Redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez earned favorable reviews in his first start at quarterback for Nebraska, but coach Bo Pelini indicated Monday that there isn't much separating the team's top three signal callers.

Martinez earned a majority of the playing time in Saturday's opener against Western Kentucky, but Pelini said he feels good about his top three quarterbacks: Martinez, sophomore Cody Green and senior Zac Lee.

“It's not like we have to dramatically change what were doing offensively for any of them,” Pelini said Monday during the Big 12 weekly teleconference. “They're all pretty multipurpose guys. They're all proven to be that.”

Pelini said he waited until Saturday to announce Martinez as the starter because he didn't want to sacrifice competition at practice.

“We like that philosophy across the board,” Pelini said. “Our guys know that practice means something.”

NU earns raves from Idaho coach

Third-year Idaho coach Robb Akey praised Nebraska repeatedly on Monday during his 10 minutes on the Western Athletic Conference coaches' teleconference.

“That's a challenge and a half right there,” Akey said. “They're one of the best teams in the country. They've got talent all over the field.”

The Vandals, who never have played NU, beat North Dakota 45-0 last week in their opener. Idaho features four-year starting quarterback Nathan Enderle of North Platte, Neb.

Akey on Sunday approached Enderle to discuss the return to his home state.

“I don't have to worry about you wigging out on this game, do I?” the coach said. “We both laughed, because I knew I didn't have to say that. But as a head coach, I'm supposed to say something like that to him.”

On the anticipated atmosphere at Memorial Stadium, Akey said he hopes the Vandals embrace it.

“It's something I talked to my players about yesterday,” he said. “Let's go enjoy that atmosphere. Have a great time with it. I just hope Larry the Cable Guy isn't firing out too many hot dogs.”

Monday's workout pleases Pelini

Bo Pelini described the Huskers' shortened session on Monday as a “really good practice.”

“We had good tempo,” he said. “I thought we made a step in the right direction.”

NU worked out inside the Hawks Center for just less than two hours on Labor Day, correcting some issues, the coach said, after a 49-10 win over Western Kentucky. Pelini said he expects improvement when the Huskers play Idaho Saturday.

“I think you've got to make a jump,” he said. “But I do believe this: You've got to get better every week. If you want to play well at the end, if you want to compete for a championship, yeah, you want to make a big jump this week. But I want to make a big jump every week. You've got to keep building.

Meredith ‘day to day'

Defensive end Cameron Meredith did not practice Monday after injuring a shoulder Saturday. Pelini described the first-year starter as “day to day,” saying the sophomore's shoulder was “fine.”

Freshman defensive tackle Chase Rome remains out with an elbow injury. The Huskers continue to consider playing him this season as the fifth interior lineman, but missed practice time makes a redshirt more likely, Pelini said.

Offensive tackle Marcel Jones returned to practice Monday after missing the opener.

Bo prefers later kickoffs

Pelini said he does not prefer early kickoffs like the 11:30 a.m. time set for Saturday.

“That was from when I played,” he said. “But whatever. Whatever the time they decide to play, let's go.

“I grew up playing at night. There was just a big difference. And having coached at LSU for three years, I got used to coaching at night. At the end of the day, I don't really care.”

The morning start will not impact the Huskers' practice routine or preparations for Idaho other than an accelerated Saturday schedule.

— Jon Nyatawa, Mitch Sherman

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