LaRon Council walked toward the waiting bus, carrying his well-used iPod and a fresh six-pack of his favorite sports drink.

For the next couple of days, they will be among his most important accessories, as the Northwest Missouri State football team make the long journey to Abilene, Texas, for the season opener against No. 5 Abilene Christian.

"We're not looking forward to the trip, but we'll be fine," the soft-spoken All-America running back said, a wide smile never leaving his face.

This is an unusual game week, to be sure. Not only do the Bearcats take their longest road trip by far of the regular season, but they also geared up early in the week for a Thursday night game.

Coach Mel Tjeerdsma said the unusual schedule should not be a big problem.

"It's going to work out pretty good in the fact that we're not in school yet," Tjeerdsma said. "We can leave on Tuesday, and we don't have to worry about missing any classes. We can take our time getting down there."

The Bearcats practiced Tuesday morning at Bearcat Stadium then boarded the bus for an early afternoon departure.

They were scheduled to spend Tuesday night in Oklahoma City and resume the journey this morning to arrive in Abilene in the early afternoon with plenty of time for an evening workout.

"I don't think it will really affect us that bad," Council said. "Our coaching staff does a good job of just keeping us mentally fit and in tune to the objective we have to do."

In the meantime, Council plans to listen to a lot of music, get some sleep and work on that six-pack.

"It's going to be pretty hot down there, so we've just got to pre-hydrate," Council said. "That's the most important thing."

Safety Aldwin Foster-Rettig isn't worried about the trip, either.

"It's a long trip, and we'll get some (game plan) studying in on the road," Foster-Rettig said. "Nothing too special."

Foster-Rettig's also confident in the knowledge that Abilene Christian had success after their long bus trip last season. The Wildcats defeated the Bearcats 44-27 in last season's opener at Bearcat Stadium.

"They came in here last year and came out with a win. We can go there and come out with a win," Foster-Rettig said.

Sports reporter Rick Dunaway can be reached

at rickd@npgco.com