Last year's Blackshirt defense didn't give Nebraska's video staff much material for their "Hits of the Game" highlight reel.
The segment is shown on the jumbo screen inside Memorial Stadium during the fourth quarter of Cornhusker home games and reflected Nebraska's porous defensive showing in 2007.
The Huskers finished almost dead last nationally in rushing defense that year, allowing more than 232 yards on the ground and ranking 116th in the country. In five games, they allowed more than 40 points.
Generally, the "Hits of the Game" last year were mild takedowns by a Husker defender that often occurred at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.
But a new coaching staff this year has brought a renewed ferocity to the art of the tackle - not to mention more incentive for Husker fans to take a peek up at the big screen every once in awhile.
"We're just being relentless and playing every play like it is our last," said NU safety Rickey Thenarse.
Thenarse has been a big-hit specialist during his Husker career and caused a fumble on special teams with a jarring collision against Iowa State on Oct. 18. The junior said first-year head Coach Bo Pelini and his staff are responsible for the defense's inspired play.
"We just said enough is enough. Coach (Pelini) has our back, so we should have his back and at least go out there and hit someone," Thenarse said.
The Blackshirt defense has nine sacks in the past two games against Kansas and Kansas State, holding their opponents to 5-for-25 on third-down conversions during that time.
NU defensive end Zach Potter appeared to knock KSU quarterback Josh Freeman out of the game for good last Saturday on a fierce
collision in the backfield during the third quarter of a 56-28 win. Freeman spent the rest of the game on the sideline of what Thenarse called the Huskers' most physical game of the season.
Potter also sent a Virginia Tech runner into a windmill spin on another notable tackle earlier in the season.
Defensive end Pierre Allen, who might have recorded Nebraska's hit of the year on a blind-sided sack of Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin last month, said NU defenders are taking their 2007 frustrations out on opponents this season.
"We took a lot of criticism last year," Allen said. "They talked about the (defensive backs) and how they couldn't tackle. They talked bad about the (defensive) line like we were the weakest link, and we just wanted to prove people wrong and prove it to ourselves and to the coaches. We knew deep down inside that we had a lot more than we we're giving last year."
Thenarse agreed that NU's defense has a chip on its shoulder this year, but Potter offered a more tangible explanation for the physical play.
"It's a direct result of the way we practice," Potter said. "We've been in full pads a lot more this year. You see a lot more contact there in practice. Practices are a lot more physical, and I think it translates over to the game because how we practice is how we're going to play."
Thenarse said creating a big hit comes down to a player's "want to." A reoccurring topic of discussion before this season among Husker fans was the apparent lack of effort from last year's team.
Big Red fans wanted to see the passion back in the program after last year's dismal season. The Blackshirts would point to the highlights as proof of its return.
krisknowlton@dailynebraskan.com
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