It appears Nebraska players and coaches are set to take part in a "unity walk" before Saturday night's 6 o'clock game and future home games.

Buses will drop off the team at about 3:30-3:45 Saturday on the East side of Memorial Stadium. Details were still being worked out as of Thursday night, but the plan is for the team to weave its way past the game-day fan celebration inside the track northeast of the stadium (the Husker Nation Pavilion). The Huskers eventually will enter the stadium through gate 11, in the northwest corner of the stadium.

Again, details are still being worked out.

We know this: The coaching staff is hoping at least a few thousand fans show up to greet the team this week and in subsequent weeks.

The Huskers backed it down inside Memorial Stadium on Thursday, no pads, "more mental obviously than physical," head coach Bo Pelini said.

"We cut it down. There was great attention to detail. I liked what I saw from the guys. I think they're zeroed in and ready to go."

Pelini said he anticipates No. 1 right tackle Lydon Murtha will play Saturday, though the big man didn't practice on Thursday. "He could've but we held him out."

The plan for tomorrow: Some film, a walk-thru, a team dinner, a movie, then some meetings.

While some coaches stress a bit about keeping their players focused all day on Saturday for a night game, Pelini is used to that routine.

"We played almost all night games at LSU so I have a lot of experience with that," Pelini said. "It's good for us. It's something I've been a part of and I think I have a pretty good idea on how to manage that."

Asked about the atmosphere he anticipates for the game, Pelini said: "If I remember back to 2003, I imagine it's going to be pretty loud... I really kind of block it out, but it's the best fans in the United States. They're excited, it seems like. I'm sure it's going to be a great atmosphere."

I guess I shouldn't have been so definitive in my blog last night about "getting resolution" today with the Jorge Diaz situation.

Sorry, but it appears this saga is going to drag into next week, which technically begins Tuesday because of the Labor Day holiday. That's bad news for those patiently waiting for news, but maybe good news in that there might be a glimmer of hope.

When this is resolved, one way or the other, I'll try to explain the problem. Let's just say that if Doc is going to continue recruiting international students, this is a situation that needs addressing. (Which, I guess, is what's happening now, and why it's taking so long).

Also, a tele-conference with the NCAA on Christopher Niemann produced no resolution today. Again, this should be decided next week.

Oh well; we'll have other things to keep our minds occupied this weekend, right?

Marlon Lucky was on a list that came out today of 43 running backs who are candidates for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top running back.

Lucky is definitely on some radar screens. In the press release, his name was one of the few mentioned in the lede-in paragraphs, alongside the likes of Ohio State's Beanie Wells and Georgia's Knowshon Moreno.

Bo Pelini made an appearance on national radio Thursday, taking questions from Jim Rome.

Here's a portion of the interview. Asked about the team's attitude when he arrived, Pelini said:

"Well, you know, it was a group of guys, they were just beaten down. They were battered a little bit. They had lost some confidence. They just needed some direction. And, you know, that’s really not saying anything bad about what happened, what was going on there before, it’s just an atmosphere that happened here. There were really a lot of factors beyond coaching, beyond football, that contributed to where it ended up going last year, and some of those things were out of Coach (Bill) Callahan’s control.

". . . When I got here, it was just something that we had to develop some trust, relationships and start building that confidence and build an attitude."

Rome expressed surprise that there would be an issue with culture in the Nebraska program.

Said Pelini: "For some reasons and some things I don’t quite understand because I wasn’t really here, I didn’t live it, but there was a division, there was a lack of unity in the state and really, that’s really out of character for this program, for this state, for the fan base. There were just a lot of people . . . They weren’t on the same page in a lot of aspects. And that’s one of the things that makes this place unique is that culture, that attitude of one big family, really throughout the state as far as how they rally around the program. But somehow that went away, and that’s something we needed to bring back, we’ve worked hard to try and bring back."

Well, maybe this will make Husker fans feel better about that 41-40 triumph over Ball State last year. No, probably not.

But Jason Whitlock is calling for his alma mater Cardinals to be the surprise team of 2008.

I'm guessing not, but as the season kicks off tonight, I was wondering what teams you think might be surprises this fall.

Why do I have a feeling Nebraska will get a few votes on this blog?

Turns out we might not see true freshman wideout Khiry Cooper this season after all.

During preseason camp, Cooper was mentioned by the Nebraska coaching staff as being prominent among true freshmen in the mix to contribute immediately. But the 6-2, 180-pound wideout wasn't listed anywhere on the season's first depth chart released Tuesday.

"He's an interesting subject," NU wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore said Wednesday. "He's a very mature kid. I like his route running. I mean, he's very smooth."

However, "It's so unfair to think a true freshman is going to come in here and shine. The problem is, he's thinking. In that sense, he can't really just go out and play naturally. But he's a talent. I'm excited about him."

Is there a chance Cooper could play at some point this season?

"Right now, we're not putting any time frame on it," Gilmore said. "If it's not a deal where he can benefit from it and get tons of reps, we're not going to waste his (red) shirt.

"If I had any regrets from a year ago, we wasted Niles Paul's (redshirt). He didn't have enough reps in the ballgames to play him. I don't want that situation to repeat itself.

"The role he had on special teams, and the role he had in the offense, wasn't worth wasting that year."

Often lost amid all the talk about Bo Pelini is the rather impressive ascent up the coaching ladder of his brother, Carl Pelini.

Just five years ago, he left a good head coaching job at Fitch High School in Ohio (they were drawing about 12,000 fans a game) to become a grad assistant at NU where he'd make about $12,000 annually and work 12-hour workdays.

People in Ohio were wondering if Carl had gone bonkers.

Turns out to have been a pretty smart move. He said this week he supposes there will be a "certain sense of satisfaction" when he runs onto the field Saturday night knowing his gamble paid off. He'll be wearing the title of Nebraska's defensive coordinator.

Certainly Pelini knows a lot of people will be keeping close watch on how he fills the role, having just one year of experience as a college coordinator -- at Division II Minnesota State in 2004.

"With it, it brings pressure. I know," Pelini said. "And I'm sure there are people out there that are asking, 'Is he ready?' So in my mind that brings a lot of pressure, but no more pressure than I put on myself everyday.

"I know that I can handle the role that I'm in and I intend on going out and proving that. But the most important person I need to prove that to is myself. Because I know I prepared myself for this day and I know I can handle the job."

What would you guys do if we spelled Bo's name that way all the time? And never corrected it?

Then for the love of all things sacred, why on earth can't people outside of Lincoln realize it's Marlon Lucky, and not Marion?

Lou Holtz isn't the only one. Pat Summerall did it, too. Dave Armstrong did it on FSN's Nebraska preview show this summer. And that was taped.

This "Marion" thing has been a problem going on three years, now. The fact Nebraska's fallen off the national scene should be no excuse either. Why doesn't someone correct it?

And 7 straight losses last season? Who found that little nugget?

(Anyone who just watched ESPN2's segment on Nebraska knows what I'm talking about).

I realize, with this rant, I'm putting myself on open season with my next boo-boo. Hey, we all make them. But this repeated "Marion" problem is becoming embarrassing.

Oh, and by the way, Bo did a phone interview. Didn't say much we haven't already heard, but did indicate the defense may be getting closer to earning Blackshirts.

Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to make sure I correctly spelled "embarrassing."

I've received a couple of e-mails today from fans asking about the Jorge Diaz situation. (He's the 6-foot-11 recruit who'd been cleared by the NCAA but not yet admitted to Nebraska).

From my understanding, we should get some sort of resolution on this tomorrow after a meeting involving some NU officials.

My hunch hasn't changed from the get-go: I don't think it's promising he'll be here. I'm not trying to be negative, just realistic.

That's all for now.