The Nebraska football team hit the practice field for the first time in preparation for the 2014 season on Monday night, going through a one-hour and 40-minute workout in shorts and helmets inside the Hawks Center and on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice facility.

The Monday evening workout began four weeks of practice for Nebraska in advance of the Huskers’ season opener against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30. Nebraska will conduct single practices in the evening through Friday, before a mid-day practice on Saturday.

Head Coach Bo Pelini enters his seventh year at the helm of the Big Red. The 2014 team includes 14 returning starters from last year, when NU finished 9-4 including a Gator Bowl victory versus Georgia on New Year’s Day. Pelini has guided each of his first six Nebraska teams to nine wins or more, and Nebraska is one of only three schools to win at least nine games each year since 2008.

Pelini met with the media today after practice, noting that practice was just what you would expect after the first day of fall camp.

“I thought it was what you expect after the first day, I liked the tempo and I thought it was an efficient practice,” Pelini said. “I think guys competed and there were a lot of first-day mistakes.”

Entering the 2014 season, Pelini mentioned that he and the coaching staff decided to cut down a few things at practice, in the hopes to help the overall tempo of practice.

“Just a few pre-practice things, we shortened individual time a hair. I think if I count the reps it is not much different than what we have done on a normal basis,” Pelini said. “We just did it more efficiently. I like the way it looked the first day.”

According to Pelini, sophomore quarterback Tommy Armstrong impressed during practice this evening.

“I liked what I saw out of Tommy today, he is very confident and he is under control,” Pelini said. “He really understands the offense.”

*Pelini announced that sophomore long snapper Gabe Miller will be day-to-day with a minor injury, as well as freshman linebacker Jaevon Walton will miss a few days due to a personal issue.

Nebraska will be back on the practice field on Tuesday evening for their second workout of camp. Check back at Huskers.com for all of your preseason football practice coverage including the latest news, photos and video features.