The Nebraska football team continued preparations for its first away game this weekend at Texas Tech with a 2 ½ hour practice on the Ed and Joyanne Gass Grass Practice Fields outside Memorial Stadium on Tuesday. The Husker defense will have another challenge on Saturday containing the Red Raider's high-scoring offense, which ranks second nationally in total offense and first in passing offense.

Among Texas Tech’s biggest threats is sophomore wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who ranks third in the nation with just under 113 yards receiving per game.

“You’ve always got to know where he is,” Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini said. “He’s a great player. It’s hard to match up with any great player on offense, whether he’s a running back or a wide receiver. To me, you’ve always got to be aware of where he is and how he can hurt you. But at the same time, if we play our techniques and we execute our coverages, we should be in position to defend him fairly well.”

Pelini and the rest of the defensive staff also aren’t overlooking Tech’s running game.

“I’ve never played against Tech before, but after looking at a lot of film, they’ve got a very effective running game,” Pelini said. “Their backs hit it hard. They hit it vertical and hard, and you better not give them a crease or they’re out the gate, because they are fast. You always hear about their throwing game, but they really balance it off well.”

Kickoff for Saturday’s game in Lubbock, Texas, is set for 2 p.m. and will air nationally on Fox Sports Network.