Had he done it during the season, perhaps Turner Corcoran would have brought an even bigger reaction with his fashion choice than it did Saturday.
But when the freshman offensive lineman showed up for a postgame interview wearing a white hat with "RUN THE DAMN BALL" embroidered in red letters in the front, it still brought a few chuckles.
"Me and Bryce (Benhart) just got them like three or four days ago. We placed an order and they came from Australia and it got here the other day, so we were like, 'Why not wear them for the Spring Game?'" Corcoran said. "They got here just in time for the game."
Most offensive linemen would readily admit they prefer ground-based tactics when it comes to the offensive approach to the game: line up and smash the guy in front of you as far down the field as you can until the whistle blows, then do it again.
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It doesn't always work like that, of course, and Nebraska's offense, despite leaning more on the running game toward the end of last season, will still look to get its shiny new toys at receiver involved whenever possible.
But this is Nebraska, dang it, and running the ball will always be sewn into the fabric of those red jerseys the Huskers pull on every Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
So was the 6-foot-6, 300-pound Corcoran, who last season became the first true freshman to ever start at left tackle for Nebraska in the Huskers' win over Rutgers, trying to make some kind of statement that he wants NU to utilize the handoff more than the forward pass?
"I'm not going to say that, feel like I might catch a little backlash, but we love to run the damn ball here and we’ve got a great class of backs," Corcoran said. "Our running backs are phenomenal and with this offensive line, we can do some damage in the run game."
Nebraska ran the ball 86 total times Saturday, with much of that coming in the second half as NU's younger players went full-contact against each other. There were plenty of carries to go around, as there always are in these scenarios, and 15 Huskers toted the ball at least once.
Should Nebraska lean on the running game like that again in the fall, or like it did to end last season when it piled up 620 total yards against Rutgers, that would appear to be just fine with the guys up front.
"You can draw up a play however you want, but if you don’t have that energy and that passion to get it done, it’s not going to happen," NU center Cam Jurgens said. "I feel like, kind of slowing down the tempo, and being able to just practice and just finish our blocks — and we’re not worried about our next play. We’re worried about finishing through the whistle, and that helped us a lot."
Photos: All of the sights from the return of the Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium
Red Team running back Gabe Ervin (22) attracts a quartet of defenders in the first quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
White Team quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) throws under pressure in the second quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Two people wait for tickets before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Fans walk around Memorial Stadium before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Aimire Rodgers, 8, stands in front of the Legacy Statue before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Kash Boggs (right) throws to his grandparents as Drew Milligan climbs on to the Legacy Statue for a picture before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Victor Ortiz (left) helps Kim Bergmark find her tickets on her phone before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Tristan Minderman, Omaha, throws the ball on the east side of the Memorial Stadium before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Caden Haar (left) and Ryan Whiston, both of Lincoln, pose at the Brook Berringer-Tom Osborne statue before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Xander Wilson, of Lincoln, poses at the Brook Berringer-Tom Osborne statue before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost and the Huskers run on to the field to a sea of fans for the first time in the COVID-19 era before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Red Team running back Gabe Ervin Jr. (22) runs in the second quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Red Team's Omar Manning (right) is defended by White Team's Phalen Sanford (37) in the first quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Red Team's Gabe Ervin (22) rushes in the second quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Red Team quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) scrambles during the first quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Omar Manning (right) anticipates a pass from Adrian Martinez as he's defended by the White Team's Isaiah Harris (37)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska coach Scott Frost walks behind the Red Team during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg throws the ball downfield during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
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KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The White Team's Wyatt Liewer (85) catches a first-down pass in front of the Red Team's Mason Nieman to set up a game-tying touchdown by Liewer moments later on Saturday during the annual Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
White Team quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) signals for one more play as time runs out in the fourth quarter Saturday during the annual Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska football fans are scattered throughout the stadium for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic as the Huskers scrimmage in the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska football fans fill the stadium for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic as the Huskers hosts a team scrimmage during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The Red Team's Samori Toure (6) is tackled by the White Team's Noa Pola-Gates during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Red Team quarterback Logan Smothers (second left) gets sacked by the White Team's Jake Archer in the fourth quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Red Team's Ty Hahn catches a pass in the fourth quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Red Team's Darius Moore (left) intercepts a pass intended for the White Team's Will Nixon in the fourth quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Red Team kicker Chase Contreraz (right) kicks an extra point in the fourth quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Red Team's Brody Belt rushes for a fourth-quarter touchdown during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Red Team's Zach Weinmaster (31) tries to avoid the tackle of the White Team's John Bullock (84) in the fourth quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska coach Scott Frost and the Huskers run onto the field before the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost looks down after the White Team intercepts the ball during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The Red Team's Cameron Jurgens (left) and Riley Moses get into position during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Nebraska coach Scott Frost (left) speaks to quarterback Adrian Martinez before the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
The Red Team's Marvin Scott (left) runs the ball as the White Team's Isaac Gifford goes in for the tackle during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Former Nebraska assistant coach and player Ryan Held was announced Tuesday as the new head football coach at UNK.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Fans chant "Go Big Red" moments before the players take the field at the Red-White Spring Game in 2021 at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star file photo
A Nebraska fan celebrates with others after catching a hot dog fired from a cannon during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The Red Team's Gabe Ervin narrowly avoids being tackled by the White's John Bullock in the second half of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The Red Team's Tyson Guzman (left) is pushed back by the White Team's Trevin Luben in the second half of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska graduate assistant Hunter Miller looks up at the scoreboard in the second half of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday, May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
In what turned out to be his final Red-White Spring Game, Adrian Martinez scrambles around looking for an open receiver in the first quarter on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.Â
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
White Team quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) scrambles away from David Alston as head coach Scott Frost looks on during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
Red Team's Gabe Ervin (left) protects the ball as he rushes against Damian Jackson (38) in the second quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Nebraska student section cheers on the Huskers before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Red Team's Gabe Ervin (22) rushes in the second quarter during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
The Nebraska student section stands for the national anthem during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Nebraska student section cheers as the Huskers make their way onto the field for the Tunnel Walk before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Nebraska student section cheers on the Huskers during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska senior wide receiver Samori Toure (6) hasn't played in a college football game since Dec. 13, 2019, when he was still at the University of Montana. That drought finally ends Saturday when NU kicks off against Illinois.Â
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
The Red Team's Travis Vokolek (83) fends off the tackle of Jackson Hannah in the first quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
Red Team running back Gabe Ervin (22) runs the ball as head coach Scott Frost looks on during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco watches the Red Team warm up before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska director of high school relations Kenny Wilhite pulls up his mask before the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost (left) smiles at offensive line coach Greg Austin after the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Red Team quarterback Logan Smothers (bottom center) runs the ball while pursued by the White Team's Zach Schlager (right)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
A referee watches the action during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1, 2021, at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Nebraska quarterback Logan Smothers (far left) is sacked by the White Team's Jake Archer during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The Red Team's Beau Psencik (center) is tackled by the White Team's John Bullock (top) and Lane McCallum in the second half during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Red Team running back Gabe Ervin protects the ball as he's confronted by the White Team's Braxton Clark during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Red Team starting quarterback Adrian Martinez (right) speaks with wide receiver Omar Manning as they walk off the field at the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
The Red Team's Marvin Scott III (second right) is swallowed up by White Team defenders Jackson Hannah (first right) and Isaac Gifford (right) as teammate Austin Allen (left) looks on during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Nebraska football fans fill the stadium for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (center) jumps in an attempt to avoid a tackle from the Red Team's Ashton Hausmann (29)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska quarterback Heinrich Haarberg throws the ball downfield during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Young Husker fans bide their time while waiting for the Nebraska football team to begin play during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Nebraska quarterbacks Logan Smothers (center left) and Heinrich Haarberg (center right) walk along the sideline during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1, 2021, at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star file photo
Nebraska starting quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) is tagged down by the White Team's Blaise Gunnerson (24) and pursued by Jimari Butler (17) during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The Red Team's Gabe Ervin (center) is pushed by teammates as he attempts to carry the ball for a few extra yards during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
Journal Star file photo
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez (center), playing for the Red Team, tries to elude by the White Team's Braxton Clark (left) and Myles Farmer during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Nebraska fans watch football from Memorial Stadium seats for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Adrian Martinez (2) throws a pass as Huskers' head coach Scott Frost looks on during the Red-White Spring Game May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
Gabe Heins (right) attempts a field goal in the third quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Matt Masker (18) throws the ball as Huskers' head coach Scott Frost looks on during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Adrian Martinez (2) looks for an open receiver as Huskers' head coach Scott Frost looks on during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Offensive linemen Keegan Manning (71) and Noah Stafursky (62) take on Jamin Graham (89)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
Gabe Ervin Jr. (bottom) gets tackled in the third quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Adrian Martinez (2) hands off the ball to running back Gabe Ervin (22)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
Adrian Martinez (2) takes off on a run during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Adrian Martinez (2) hands off the ball to running back Gabe Ervin Jr. (22)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
John Bullock (right) attempts to strip the ball from Oliver Martin during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost watches the action on the field during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
Isaiah Harris (37) runs for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska assistant coach Mike Dawson (left) and Tony Tuioti watch the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska assistant coach Travis Fisher talks to cornerback Braxton Clark (11)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star file photo
John Goodwin (46) defends Blaise Gunnerson (24)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Nebraska assistant coach Mike Dawson (right) talks to linebacker Blaise Gunnerson (24)Â during the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday, May 1 at Memorial Stadium.
JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO
Nash Hutmacher (72) pursues Logan Smothers (8) during the 2021 Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium.
JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO
Contact the writer at cbasnett@journalstar.com or 402-473-7436. On Twitter @HuskerExtraCB.
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