LINCOLN, Neb. \u2014 New faces on offense generated the bulk of excitement Saturday at Memorial Stadium as Nebraska concluded a month of spring football practice with a 118-play scrimmage in front of a crowd of 27,188.<\/p>\n
Team Nebraska beat Team Huskers 22-17 on a 32-yard run by Conor Booth with five seconds to play. By then, quarterback Anthony Colandrea, the main attraction in his first playing opportunity in front of Nebraska fans after transferring from UNLV, had long taken a seat.<\/p>\n
Colandrea, the 6-foot, 205-pound senior, completed 12 of 19 throws in the first half for 80 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. True freshman Jamal Rule rushed for 121 yards on 10 carries \u2014 including a 75-yard house call in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Nebraska will distribute proceeds from ticket sales to relief efforts for wildfires that ravaged western parts of the state this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of the guys,\u201d coach Matt Rhule said. \u201cI think they had a really good spring. It looked like football out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Takeaways from Saturday in Lincoln:<\/p>\n
Anthony Colandrea looks like QB1<\/p>\n
Colandrea displayed plenty to back up the talk he\u2019s taken firm control of the position in his first three months at Nebraska.<\/p>\n
He operates decisively and makes quick decisions in the pocket. Colandrea hit a tight window against good coverage on a 27-yard dart along the sideline to Jacory Barney Jr.. He connected with Quinn Clark on a slick, 8-yard throw to the end zone.<\/p>\n
One-handed snag Quinn Clark for the TD \ud83e\udd2f pic.twitter.com\/9lL7lCHKB1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) March 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n And Colandrea showed escapability from the pocket. He rushed three times for 21 yards and likely would have gained more if not for a rule that stopped plays when the quarterbacks were touched by defenders. His athleticism provides Nebraska with an offensive weapon it has not enjoyed in recent seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a unique gift,\u201d Rhule said.<\/p>\n Room for improvement<\/p>\n One turnover kept Colandrea from a near-flawless performance. To start his second of four drives, he rolled left and threw to his right for Kwazi Gilmer. Defensive backs Jamir Conn and Donovan Jones converged on the receiver. The ball hit Gilmer and bounced into the hands of Jones.<\/p>\n Colandrea called it \u201csloppy.\u201d<\/p>\n Turnovers have plagued him at times in three years as a starting QB. He was intercepted 29 times while throwing 49 touchdowns in two seasons at Virginia and one at UNLV.<\/p>\n Colandrea\u2019s playing style elevates the risk level. But Rhule and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen have said they\u2019re committed to molding the Nebraska offense to fit Colandrea\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n When it clicks, as he showed in limited opportunities Saturday, he adds a dynamic, dual-threat element that Huskers likely need against a schedule in 2026 that includes three College Football Playoff teams from last season.<\/p>\n A freshman RB stands out<\/p>\n Rule, the rookie running back out of Salisbury, N.C., got loose and outran a reserve defensive group on the 75-yard run. He also ran tough and showed a burst in the first three quarters of action.<\/p>\n \u201cJamal\u2019s a stud,\u201d Colandrea said. \u201cI knew that the first practice.\u201d<\/p>\n To The Crib \ud83d\udca8@JamalRule23<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/TlASG6ps9C<\/a><\/p>\n