Nebraska will take Memorial Stadium into blackout mode Saturday night, and the look in the middle of the field will match the theme. The Huskers announced Monday that the Blackshirts logo will sit at midfield when Washington visits for the program’s second annual blackout game.
The Blackshirts are woven into Nebraska’s defensive identity, a tradition that stretches back more than 60 years. It started in 1964, Bob Devaney’s third season as head coach, when defenders wore black pullover jerseys in practice to distinguish themselves from the offense. The name stuck, and it has represented Husker defense ever since.
Everything around the game will be dressed in black - the jerseys, the stadium, and the crowd. But Nebraska needs more than a strong visual. It needs a result, especially after last year’s blackout ended in a 21-17 loss to USC.
That urgency is obvious after the Huskers dropped back-to-back games to Indiana and Oregon. Those losses came with their share of painful what-ifs, and the bye week arrived at a good moment, giving the team time to recover, reset, and lock back in for the stretch ahead.
Nebraska still has work to do before it can claim a spot among the Big Ten’s upper tier, or even earn the kind of ranking it wants. Saturday offers a chance to show the early losses were just a stumble, not a preview of what’s coming next. Washington is the test, and the blackout stage is the setting.
A loud Memorial Stadium should bring plenty of energy, and Nebraska will need to tap into it. A win would carry the Huskers into November with real momentum, which is exactly what this moment calls for.
Matt Rhule pointed Monday to a detail from the team’s post-Oregon meeting, when defensive lineman Anthony Jones Jr. spoke up about the final defensive snap. Jones said he should have knocked the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. Rhule’s message was clear.
“We need more guys with that mentality,” Rhule said.
Jones played through a foot injury in that game, which made his ownership stand out even more. Nebraska will need that kind of edge the rest of the way if it wants any shot at the College Football Playoff, and it starts with Washington.
There is also a recruiting angle to all of this. Saturday is set to be one of the most loaded recruiting weekends of the season, with prospects expected on campus to experience the blackout atmosphere in person. Because the game is at night, recruits will have an easier time making it to Lincoln and can take in the full game-day experience.
A packed Memorial Stadium under the lights should make an impression on its own. Add a win, and Nebraska would have a much stronger pitch. A big performance in that setting would do more than look good - it would show recruits the Huskers can deliver when the spotlight is brightest.
In Other News...
Holgorsen Just Made Nebraskas Offensive Priority Much Clearer
Dana Holgorsen spent part of Nebraskas bye week making the offensive priorities feel a little more straightforward. The Cornhuskers have leaned on quarterback Anthony Colandrea for steady effort and leadership even through the recent losses, and Holgorsen made it clear that he views those traits as part of the foundation. The bigger issue, at least from the coordinators perspective, is getting the offense to play cleaner and more consistently around him.
As Nebraska turns back toward game prep, the focus shifts to areas Holgorsen wants sharpened most, especially the running game and more reliable play from the receivers. Colandrea has also acknowledged he needs to elevate his own play to better help the group, which puts the burden on more than one part of the offense as the Cornhuskers try to reset coming out of the break. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Blackout Is Becoming Something Much Bigger For Husker Fans
Nebraskas Blackout is no longer just a one-night gimmick. Athletic director Troy Dannen said the Huskers will make it an annual event, and this years version against Washington is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff, giving the atmosphere a prime-time stage that should fit the look and feel the school is building around it. Dannen also pointed to new field design elements tied to the event, while tying the presentation to the bigger picture of a program he said has made competitive progress under the current coaching staff.
The Blackout announcement was part of a broader afternoon of news around Nebraska athletics, including word that longtime Husker basketball announcer Kent Pavelka will retire after this season. For football fans, though, the annual Blackout adds another layer to a home schedule that now has a defined signature game, and one that Nebraska clearly wants to turn into a recurring part of the identity around Memorial Stadium. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fans Face A 2027 Schedule Shakeup They Didn't Expect
Nebraskas football calendar is headed for a reset, and not just in the abstract future-tense way schedule talk usually gets handled in January. Athletic director Troy Dannen said the plan for next year will change to fit the expected 24-team playoff model, which would require 10 games against Power Four opponents. The Big Ten is already working through the scheduling adjustments, and that means the kind of boardroom math that can quickly alter who shows up on a fall Saturday in Lincoln.
For Nebraska fans, the ripple effects could be felt well beyond the opponents list. Some nonconference games may disappear, other Power Four matchups could be added, and Memorial Stadium will also be operating with reduced seating capacity because of renovations. Put together, its a reminder that the Huskers are not only dealing with a changing postseason landscape, but also a home schedule that may look different in ways that matter to fans planning around it. [Read more 🡒]