QBs take center stage in 49-9 Red team victory
A school-record Spring Game crowd of 86,818 filled Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the unofficial debut of the Scott Frost era, and nearly everyone there was dialed into the quarterbacks.
A battle that’s been wide-open since the start of spring practices, the Red-White game may have only clouded the projected depth chart even further.
While the Red team, comprised primarily of players expected to start or at least be on the two-deep depth chart this fall, ended up rolling to a 49-9 victory over the White squad.
But the competition between NU’s four quarterbacks was much closer, as Tristan Gebbia, Adrian Martinez, Andrew Bunch, and Noah Vedral all had their moments during the annual scrimmage.
Martinez stole the show on the day, completing 10-of-13 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown while rushing a game-high 14 times for 60 yards and three more scores in his first action as a Husker.
Gebbia connected on 12-of-17 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns, while Bunch hit 8-of-14 throws for 89 yards and a score. Vedral struggled the most of the group, going 6-of-12 passing for 53 yards and an interception.
Gebbia was the first QB to take the field with the Red offense, and even though a 35-yard strike to Jaevon McQuitty on the opening play was negated by a penalty, he settled in to complete 9-of-14 passes for 41 yards and a 3-yard touchdown toss to Mike Williams in the first half.
However, the stars of the first half were Bunch and Martinez. Bunch completed his first four passes for 47 yards and a 24-yard touchdown to tight end Kurt Rafdal.
Martinez may have been the best of the group through the first two quarters, as he hit six of his seven pass attempts for 58 yards and a 25-yard score to McQuitty. He also ran in two more touchdowns from 15 and 6 yards out.
Vedral, who right now will have to sit out next season per NCAA transfer rules, didn’t have nearly as good of a start as the others. His first drive ended with a quick three-and-out, and his second series went all of one play after receiver Todd Honas was intercepted on a designed pass.
On his third and final drive of the half, Vedral threw an ill-advised pass across the field and was intercepted by linebacker Alex Davis.
Things slowed down quite a bit in the third quarter, partly because the game moved to a running clock. But that changed when Martinez took over for his fourth series of the day.
The true freshman it tight end Austin Allen for a 26-yard pass, then threw a 19-yard screen to running back Greg Bell. Martinez capped it off by sprinting 23 yards and diving over the pylon for his third touchdown run of the day with 12:15 left in the fourth quarter.
Not to be one-upped, Gebbia followed that with a 57-yard touchdown pass to walk-on wideout Kade Warner on his final series of the afternoon.
Martinez checked back in for one last possession and looked on the verge of making it a perfect five-for-five on touchdown drives, but receiver Justin McGriff fumbled after a completion for a turnover at the White 11-yard line.
Overall, the Red offense racked up 508 total yards (239 passing, 269 rushing) on 80 plays, while the White managed 217 yards on 58 snaps.
Nebraska’s coaching staff made it clear that Saturday would only be one practice in an entire offseason’s worth of evaluation. But based on the first performance on the big stage for the unit, the Huskers should have plenty to work with this year and beyond.
