Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 37

SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 2008 LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR PAGE 6D Big play of the day It was arguably the play of the game when Reds quarterback Joe Ganz lofted a perfect strike to wide receiver Curenski Gilleylen for a 77-yard touchdown with nine minutes left in the first quarter. Ganz hit Gilleylen In stride, and the Reds led 14-0. Receivers coach Ted Gilmore was glad to see Gilleylen outrun a pair of defenders to the end zone, "Run, Forrest, run, is what I was thinking," Gilmore said. Curenski Gilleylen hauls in a 77-yard touchdown in front of Anthony West. WILLIAM LAUERLincoln Journal Star Ganz lifts Red Ganz made another impressive touchdown pass in the second quarter, this one covering 24 yards.

With blitzers charging toward him, the senior quarterback zipped a strike to redshirt freshman l-back Marcus Mendoza, who sprinted into the end zone to give the Reds a 210 lead. Mendoza's TD helped make up for two misplayed punts. At the start OK, it wasn't exactly the rousing start trie Huskers hoped for. The White team lined up in the formation, ready to run an option play on the first play from scrimmage. The crowd would've roared its approval except linebacker Tyler Wortman swooped into the backfield and batted down the pitch.

Wortman also recovered the ball at the 7-yard line, and three plays later, Marlon Lucky scored on a 1-yard burst Steven M. Sipple -1 IHIIU tJ t'J Wortman needn't apologize for his play 1 'J K- BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL Lincoln Journal Star Tyler Wortman probably answered a dozen questions, at least, about that first play from, scrimmage. He told his tale of how he's risen from scout-team walk-on as 'I i 4 1 jiK a freshman, to a starting linebacker as a senior. Still, amid all the football talk, Wortman quickly answered an obscure question alter Nebraska's Red White WORTMAN V. WILLIAM LAUERLinctHn Journal Star Roy Helu (10) gets out in front of defenders Terrence Moore (90) and Faron Klingelhoefer during the second half on Saturday.

Helu rushed for 69 yards. RUNNING BACKS STADIUM CHATTER: Coaches showed how much they think of sophomore Roy Helu on Saturday, giving him 16 carries. Helu also caught two passes. That hardly means that Marlon Lucky, coming off 1,743 total yards last year, is out of a job. Running backs coach Tim Beck recently said Lucky is the senior "and the guy we're going to ride." Quentin Castille is fun to watch when running with a mean streak, but is going to have to cut out the fumbles." FALL OUTLOOK: One of Nebraska's deepest positions redshirt freshman Marcus Mendoza is also in the mix will get deeper in the fall when recruits such as Collins Okafor and Lester Ward join the party.

Lucky will be tough to beat out, but Helu and Castille both have the talent to push him for snaps.v, TOP DRAW (PREDICTED STARTER): Lucky. 1 PIT A RTPRR APlQT 1' Spring Game. In what class did you get an A-minus, anyway? "History of France in the 17th Century," Wortman said as he was being whisked away to the front podium for a postgame news conference. That class was four years ago. Until Saturday, it was probably the most notable blemish on Wortman's Nebraska resume.

Here on a full-ride academic scholarship, the Grand Island Central Catholic graduate has a 3.98GI'A. Now, Wortman's also known as the bully who ruined new coach Bo Pelini's tribute to Torn Osborne. "It was supposed to be old-school some nostalgia," Wortman said. "1 messed that up, I guess." It might top History of France on Wortman's wish list of do-overs. "He said, 'Coach, I didn't mean, to said a smiling Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Iikeler.

"What do you tell him?" Well, for starters, maybe not the play call. Wortman and the rest of the Red team defense knew before hand what Pelini's first play would be a triple-option. Something to honor Osborne, the athletic director who hired Pclini, and the former coach who mastered the option. "The defense always cheats," said Patrick Witt, the White team quarterback on the play. "Whatever.

It was funny." Witt rolled to his right and tried to pitch to running back Roy Helu. Wortman busted die play by swatting the pitch, forcing a fumble and recovering it. The play lost 13 yards and set up the Red team at the White 7-yard line. "My job is to play the QU, and that's what I did," said Wortman, who later apologized to Wilt. "I came up and swatted at the ball, Just playing football." Wortman wasn't apologizing for his leg tackle in the third quarter of Helu.

It looked like Heltii who had an impressive day himself, had a huge hole at the line of scrimmage. Wortman recovered quickly and tripped up Helu for a short gain. "I'd made a good read," Wortman said, "and he cut back right into me, so 1 was right there." That was among six tackles for the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Wortman, who's worked his way into the No. 1 spot at BUCK linebacker. He's also Nebraska's backup nickel MIKE linebacker.

"The guy's done a fantastic job," Ekeler said. "I don't know how people viewed him in the past, but I tell you howl view him, and he's a darned good football player." Wortman was a backup last season to Bo Ruud at the SAM position (now called the BUCK) and replaced Ruud when Ruud was injured late in the season. Wortman had nine tackles for the year, including one for a 3-yard loss at Texas, a couple of stops at Kansas and three at Colorado. Then came wholesale coaching changes, and another new start forWortman. Making tilings particularly difficult forWortman this spring was the fact he missed five practices a third of the spring schedule because he had a class.

"It's kind of hard to learn a brand-new defense when' you're not able to get all the reps," Wortman said. "Rut I think I did a good job of coming in extra and getting it down." Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthaljournalstar.com. STADIUM CHATTER: No surprises here. Joe Ganz entered spring No. 1 and leaves in the same spot.

But who's No. It looks like Patrick Witt is that guy, "probably a little bit ahead" of sophomore Zac Lee, according to Bo Pelmi. "I see them getting better," the coach added, "and I really feel good about the quarterback position now and in the future." FALL OUTLOOK: Ganz seems a virtual lock to be the top guy. Now; the question is just if Lee has what it takes to close the gap. on Witt.

TOP DRAW (PREDICTED STARTER): Ganz. OFFENSIVE LINE STADIUM CHATTER: It's been called the strength of this team, depth believed to not be an issue. Senior right guard Matt Slauson has said there's little drop-off between the first-team guys and the third-learners. The young players are pushing the veterans for playing time, never a bad thing. Sophomore Jaivorio Burkes has emerged as a guy who could be a standout at right tackle.

FALL OUTLOOK: Seniors such as Slauson, Mike Huff and Lydon Murtha.are proven. But don't be surprised if some of the young pups break through and have critical roles: Keith Williams, D.J. Jones, Mike Smith and Marcel Jones are all capable. And keep an eye on walk-on red- shirt freshman center Mike Caputo. The Millard North graduate has impressed as a backup to Jacob Hickman.

TOP DRAW: Center Hickman, left guard Huff, right guard Slauson, left tackle Murtha, right tackle Burkes. TED KIRKLincoln Journal Star Joe Ganz (green) points at his old running back and current linebacker Cody Glenn (34) during first-half action. is 1 DEFENSIVE BACKS STADIUM CHATTER: Some recovery time for Anthony Blue. The sophomore cornerback tore his ACL in winter conditioning and missed the spring. Also, junior Major Cul-bert has apparently found a permanent home at safety.

Pre-spring talk of Culbert tinkering at linebacker never came to fruition. Safety Larry Asante "tweaked" a ham-stnng Saturday, but it's not believed to be serious. FALL OUTLOOK: It's reasonable to expect this group to garner more interceptions than last year's secondary did. (Four would do the trick). Look for contributions from several young players Anthony West, Culbert, Eric Hagg, Prince Amukamara and Blue, when he returns full-strength.

Senior walk-on Matt O'Hanlon could also figure into the mix. TOP DRAW: West, Asante, Rickey Thenarse, Armando LINEBACKERS STADIUM CHATTER: The surprising emergence of senior Cody Glenn. He moved from running back after one week of spring practice and immediately began turning heads with what coaches call great instincts for the ball. Also, there's a sleeker Phillip Dillard. The junior has dropped nearly 30 pounds.

FALL OUTLOOK: Is Glenn for real, or is his rise to the top a red alert for how depleted the linebacking corps is? It's likely incoming freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher will have an immediate chance for playing time, as coaches look for depth. This position was a great disappointment last season; perhaps new personnel, however inexperienced, isn't such a bad thing. TOP DRAW: Glenn, Dillard, Tyler Wortman. MDEFENSIVE LINE STADIUM CHATTER: Some new (and improved?) techniques by a new coaching staff. A "night and day" difference is how Zach Potter described it.

"Last year we were more of a gap defense," Potter said, "now we're basically playing our man." There also was high praise from coaches for the progress of defensive end Pierre Allen, a sophomore. FALL OUTLOOK: Missing from the'Red-White Game was junior tackle Ndamukong Suh, who sat out the spring with a knee injury. He should be full-go come fall. It will be interesting to see whether incoming freshman Baker Steinkuh-ler gets a look on this side of the ball. That will depend on how coaches feel about depth entering August.

TOP DRAW (PREDICTED STARTER): Potter, Ty Steinkuhler, Suh, Barry Turner. SPECIAL TEAMS STADIUM CHATTER: More booming kickoffs from Adi Kunalic. As a freshman last season, Kunalic seemed to tire by season's end. He booted one kick Saturday through the back of the end zone. Alex Henery has also shown a strong leg, what with a 6Syard field goal indoors during a practice last week.

FALL OUTLOOK: We didn't see it Saturday, but Amukamara, who has an impressive offensive background in high school, could give Nebraska's return game a spark. Nate Swift fielded punts Saturday after Marcus Mendoza fumbled one return and misjudged another. TOP DRAW: Kunalic, Henery, Dan Titchener. WIDE OUTS 7'" STADIUM CHATTER: Ganz has said Nate Swift and Todd Peterson will be his go-to-guys, "my security blanket." Redshirt freshman Curenski Gilleylen had a couple drops Saturday but also showed his potential to be a guy who can stretch the field on a 77-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Junior Menelik Holt had three catches Saturday and could emerge as the big-body receiver to try to fill the shoes of Maurice Purify.

FALL OUTLOOK: There's still a logjam at this position. Sophomore Niles Paul will certainly be In the mix for playing time. And junior Chris Brooks, who made a fancy one-handed catch Saturday, belongs in the conversation. Receivers coach Ted Gilmore said after the Spring Game that the battle for playing time is still wide-open. TOP DRAW: Swift, Peterson, Gilleylen.

TIGHT ENDS STADIUM CHATTER: Mike McNeill caught just one pass during an unheralded freshman season, but he's proven this spring he could be a valuable part of Nebraska's passing offense. Same goes for senior Hunter Teafatilier and sophomore Dreu Young. think there's some guys who can get downfield and make some plays," Husker tight ends coach Ron Brown said. "We're not the largest tight ends in the world. We've got to work real hard in the blocking phase, but that's going to come." FALL OUTLOOK: JUCO recruit Tyson Hetzer hurt his knee early in the spring and missed the rest of practice.

He hopes to be back in the fall to challenge. Another guy who could battle for playing time is redshirt freshman Ryan Hill. TOP DRAW: McNeill. WILLIAM LAUIHLmcom Journal Star The Red's Zach Potter (98) stuffs the White's Quentin Castille during the first half. Potter is one of four returning starters on the defensive line.

CAPSULES BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL AND BRIAN CHRISTOPIIERSON.