Football team packs in practices

Everything's ready - the stadium, the field, the fans. All the remaining work to be done is on Nebraska's football team.

The start of the 2008 Nebraska football season is four days away, yet NU Coach Bo Pelini says much work still remains.

"We're not ready yet," Pelini said. "We have some more days of practice, and we'll get them ready. We have a lot more learning to do, and we need to familiarize ourselves more with the process."

The process is familiar to most - Pelini included. It's the time when players are anxious to face a game situation because they're tired of hitting each other.

It's also the time where coaches are trying to sharpen every last detail. According to senior receiver Todd Peterson, the picture is getting clearer for the NU offense.

"We're ready for a game in the sense that we're just anxious to play someone else," Peterson said. "I feel our offense is game-ready. We know there's going to be mistakes, but I think we're ready to play that game with us knowing the assignments and we're ready mentally."

Being mentally ready is the last thing any player would have said at the end of last season. The Huskers gave up 236 points in the last five games of a season that was rife with coaching turmoil, disgruntled fans and unmotivated players. That total was more than the 188 points allowed during the entire 2003 season - the same year Pelini was defensive coordinator for the Big Red.

Senior receiver Nate Swift said he's never seen the team more excited, and not just for the typical reasons that come with a coaching change. Senior lineman Matt Slauson said offensive lineman are excited about the reinstatement of the pancake block statistic.

It's all still a work-in-progress, but Peterson can't wait for the season debut on Saturday.

"I feel like (passion) was lacking last year," Peterson said. "It was very frustrating to see that, and I'm sure it was frustrating for fans. I just want us to play hard no matter the situation; we just need to get after it."

Pelini has said several times that last year is last year and they plan on keeping it that way. The first-year coach said he doesn't care about what went wrong and has promised to do everything he can to make things right in Lincoln. The lofty expectations in 2008 are welcomed with open arms by Pelini and his team, mainly because they expect even more out of themselves.

"I want to make (the state) proud," Pelini said. "I don't want to let anyone down. I know the excitement is there, and there's no one more excited than me. I can't let that affect me, and I have to look at the reality and see what I can do to get this football team ready."

The preparations are wrapping up for Saturday night, and several players are excited for what it will bring. It's been just over nine months since the last time the Nebraska football team has stepped on a field, and Pelini is confident his product that "will" be ready come Saturday, even if it's an unfinished work just days before.

"If you ever ask me on a Tuesday morning if we're ready for a Saturday game, I'll say no," Pelini said. "If we are we would just pack it in and let them go to school the rest of the week."

spencerschubert@dailynebraskan.com