LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska I-back Thunder Collins talked at length publicly Wednesday for the first time since he was suspended after the Cornhuskers' season opener.

Collins, a senior from Los Angeles, was suspended for the last four games for failing to comply with NCAA regulations. Nebraska officials wouldn't say anything about why Collins was suspended, other than it did not involve misuse of player tickets to Nebraska games, as had been rumored.

He was forbidden by school officials from talking specifically about why he was suspended, but he said he was not bitter with the NCAA.

"If it was a deal where I was being treated different than any other athlete in the country, I would have been upset, but rules are rules,'' Collins said.

He acknowledged that he got depressed during the suspension.

"Sometimes you think that you ought to just give it up, but you've always got people around you that are rooting for you, and that kind of helps out,'' he said.

When Collins last carried the ball for the Huskers, they were ranked No. 10 in The AP's Top 25 and was en route to a 48-10 drubbing of Arizona State.

Now the Huskers are 3-2 after road losses to Penn State and Iowa State and are unranked for the first time since 1981.

If that bothered Collins, he didn't show it.

"I can only concentrate on things that I can control,'' he said. "I can only go out there and play Nebraska football. I'm ready.''

Going into the season, Collins was listed as a co-starter with Dahrran Diedrick, who led the Big 12 in rushing last season.

In his absence, Nebraska, with an inexperienced offensive line, has struggled to run the ball.

When coach Frank Solich announced some shakeups on the depth chart Tuesday, Diedrick was still the top I-back, but freshman David Horne, who was expected to redshirt, was listed at No. 2.

Collins was nowhere on the list, which was drawn up while coaches were waiting to hear if his eligibility had been restored by the NCAA.

Solich said Wednesday that Horne will be the No. 2 I-back for Saturday's game against McNeese State.

"Its not a situation where he's automatically going to be going in second, but Thunder should be able to see playing time in this game,'' Solich said.

Nebraska officials sent a report on their internal investigation of infractions allegations against Collins to the NCAA on Sept. 12. Solich announced the suspension Sept 4.

Collins, 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, had 647 yards rushing last season, third on the team behind Diedrick's 1,299 and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Eric Crouch's 1,115. He averaged 6.9 yards a carry and scored five touchdowns.

Against Arizona State this year, Collins had 22 yards on 10 carries.