Lincoln – The Nebraska football team practiced for two hours on Thursday inside the Hawks Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields as the Huskers approach Saturday’s season opener against Wyoming.

Head Coach Bo Pelini addressed the media following the team’s workout and summed up his thoughts on the week’s preparation.

“I thought we had good tempo today and I thought we had a pretty good week of practice,” Pelini said. “We had some things we needed to clean up today and I thought we were sharp today. We’re looking forward to the game.”

Pelini also talked about why he chose the seven players that received Blackshirts on Wednesday.

“I liked where certain guys were,” Pelini said. “I thought it was the right thing for this football team and for that group of guys. I thought there were certain guys that earned it and solidified starting jobs.”

Defensive Coordinator John Papuchis will be starting his second season in that position and Pelini said he was happy with where the defense has come in that time.

“J.P. has been with me for eight years now so he knows me very well and I think we communicate really well,” Pelini said. “He’s a detail-oriented guy, he’s very organized and I think he’s really gone in and done a heck of a job. I’m really happy with what he’s doing with this defense.”

Pelini added that he thinks the team will be ready no matter how hot it gets on Saturday night.

“It’s going to be pretty warm, even at night,” Pelini said. “It’s been humid the last few nights. We’ve been preparing for it and guys are fresh right now going into the game. There’s going to be some heat issues I’m sure but we’re going to use a lot of our depth and play a lot of guys and try to wear the other football team out.”

Additionally, the Nebraska Athletic Department announced on Thursday that a statue of former NU Head Coach and Athletic Director Bob Devaney will be unveiled on Friday. The statue of Devaney, who also coached for Wyoming in his career, will be located in the new East Stadium Plaza. Saturday’s game between the Huskers and Cowboys is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Big Ten Network.