmage.

“For some guys, it is about the reaction to a crowd—how they handle that, I think that is good, so we will learn a little about that,” Riley said. “Really, besides learning, it is just letting guys finish plays, finish tackles, as you know we have limited the amount of ‘full-time’ scrimmages we have had this spring. Just give them a chance to play football.”

Riley added, “There is a difference between practicing and actually finishing plays.”

According to Riley, the Huskers have not had many live scrimmages during the spring practice season for health purposes, so Saturday’s spring game will be a good indicator of how the players react at game speed.

“What we try to do when we are practicing not taking the guy down to the ground is still practice fast so you can simulate the speed of the game. I also want to get this team to the season, health wise. We try to be very thoughtful about how to balance all of that out, I have really come to the conclusion that we can get a lot done with having intermittent type periods instead of a couple of real long scrimmages on a couple different days.”

When asked how many people attended Oregon State’s spring game last season, Riley grinned and said a few thousand. Something that will be drastically different on Saturday, as more than 70,000 Husker fans are expected to swarm Memorial Stadium.

“I think that is a really good indicator for some of the things I was talking about Nebraska, there is such pride. What I have noticed—this will be my first time—my first picture of what this football deal looks like, I have been impressed with that at the baseball games, basketball games,” Riley said. “I mean the crowds, the enthusiasm for the event, every time there seems to be a game going on here—it is a big deal. I like that, people care and they love their team. I think that is just awesome.”

When asked what the spring game’s format is going to be, Coach Riley hopes that the scrimmage will look like a real football game with four quarters of action.

“I think we are going to play it, we are going to kick off, punt return—we are just going to play and we are going to run four 20 minute quarters with a running clock. We will stop the clock every time the ball (changes possession).”

As for how the teams will be split for the annual Red White Scrimmage Saturday, Riley said that the teams will be very similar to the Red and White teams used during spring practice. According to Riley there will be a good split of first, second and third teamers on both teams, with both squads having the ability to field full special teams units.

Check back at Huskers.com Friday, as the Nebraska football team will announce the rosters for this Saturday’s Red White Scrimmage.

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its 2015 spring practice season Saturday morning as the Huskers practiced in Memorial Stadium for just more than two hours in full pads. NU practiced in front of about 500 local high school football coaches, as Head Coach Mike Riley and his staff hosted the Nebraska Coaches Clinic for the past two days.

Following the conclusion of practice, Coach Riley met with media members, mentioning that there is nothing new when it comes to who is leading the Huskers at quarterback.

“There is not anything new, Tommy is still taking the first team snaps. We are going to let this thing play out, there has been some good stuff going on with the quarterbacks, but still there is a lot to learn,” Riley said. “Just like every position, we need a lot more consistency.”

When asked if there are any players standing out on offense, Riley said, “Absolutely, we have some receivers making plays, running back, there are too many to mention which is a good thing.”

With the annual Nebraska Red-White Spring game just one week away, Coach Riley hopes to really continue to hone in on the specifics during practice this coming week, as the Huskers are still trying to learn the new playbook.

“The football that we can do for the next two (practices) are really important, we just finally put in some goal line stuff, so I know we want to look as sharp and crisp as we can for that game and play well and give guys opportunities to play,” Riley said. “We also want to get some things established, that we want to have in so it is not totally brand new when we start doing it in fall camp.”

The Huskers will practice again Monday and Wednesday next week before next Saturday’s spring game which is set for 1 p.m. Tickets for the spring game remain available at 1-800-8-BIG RED or on-line at Huskers.com. Check back at Huskers.com for updates

Former UT Coach Brown Special Guest for Coaches Clinic

Former University of Texas Head Coach Mack Brown was in Lincoln for the annual Nebraska Coaches Clinic Saturday. Brown spent Friday at practice with his good friend Riley, before being the guest speaker at the coaches clinic Saturday morning.

Following speaking to the group of local high school coaches, Coach Brown met with media members—sharing his thoughts on Riley as well as old battle stories of games against NU in the Big 12.

According to Brown, he is traveling around the country currently checking out around 10 programs before next season starts. Something he has found exciting after not seeing another team practice beside his own for over 30 years.

“I didn’t do any last year, I promised my wife she could do anything she wanted until June 30^th, and that was a mistake, I will never do that again because she will kill me. We had trips all over the place, I really just wanted to be away from it (football) and rest,” Brown said. “This year for friends and for ESPN and ABC, they wanted me to go around and look at different teams. I am probably going to do around 10 (teams).”

When it comes to how Coach Mike Riley will fit into the Nebraska football program, Brown says that Riley will be a perfect fit in Lincoln.

“I have gotten to spend a lot of time with Mike yesterday at practice and last night, we had dinner before he went to go watch video. Mike is one of the nicest people I have ever been around. He is one of the smartest people I have ever been around,” Brown said. “I have constantly said that if I get to heaven and Mike Riley is not there, then I am in the wrong place—I am going somewhere else because he is that nice.”

Brown added that even though Riley is a ‘nice guy’, he still is no pushover.

“The perception though is not reality—he is much tougher than people think he is because he smiles and speaks to everybody, and he will stop and shake hands and take every picture. He is tough, disciplined and smart.”

Riley’s ability to adjust is something that Brown truly respects of him, as some of Riley’s characteristics remind Brown of former Husker coaching legends.

“I think he is as close to an offensive genius as there is, I have seen him make a great running back and have him rush for 2,000 yards. I have seen him use a great quarterback and throw for over 2,000 yards, so I think Mike is perfect for this place,” he said. “He is so much like a Frank Solich or a Tom Osborne because he is so humble, he is smart and polite but at the same time he is going to do a really good job coaching football. I am excited to see him here. I love Nebraska—always have, we had some great battles.”