April 22, 2008

Lincoln, NE (UWIRE) -- Four weeks of swarming media and three-hour practices have finally ended. Now pads and helmets can be put away. The turf in Memorial Stadium can get a break.

There will be no more football until summertime at Nebraska.

But that doesn't erase the progress that has been made. Spring practice gave players a chance to study their new coaches. It gave the new coaches an opportunity to evaluate their lineups.

Changes were made, and lessons were learned. Yet by no means is NU perfect.

That's why players are returning to the weight room this week and coaches are studying film. Official workouts resume in June, and there is a lot to be done in the meantime.

"We accomplished a lot," NU Coach Bo Pelini said. "Obviously, we're never satisfied - we're never close to being satisfied. But we're working to get to where we want to be."

The Huskers are certainly further ahead than when they started. Awkwardness and unfamiliarity filled the first weeks of workouts. Coaches admitted the defense struggled, although such a test was to be expected. The new staff drilled players with different schemes, and the first days overflowed with walkthroughs and lectures.

Cody Glenn's decision to switch from I-back to linebacker piled on more question marks. Could he learn the playbook? Could he tackle? Could he even make a difference?

He recorded three tackles in Saturday's Red/White Spring Game, adding to the up-and-down defensive performances of both sides.

"We're not where we want to be, but we're heading in the right direction," Pelini said. "The guys are starting to gain confidence. They're starting to develop an understanding of what we're asking of them."

The offense had a different sort of spring. NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was one of only two coaches retained after the firing of Bill Callahan last fall, and his strategy has been largely unchanged.

But his assistants have had some learning to do. Running backs Coach Tim Beck admitted he's needed senior I-back Marlon Lucky's help explaining plays at times. Tight ends Coach Ron Brown required the same assistance from his group.

However, what the coaches lacked in modern football jargon they made up for in emotion, and it showed on Saturday. When the public scrimmage ended, sophomore I-back Quentin Castille said he was studying his fellow running backs when they were on the field, even rooting them on here and there.

"We wouldn't do that before," Castille said. "It was just like, 'Oh you know, he's in there. Whatever.' Now we all feed off each other."

The wide receivers are in a similar situation. With only a few slots for a large group, the bench will be an inevitable resting place for some wideouts in the fall. Yet that didn't stop the bunch from slapping hands with Curenski Gilleylen when he caught a 77-yard touchdown pass on Saturday.

"That was one thing we kind of focused on during spring - we're all a family," Gilleylen said. "We all cheer for each other. Niles (Paul) came up and congratulated me. He said he was about to jump on the field."

The Huskers won't be able to return to the turf for a while, at least not in full pads. All they can do is wait.

When September rolls around, they will be the focus of the state. And this time it will count.

"The discipline is there," Pelini said. "The focus is there, and the effort is there. If we stay there and continue down this road, we'll be just fine come fall. But there's a lot to be done between now and then."

(C) 2008 Daily Nebraskan via UWIRE