South Carolina’s spring football game was on the ESPN family of networks. Nebraska’s spring game had regional television coverage.

I don’t know why spring games are on TV. Not too many people know what they really are watching.

Spring football games are the most misunderstood spectacle in sports. Fans watch it with the wrong expectations. They see it as a true game when really, we are just watching – and talking about – a practice.

The spring “game” was Illinois’ 15th practice of the spring. Nothing more. Nothing less.

“Any time (the players) go into Memorial Stadium it should be a special day, a special opportunity for our guys,” said Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. “You got to bring your A-game, but at the same time as coaches it is just another practice.”

That is why Illinois wears its practice jerseys for the spring “game.” Not the game jerseys.

The “game” is far from a game. The quarterbacks can’t be hit. The defense is restricted to simple, basic formations. There is no tackling on the special teams. The coaches don’t even run most of their playbook.

Watching the spring “game” is like looking at a painting with most of the canvas blank. You can’t decide if you like a few brush strokes because you don’t see how those brush strokes fit into the entire piece of art.

Incoming freshman running back Rashard Mendenhall fumbled a handoff and dropped a pass in his first few plays.

So Mendenhall looked like a disappointment because of those plays?

No.

He struggled in one practice. But that one practice is all fans get to see. They didn’t see Mendenhall’s graceful running style and lighting-quick cuts to break big runs in the other 14 practices – even though those practices were open to the public.

Mendenhall showed in the spring he should be the next great Illinois running back. He just has to put on a few more pounds and hang onto the football.

The spring “game” didn’t show that.

It doesn’t take a football guru to know coaches look for consistency out of their players in the spring. They want players to execute in every practice. Not just in the last one.

But sometimes the spring “game” does show what Illinois has learned in the spring.

Case and point, junior tight end Melvin Bryant. He could be the best tight end in the Big Ten. Could be.

“I think he has a chance to be special, but there were a few times I wanted to choke him,” said Illinois head coach Ron Zook.

Special, because Bryant can catch anything and he creates matchup problems with his athleticism and 6-foot-5-inch frame.

Upsetting, because he is inconsistent. He missed a block on a swing pass. The player Bryant missed only caused a fumble that led to a defensive touchdown.

So how are you to figure out what is important out of the spring “game?”

It’s not as hard as it looks. Wait until the post-spring practice depth chart comes out.

Then we all will find out what really happened during those 15 practices.