LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — If Bo Pelini is worried about his defense, he isn’t showing it.

While fans of No. 22 Nebraska spent the week stressing over how easily Wyoming moved the ball in the opener, the Cornhuskers’ coach stayed positive. He said he expects the defense to be “significantly better” Saturday against Southern Mississippi (0-1).

The No. 22 Huskers (1-0) need to improve if they hope to hang with No. 18 UCLA next week in what should be their toughest game before November.

The Huskers defeated Wyoming 37-34 last week, but the Cowboys amassed 602 yards.

No one expected the defense to be dominant early this season. The unit is young, with a redshirt freshman and sophomore among the starting front four and four true freshmen playing a significant amount against Wyoming.