LINCOLN — Cody Green and Mike McNeill channeled a little Turner Gill and Irving Fryar on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

To start a drive for the White team from its 35-yard line in the second quarter, Green bounced a lateral to McNeill, who fired downfield 31 yards to Niles Paul for a trick-play completion.

Just like the famous 1982 Bouncerooski in Nebraska’s 28-24 win over Oklahoma.

Green said he wanted to “go old school, Turner Gill-style.”

Not bad for a guy born in 1991.

Coach Bo Pelini allowed quarterbacks Green and Taylor Martinez to draw up one trick play apiece. They were informed before the game and had little time to practice, though Green and McNeill did try a few bounce passes during pregame warmups.

The only rule: Let the coaches know when it was coming.

Martinez enlisted the help of I-back Rex Burkhead. To start the Red team’s second series, Burkhead took a snap in the shotgun — with Martinez positioned at running back. Burkhead moved right and fired a pass to Prince Amukamara. The cornerback was buried for a 4-yard loss by Pierre Allen and Terrence Moore.

“I’d have to say our play was a lot better than theirs,” Green said.

The Bouncerooski looked doomed at the start. Eric Hagg blitzed off the edge. He jumped toward Green, but the QB unloaded in time to his left. Meanwhile, defender Anthony West froze near McNeill as Green’s lateral throw hit the FieldTurf.

It bounced straight to McNeill.

Green didn’t sound surprised. “I’ve been doing that for a long time,” he said.

McNeill fired off balance and hit Paul, who made a nice catch after tangling with Amukamara in coverage.

“It wasn’t a perfect spiral,” McNeill said, “but I was under pressure, and it was a back-shoulder throw, so I’d say I’ve got a pretty good shot at the backup quarterback.”

Don’t expect to see a repeat of either play next fall.

Splits in offensive line

Notice those wide line splits Saturday up front for the offense?

Offensive line coach Barney Cotton said it’s nothing new. The Huskers implemented the splits — about 2 feet after spreading 18 inches previously — in the Holiday Bowl win over Arizona.

“It just seemed like a lot of things we were doing, we got hemmed in,” Cotton said. “It makes space for the quarterback.”

Crick-Williams battle

The way rosters were split Saturday left defensive tackle Jared Crick and guard Keith Williams to lock horns again Saturday, just as Crick said they have been doing all spring.

And Crick said it’s helped him get better, especially as Williams has recovered from the knee injury that dogged him last season.

“In my opinion, he’s one of the best guards I’ve ever gone against,” Crick said. “And I think I’ve gone against some pretty good ones.”

Williams helped anchor the Red offensive line, while Crick was with the White defense.

“It’s great for me to have Keith healthy and have him going 100 percent against me,” Crick said. “It makes me that much better, and I hope I give him great looks. He’s a train, and you really don’t want to be in front of him when he’s full go.”

Teammates aid Kinnie’s TD

Brandon Kinnie appeared to be tied up near the 12-yard line on his 36-yard touchdown catch, but he kept his legs moving and the pile somehow inched forward until he crossed the goal line.

“I didn’t hear the whistle, so I kept going,” Kinnie said. “When I finally heard everybody going crazy, I’m like, ‘Am I in the end zone?’’’

What Kinnie also didn’t know was that his Red teammates were aiding the movement, first with a push from receiver Tim Marlowe and then from linemen Marcel Jones and Cole Pensick.

“I saw the replay, and I saw a couple guys pushing, but I just kept moving,” Kinnie said. “So they helped, and I helped, too.”

Berringer Citizenship Team

Former Nebraska linebacker Blake Lawrence was among 18 players honored Saturday for the 13th annual Brook Berringer Citizenship Team. Lawrence was picked for the third straight year.

Honored for the second time were Anthony Blue, Alex Henery, Will Henry, Marcel Jones, Marcus Mendoza and Lance Thorell. Others named were Prince Amukamara, Rex Burkhead, Ben Cotton, Jared Crick, Cody Green, Thomas Grove, Mike Hays, Austin Jones, D.J. Jones, Zac Lee and Kyler Reed.

A short ceremony was held on the field before the Red-White scrimmage that included Jan Berringer, mother of the former NU quarterback who died in a 1996 plane crash.

The Citizenship Team was established to honor Berringer, who was one of the most dedicated Husker volunteers in the community, both in Nebraska and in his hometown of Goodland, Kan. The team honors players who display a similar love and dedication for volunteering.

Lackluster punting day

Alex Henery was the master of the pooch punt last year, pinning opponents inside their 20-yard line more often than any other Big 12 player.

He didn’t exactly have the magic Saturday.

Henery’s first punt landed inside the 20-yard line, but it bounced about 20 yards backward. The kick was recorded as a 13-yard punt.

“I hit it high, it waggled and got stuck in the wind,” he said. “It had the bounce I wanted.”

Ideally, Henery said, the ball would land inside the 5, then bounce away from the end zone.

Henery’s second and final punt of the day, from his 47-yard line, was a little better. It went 33 yards and was downed at the 14.

Last season, eight of Henery’s punts were downed inside the 3-yard line.

Lee in good humor

Senior Zac Lee apparently hasn’t allowed offseason surgery to affect his mood.

Lee has been out since January, when he had surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right arm. So this spring, the 2009 starting QB had to watch the other quarterbacks try to impress the coaching staff enough to be considered for the No. 1 job next fall.

But sophomore Cody Green said Lee hasn’t changed.

“(He’s) just regular old Zac, cracking jokes and helping us out,” Green said.

Green said he likes the sideline perspective that Lee has provided all spring. Lee sees the game well and typically has helpful tips, Green said.

“He’s just extra eyes,” he said. “That’s really all of our jobs when we’re on the sidelines, and he does a really good job of it.”

— Mitch Sherman, Rich Kaipust and Jon Nyatawa

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