Blackshirts must continue to earn their keep

Apparantly it’s not a rumor. Blackshirts were awarded Monday according to the Lincoln Journal Star website in large part due to the Huskers 24-3 win over Michigan State on a day the Blackshirts stymied the Spartans.
The following is an unofficial list of defenders who received the black practice jerseys that are symbolic of excellence:
P.J. Smith, Baker Steinkuhler, Chase Rome, Cameron Meredith, Jason Ankrah, Eric Martin, Austin Cassidy, Josh Williams, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Alfonzo Dennard, Lavonte David, Andrew Green, Daimion Stafford, Lance Thorell, Thad Randle, Justin Blatchford, Will Compton, Sean Fisher, Terrence Moore and Ciante Evans.
The doling out of the Blackshirts is well deserved after a great defensive effort against Michigan State. The front four rushed the passer and controlled the line of scrimmage, the linebackers maintained their lanes, and the secondary completely shut down the receivers. With this kind of defense, the Huskers chances for a Big Ten title are very much alive but for that to happen the strong play must continue.
I still think the Blackshirts should be passed out at the beginning of the season based on practice sessions, and later taken away, or awarded based on game performance. This season the defense was so bad for so long that an exception was warranted.

While part of me says the list is watered down because so many players were awarded Blackshirts, let’s keep in mind every player on that list has either started or received significant playing time.
Changing conferences (going from Big 12 to Big 10) is no small task. The big 12 was fairly consistent in their offensive schemes that were each tailored toward the strength of their personnel. Week in and week out we would have to prepare for slight variations from the prior week in most cases. Occasionally we would have to prepare for a wholesale change in offensive or defensive philosophy but that was the exception.
Our world today is much different. Almost on a weekly basis we have to prepare for a team that we have not played in recent history. In addition, those teams differ substantially in style and scheme on both their offense and their defense.
The curve is steep and the path is narrow, a slip here or a slip there can place our team in a perilous position. It makes it all the more important that this year we have individuals with character that are able to persevere through the highs and lows.
The Huskers have a lot of battle hardened troops on this roster. When they play for each other we see what we saw.