The Nebraska football
team worked out inside the Hawks Center for approximately two hours Tuesday
afternoon in preparation for Saturday's game with Kansas State. The biggest
highlight of practice had to do with the jerseys, as Blackshirts were handed out
for the first time this season.
“We had a staff
meeting on Sunday, and made a decision,” Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini said.
“We thought the physical nature of the play on Saturday, the great effort our
guys made running sideline to sideline, we felt like that was a performance
where they earned the Blackshirts. We put them in their lockers today, and when
they came out of meetings it was there waiting for them.”
In total, 11
Blackshirts were handed out to: Pierre Allen, Larry Asante, Phillip Dillard,
Eric Hagg, Armando Murillo, Zach Potter, Ty Steinkuhler, Clayton Sievers,
Ndamukong Suh, Anthony West and Tyler Wortman.
Pelini said he
noticed a new spark from the defense during practice on
Tuesday.
“I thought it was our
best practice of the year, honestly,” Pelini said. “There was just a certain
level of excitement there, and a certain level of our guys feeling a sense of
achievement, because they really feel like they earned those shirts, and they
did.”
Pelini has been happy
with the play of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who on Monday was named the Big
12 Defensive Player of the Week. Suh had 12 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and
four tackles for loss, all career bests, against Kansas. He also added a
touchdown catch, the first of his career, against the
Jayhawks.
“I’m excited for
Suh,” Pelini said. “He’s had a great season, he’s really bought into the
techniques and the effort, and he’s done a tremendous job this year. I’m excited
that he’s started to get some recognition, because he really has had a great
year. But I don’t want to (diminish) the contribution of the other guys on the
front four. There’s another guy who lines up on the opposite side of him, Ty
Steinkuhler, who’s had just as good a season.”
Kickoff between the
Huskers and Wildcats is set for 2:35 p.m., and will be aired on a pay-per-view
basis.
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
