Huskers Cap Preparations for Penn State in Cool, Damp Weather

Lincoln -- Nebraska finished its full-scale work in advance of Saturday night's contest against Penn State with a one hour and 45-minute workout in sweats on the Memorial Stadium FieldTurf Thursday afternoon. For the third consecutive day, the Huskers were able to practice outdoors despite substantial rainfall in Lincoln during the morning hours.

Head Coach Frank Solich was happy with how his team conducted itself Thursday.

"It went very well today," Solich said. "The players were spirited today and did a good job of concentrating on the task at hand. I felt good about our final preparation for Saturday's game."

Solich also announced after practice that senior punter Kyle Larson will serve as this week's special teams captain. A native of Funk, Neb., Larson is in his third season as Nebraska's starting punter and ranks second in career punting average at Nebraska, averaging nearly 43 yards per punt. Larson was one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award last season, and is on the initial watch list for the honor this fall.

"Kyle has performed well in practice and games," Solich said. "He had a great week, and he's been a difference-maker for us the last two seasons. He's a guy that can really help you gain a positive advantage in terms of field position."

Nebraska will hold a short walk-through practice on Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium to finish its work for Saturday's 7:07 p.m. game. The game will be televised to more than 50 percent of the nation on ABC.