Nebraska began to wrap up preparations for the season opener during Thursday's 90-minute practice in helmets and shorts.

When asked about the excitement level heading into this game, head coach Bo Pelini said his team is ready to go. "It's always a little nerve-racking. It's the first time out, you have some new guys in there. Especially in this situation where you don't have a lot of information on your opponent. I'm excited for this football team. I know our guys are looking forward to playing. They're tired of hitting each other."

Pelini stated that the coaching staff gave the athletes plenty to work on this week, but the keys to the game will be the attitude and effort of his team.

"I thought they reacted well to it. We threw some hard things at them, making sure we're going to establish rules. They're going to do some things that it's going to take some adjusting to, just like any other week. As long as they have a baseline, something to apply their rules to, we'll be fine. At the end of the day, it's about playing hard, flying to the football and playing with an attitude. I think our guys understand that."

Overall, Pelini said he feels the team is ready to face their first opponent, no matter what new looks Southern Miss might give them. "We have a lot of guys prepared and we're prepared to adjust to whatever they throw at us."

Nebraska will conduct a final walk-through practice Friday afternoon in preparation for Southern Miss.