Coach Mike Riley’s second spring at Nebraska ends Saturday with the Red-White game. The festive event caps a feel-good period of practice for the Cornhuskers, who closed 2015 with much-needed momentum from a Foster Farms Bowl victory over UCLA after a 5-7 regular season -- the third losing season in 50 years at the school.
Spring has brought its usual dose of optimism, aided by the return to Lincoln in February of ex-Husker John Parrella as defensive line coach. Nebraska returns senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., a load of experience at the offensive skill positions and plenty of promising youth on defense.