• Photo Showcase: Spring football practice, April 2
• Video: Watch the interview with NU coach Bo Pelini after Friday's practice. See practice highlights below the story:
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LINCOLN — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini cut his team loose a little early Friday, and he plans to turn them loose Saturday.
“Tomorrow's going to be basically all scrimmaging,'' Pelini said. “It's going to be a good go. We'll roll it out there and let 'em play. See how much they've learned in this amount of time.”
The Saturday practice will be the Huskers' seventh of the spring, the halfway point of workouts before the Red-White game on April 17.
The scrimmage will be another opportunity for NU's five quarterbacks going through spring practice. When asked specifically about Taylor Martinez, Pelini said he's been pleased with the progress of the redshirt freshman from Corona, Calif.
“I think he's done some good things,” Pelini said. “He's still learning and obviously trying to pick up on the offense, but there are a lot of positives out there and you can say that about the whole group.”
Pelini eager to hear Bowden
The other reason NU wrapped up about a half-hour earlier than usual Friday, Pelini said, was because of the Huskers' spring coaches clinic. More than 800 coaches are taking part.
The clinic was set to include former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden later Friday night as the featured speaker.
Pelini said Jeff Jamrog, NU's assistant athletic director for football, asked Pelini during the winter who the Huskers might want to bring in.
“It was obvious to me, if we could get coach Bowden to come and he was gracious enough to come,'' Pelini said. “He's obviously a tremendous football coach and a legend. It's great to have him here and an honor to have him here. I'm looking forward to hearing him speak.”
Blatchford, May sidelined with injuries
Pelini said after practice Friday that one Husker was done for the spring and another likely won't get started.
Sophomore defensive back and special-teams player Justin Blatchford is out with a knee injury. Pelini, however, said NU got “good news” on his surgery Friday.
“We expect him to make a full recovery,'' he said.
Also Friday, Pelini said it's unlikely that junior linebacker Mathew May, who already has missed the Huskers' first six practices with a groin injury, will join the team in the final two weeks of spring practice.
Former linebacker lauds NU's system
One of the visitors at all three practices this week has been Bill Sloey, who lettered on Husker teams in 1971 and '72.
“I'm real impressed with the system they have set up and the way they're working the kids,” Sloey said. “They look pretty good.”
Being a former linebacker, Sloey said “I've been observant watching the linebackers.”
Sloey said he also got to spend about 15 minutes with NU Athletic Director Tom Osborne, an assistant coach during Sloey's career.
— Rich Kaipust
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• Video: Watch Friday's Nebraska spring football practice highlights:
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