LINCOLN — Pierre Allen was an inexperienced Nebraska sophomore when he suddenly earned an in-game promotion to the starting lineup two years ago.

Key front-liner Barry Turner had suffered a serious injury. Allen, a backup defensive end who had seen just a sprinkling of snaps in his short career, was called on to serve as the replacement.

Allen probably should have been paralyzed by fear. He hadn't been on the big stage before.

But Allen didn't allow himself to consider the potential penalties of failure — the exact reason why he thrived.

“I was just flying around, playing off athletic ability,” said Allen, who has started every game since he recorded 10 tackles that day against San Jose State. “I probably messed up calls and everything. But I just tried to lock in and play.”

It's a story Allen will occasionally tell underclassmen who are pondering how a month's worth of practices will translate on game day.

That type of pressure-filled moment can't be simulated. But it's something every young Husker must experience, especially if he plans on stepping into a significant role.

How the unproven players react to that trial-by-fire initiation could be critical to the ongoing battles at several positions. When Nebraska takes the field for its season opener against Western Kentucky on Saturday, it is expected to have first-time starters at left tackle, at two defensive line spots, at tight end, at linebacker and maybe even at quarterback.

All of the players contending for those open jobs have an adjustment to make, but they'll need a game to do it.

“There's always a little nervous energy, especially when there are still open positions,” secondary coach Marvin Sanders said. “But that's when the ones who deserve to be playing will stand out. You'll find out which one wants to be playing by how they respond to the pressure we put on them this week to be prepared.”

Forget the opponent — which, in this case, is easier than on most occasions, considering the obvious talent gap between eighth-ranked Nebraska and a Western Kentucky team that hasn't won a game in nearly two years.

Yes, NU coaches' end goal is to get a victory. But they'll be going into Saturday's game with a fluid depth chart, eyeing the 60 minutes as another chance to evaluate their personnel.

“That's kind of how the culture of this program is built, on competition,” coach Bo Pelini said. “It's ongoing competition. It's a constant evaluation. Whatever we can ever do to make our football team better, we're going to do.”

But while the coaches might view Saturday as simply another audition, it is a game. And thousands will be watching. That fact can't be lost.

Sophomore Eric Martin knows that. The two open linebacker positions won't be settled Saturday, but it certainly wouldn't hurt Martin's chances if he makes a good impression.

He's trying not to make a big deal of it, though he admittedly has some concerns. Of course, he's not as nervous as last year.

“I didn't want to make any mistakes (last season) because I was in front of 85,000 people. Try not to get embarrassed,” he said. “I guess now I'm more worried about what's going to happen after a mistake, when the coaches get on me.”

Just don't make too much of those on-the-field errors, Allen says. He thinks that playing tentatively hinders a player's ability to perform to his potential.

Allen's advice: When the spotlight's on, just pretend it's not.

“There might be one good play, then there might be one bad play, but you've got to forget all that and move on,” he said. “If you make a mistake, as long as you make it full speed, the coaches aren't going to get on you that bad. There are a million snaps out there. One snap's not going to hurt you.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com

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