Mickey Joseph – Nebraska’s interim coach – making a few changes following the firing of Scott Frost. One of the biggest? The “re-earning” of the Blackshirts for every defensive player.

The Blackshirts, a tradition started in 1964 when then-coach Bob Devaney differentiated the defensive starters by putting them in the black practice tops, will now have to be earned back by players throughout the season.

Joseph said that last week’s loss to Georgia Southern had nothing to do with the call. Joseph also said he’s confident all 9 players receive the honor at some point before the season finale in November. 

In total, 9 defenders received the honor at the beginning of the season. These included names such as captains Nick Henrich, Garrett Nelson, and Caleb Tannor.

Frost was fired after going 1-2 to begin the season. A legend in Lincoln thanks to his success as a quarterback, Frost never found his footing as a coach.

Frost’s best season came in 2019 when he led the Huskers to a 5-7 finish. He finished his time with a 16-31 record in less than 5 seasons.

Joseph, who also played quarterback for the team during the 1980s, will look to become the next permanent head coach at Nebraska over the next nine games. That starts by creating a different — and perhaps better — overall culture internally.

No. 6 Oklahoma will face the Huskers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln at noon E.T.