Huskers 56, Wildcats 28

Last Saturday's 56-28 Husker win against the Wildcats of Kansas State was the most satisfying win of the season, at least from my perspective. Even more so than the previous week's win against Kansas. Maybe it would be more accurate to say it was the Husker's most complete game this year. After rushing for 340 yards, and passing for another 270, it was the first time I felt the Huskers could just about do anything they wanted against a team. The defensive front four are playing absolute lights out football right now. Seriously. They have taken over the strength of this team, and are beginning to set the kind of tone worthy of comparison to the traditional Husker defenses. Constant pressure on the opposing quarterback, no chance of any kind of rushing game out of their opponent, and crushing tackles. For the first time in a long time, it's fun to watch these guys play football. The Husker coaching staff finally passed out the coveted Blackshirts last week, but did so with the warning that said Blackshirts could just as easily be taken away. In other words, the players earned them, but need to play like they want to keep them. This ongoing process of evaluation was a wise move on the part of the coaches, and it showed on Saturday.

Make no mistake, the Huskers are far from a perfect game. Mistakes still abound, as evidenced by the third quarter performance against the Wildcats on Saturday - the Huskers were shut out 7-0 during the fifteen-minute stretch. Still, the Huskers are improving. Penalties are down from where they were, the sloppy play is beginning to get crisper, and even the coaches are learning and improving from past mistakes. Yes, we here in Husker Nation are beginning to see some chemistry on this team and throughout the program, from the Athletic Director all they way to the trainers. It's a beautiful thing!

As a result, the Huskers sit at 7-4 on the season, and would seem well on their way to an 8-4 regular season finish. They are idle this weekend, and will wrap things up at home against Colorado on Black Friday (hmmm...any significance there - Black Friday....Blackshirts...I don't know, just a thought). A bowl game is eminent, and a 9-4 finale is mouthwatering. Looking ahead, there's lots of talk about the possibility of returning to the Big XII title game next year, but I'm going to put such talk off for now, and simply enjoy what I've seen this year. Husker faithful, for the most part, are a happy bunch thus far this season. No need to get into next year just yet.

As mentioned, no Huskers this weekend, so I look forward to putting my feet up and watching the drama unfold in Norman, Oklahoma as Texas Tech takes their campaign on the road. Lots of scenarios to think about in terms of a conference championship should the Red Raiders lose to the Sooners this weekend, which I believe is a distinct possibility. Hehehehe....I love this game!

GO BIG RED!!