Lincoln – The Nebraska football team escaped the brisk weather outside with a two-hour, practice in half pads inside the Hawks Championship Center Thursday. Despite the indoor practice, however, the team was unable to avoid the roaring noise of 50 Harley riders, who rolled through warm-ups in a planned preparation for the “Harley Day” that the team will face against Kansas State at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Offensive line coach Dennis Wagner Wagner and Technology Assistant Tim McFadden arranged for the group, who were able to give the squad an idea of what kinds of noise elements they would face Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.

“They rolled around during warm-up,” Head Coach Bill Callahan said. “They did one lap around, and the doors (to the Hawks Championship Center) were all open. They wanted to get the team acclimated to the atmosphere. It was pretty loud, and it was a lot of fun. It sounds like the players enjoyed it a little bit, and it was interesting.

“Anything that adds to the atmosphere just to break up the monotony a little bit is great. Just a diversion of senses, to have somebody come in, I thought it would be fun. It’s a great way for us to get accustomed to the atmosphere and get these guys warmed up for this game.”

Callahan additionally noted that junior linebacker Steve Octavien did practice, while senior offensive lineman Greg Austin continued to sit out for practice but will travel for this weekend’s contest.

“All I did was watch Steve (Octavien) stretch, but I’ll have a chance to sit down with (defensive coordinator Kevin) Cosgrove after practice and see where he’s at,” Callahan said. “Greg (Austin) didn’t practice, but we’ll take him on this trip with us, and we’re hopeful he’ll be ready to go.”

Callahan and the squad remain excited for the third straight Big 12 contest, which comes against a team that employs a similar scheme  to the Huskers' West Coast offense.

“These are sharp coaches and smart guys,” Callahan said. “They’ve got NFL experience at the two coordinator positions, and they understand how to coach the game. They’ll implement some new ideas for us just like they would for anybody else, and that’s what makes the game fun. I think they’re just trying to win a game just like we are, and I think our guys are ready to adjust.“

The Huskers will hold a team walk-through in Memorial Stadium Friday afternoon before traveling to Manhattan, Kan.   for a 6:00 p.m. CST. kickoff against Kansas State.  Fans can watch Saturday's game on Pay-per-view and should contact their local cable or satelitte provider on how to order the telecast.