The path to a second straight appearance in the Big Ten conference title game begins Saturday for the Nebraska Cornhuskers—who finished last season with a 10-4 overall record and took home the Legends Division title—in the annual Red-White Spring Game.
Last year's exhibition contest had to be cancelled due to thunderstorms, so Cornhuskers fans will be out in full force at Memorial Stadium.
Taylor Martinez will be at the helm of the Nebraska offense this season, but backups Tommy Armstrong and Ron Kellogg III will see plenty of action under center on Saturday.
Starting running back Ameer Abdullah will miss the remainder of spring ball with a knee injury, which means the bulk of the carries will be given to sophomore Amani Cross.
Replacing talent on defense is the No. 1 concern for Nebraska as the 2013 campaign approaches. The Cornhuskers had eight starters depart over the offseason, and there are still numerous positions up for grabs.
Taylor Martinez and Ron Kellogg will both be gone next season, which will likely leave the starting quarterback job in the hands of Armstrong. The former 3-star prospect is finally going to put all of his potential on display this afternoon.
Two key players to watch along Nebraska's defensive line today will be redshirt freshman Vincent Valentine and senior defensive end Jason Ankrah. The Cornhuskers have some major holes to fill on defense, which has given both of these linemen a chance to win starting jobs.
Ankrah has become a leader for the defense, and Nebraska will reap the benefits of that come August. Look for the veteran end to leave his mark on the spring game today.
Meanwhile, Valentine will be getting extra reps today due to Thaddeus Randle sitting out with an injury. There is no better way to get young players more live snaps than the spring game.
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