Husker IN Hawaii
Four-Star Recruit
LINCOLN, Neb. – On the first day of spring the University of Nebraska campus was covered with about a foot of snow.
Just like football season.
And this spring bold statements have come from the Nebraska defense.
Just like football season.
A lot of attention was placed on Nebraska's growth in coach Bill Callahan's West Coast offense last year, but the defense's return to more characteristic form might have been a bigger factor in the Cornhuskers' rebound from a stunning 5-6 debacle in 2004 to a solid 8-4 finish in 2005.
Associated Press
Defensive end Jay Moore grew up dreaming of being a blackshirt.
And with seven starters back the Cornhuskers defense expects to be even better in 2006.
"With a flamboyant, outrageous defense like the Blackshirts out there it would be stupid to think we can't," junior linebacker Corey McKeon said. "Coach (Kevin Cosgrove) preaches to be humble, but as excited as we are and as good as we're playing it's hard to be humble."
Each year Nebraska is routinely among the national leaders in producing cattle, corn and ornery defensive units. That's just part of the culture.
Jay Moore, a senior defensive end, knows this all too well. He grew up in Elkhorn, Neb., still blames referees for the Orange Bowl loss to Florida State after the 1993 season and was a walking encyclopedia of Nebraska football by the time he was in the third grade.
So, two years ago when he earned one of the coveted "black shirts" – the practice jerseys that Cornhuskers defensive players wear like a badge of honor – the significance was not lost on him.
"It's a very respected status around here," he said. "When you come to play defense here your No. 1 goal by the time you leave is to earn one of those black shirts."
The Blackshirts are college football's equivalent of the NFL's Steel Curtain, a perennially intimidating defensive unit with a really cool nickname. Yet, in some recent seasons the Blackshirts had gotten a black eye.
In 2002 and 2004 the Cornhuskers did not even rank among the nation's top 50 in total defense. Not coincidentally those are the only seasons since 1969 in which Nebraska failed to win at least eight games. Indeed, in 2004 the Huskers ranked only 56th nationally in total defense and endured their first losing season since 1961.
"It really came down to guys not doing their jobs," Moore said. "They weren't taking their responsibilities: maintaining this gap or getting in that coverage. We weren't disciplined at all."
Blackshirts are back
Returning starters on the Nebraska defense:
DE Adam Carriker
DE Jay Moore
LB Steve Octavien
LB Corey McKeon
LB Lance Brandenburgh
CB Cortney Grixby
CB Zackary Bowman
That could be at least partially explained by the uncertainty of playing under their third defensive coordinator in three seasons.
Cosgrove, who turned down an offer to coach linebackers for the Minnesota Vikings, is entering his third season in Lincoln and has brought a measure of stability.
Last season Nebraska made significant defensive improvement, reducing the yardage allowed from 371.5 in 2004 to 332.17 and improving from 56th in the national rankings to 26th. The Huskers also led the nation with 50 quarterback sacks.
"We're starting to get that respect back, that swagger back," Moore said.
Keeping it has been among the priorities this spring.
Defensive end Adam Carriker, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound senior who led Nebraska with 13.5 sacks last season, has added 15 pounds of muscle and has dominated in the spring. In a recent scrimmage he recorded two sacks, blocked a kick and generally created havoc.
"To block Adam Carriker you more or less have to get lucky," Cornhuskers offensive tackle Matt Slauson said.
As good as Carriker has looked, he's not alone.
Junior Steve Octavien, coming back from a broken leg suffered in last year's season-opening victory over Maine, has been active and impressive. Because of players like Octavien coming back from injuries, the Cornhuskers have at least six experienced linebackers.
Nebraska is also set at cornerback with junior Cortney Grixby and senior Zackary Bowman, who got off to a slow start after transferring from New Mexico Military Academy but made impressive strides in the second half of the season. Bowman has continued to progress this spring.
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.....asp?CID=530878
Reading about the blackshirts on the front page of a web sight like RIVALS.COM just makes me even more excited to see that the Huskers are making that charge back to national prominence. :restore2
[SIZE=21pt]GO BLACK SHIRTS[/SIZE]
Just like football season.
And this spring bold statements have come from the Nebraska defense.
Just like football season.
A lot of attention was placed on Nebraska's growth in coach Bill Callahan's West Coast offense last year, but the defense's return to more characteristic form might have been a bigger factor in the Cornhuskers' rebound from a stunning 5-6 debacle in 2004 to a solid 8-4 finish in 2005.
Associated Press
Defensive end Jay Moore grew up dreaming of being a blackshirt.
And with seven starters back the Cornhuskers defense expects to be even better in 2006.
"With a flamboyant, outrageous defense like the Blackshirts out there it would be stupid to think we can't," junior linebacker Corey McKeon said. "Coach (Kevin Cosgrove) preaches to be humble, but as excited as we are and as good as we're playing it's hard to be humble."
Each year Nebraska is routinely among the national leaders in producing cattle, corn and ornery defensive units. That's just part of the culture.
Jay Moore, a senior defensive end, knows this all too well. He grew up in Elkhorn, Neb., still blames referees for the Orange Bowl loss to Florida State after the 1993 season and was a walking encyclopedia of Nebraska football by the time he was in the third grade.
So, two years ago when he earned one of the coveted "black shirts" – the practice jerseys that Cornhuskers defensive players wear like a badge of honor – the significance was not lost on him.
"It's a very respected status around here," he said. "When you come to play defense here your No. 1 goal by the time you leave is to earn one of those black shirts."
The Blackshirts are college football's equivalent of the NFL's Steel Curtain, a perennially intimidating defensive unit with a really cool nickname. Yet, in some recent seasons the Blackshirts had gotten a black eye.
In 2002 and 2004 the Cornhuskers did not even rank among the nation's top 50 in total defense. Not coincidentally those are the only seasons since 1969 in which Nebraska failed to win at least eight games. Indeed, in 2004 the Huskers ranked only 56th nationally in total defense and endured their first losing season since 1961.
"It really came down to guys not doing their jobs," Moore said. "They weren't taking their responsibilities: maintaining this gap or getting in that coverage. We weren't disciplined at all."
Blackshirts are back
Returning starters on the Nebraska defense:
DE Adam Carriker
DE Jay Moore
LB Steve Octavien
LB Corey McKeon
LB Lance Brandenburgh
CB Cortney Grixby
CB Zackary Bowman
That could be at least partially explained by the uncertainty of playing under their third defensive coordinator in three seasons.
Cosgrove, who turned down an offer to coach linebackers for the Minnesota Vikings, is entering his third season in Lincoln and has brought a measure of stability.
Last season Nebraska made significant defensive improvement, reducing the yardage allowed from 371.5 in 2004 to 332.17 and improving from 56th in the national rankings to 26th. The Huskers also led the nation with 50 quarterback sacks.
"We're starting to get that respect back, that swagger back," Moore said.
Keeping it has been among the priorities this spring.
Defensive end Adam Carriker, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound senior who led Nebraska with 13.5 sacks last season, has added 15 pounds of muscle and has dominated in the spring. In a recent scrimmage he recorded two sacks, blocked a kick and generally created havoc.
"To block Adam Carriker you more or less have to get lucky," Cornhuskers offensive tackle Matt Slauson said.
As good as Carriker has looked, he's not alone.
Junior Steve Octavien, coming back from a broken leg suffered in last year's season-opening victory over Maine, has been active and impressive. Because of players like Octavien coming back from injuries, the Cornhuskers have at least six experienced linebackers.
Nebraska is also set at cornerback with junior Cortney Grixby and senior Zackary Bowman, who got off to a slow start after transferring from New Mexico Military Academy but made impressive strides in the second half of the season. Bowman has continued to progress this spring.
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.....asp?CID=530878
Reading about the blackshirts on the front page of a web sight like RIVALS.COM just makes me even more excited to see that the Huskers are making that charge back to national prominence. :restore2
[SIZE=21pt]GO BLACK SHIRTS[/SIZE]
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