Nebraska continued preparations for its second game of the season with a 90-minute workout Thursday afternoon.

“I thought it was a pretty good practice, pretty sharp.” said coach Bo Pelini. “I thought it was good tempo, a good Thursday practice. I liked our attention to detail. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was another good day.”

Pelini was quickly asked about the starting quarterback position and he confirmed redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez has retained that role this week, although he reiterated that competition remains open.

Defensively, Nebraska started a pair of newcomers at the linebacker position last week due to injuries to sophomores Sean Fisher and Will Compton. Junior Lavonte David and sophomore Alonzo Whaley each earned their first career starts and combined for 18 tackles, including a team-leading 13 from David.

“I think the linebacker group as a whole made a big jump this week,” said Pelini. “We still have a ways to go, but I thought our communication was better this week and their understanding continues to get better. There are a lot of things that happen in the first game that you can’t simulate in practice. That’s part of the deal.”

After leaving the season opener with a shoulder injury, Pelini expects sophomore defensive end Cameron Meredith to start Saturday. He also said junior offensive lineman Marcel Jones is healthy for game action.

Nebraska will wrap up game week preparations Friday afternoon with a walk-through inside Memorial Stadium. Saturday’s kickoff against Idaho is set for 11:30 a.m.