LINCOLN — Nebraska, during the past two seasons, has displayed a knack for playing well after deflating defeats.

Last year in the wake of losses to Missouri, Texas Tech and Oklahoma, NU showed up strong. Three weeks ago after a heartbreaking loss at Virginia Tech, the Huskers rebounded with a fury.

But how will a Bo Pelini-coached team respond to a big win?

“It happened. It’s over. It’s in the past,” senior linebacker Phillip Dillard said Monday as Nebraska returned to practice at the Hawks Center. “It’s time to move on to the next opponent.”

Until last week, the Huskers, under Pelini, hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent or earned a road victory over a foe with a winning record. Now, they’ve done both. It’s new territory for NU as it prepares for 4-2 Texas Tech and its No. 2-ranked passing, total and scoring offense.

Nebraska’s 27-12 win at Missouri on Thursday vaulted the Huskers into the national spotlight — at least for a week.

NU jumped three victorious Big 12 teams in the Associated Press rankings to No. 15.

It advanced to No. 5 in the College Football News power rankings. Nose tackle Ndamukong Suh is getting mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Suddenly, the Huskers are the darlings of college football.

It’s enough to cause a team to lose focus.

Not this team, though, Pelini said. The second-year coach said he’s intent on making sure the Huskers “keep the same approach” and continue to play with the edge that helped them earn a comeback win over the Tigers.

“We better have an edge,” Pelini said. “We’ve got a hell of a football team coming in here. They’re playing well. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Pelini again withheld the Blackshirts from practice, much to the dismay of a growing pool of pundits. First-team NU defenders wore white jerseys Monday, not the famous black tops many outsiders expected to see after strong defensive play loomed large in the coach’s biggest victory.

Nebraska ranks second nationally in scoring defense, third in pass-efficiency defense and 13th in total defense.

Asked Monday if he’s closer to a decision on the Blackshirts, Pelini made clear his feelings about the subject.

“No. Next question.”

It seems the anticipation of the Blackshirts, in fact, has served better to fuel the defense than it would to actually award the practice gear.

“I think it’s a great motivation, because we’re going to keep striding to get them,” senior safety Larry Asante said. “We may get them the last game of the season.

“To me, personally, we haven’t played that complete game.”

Dillard dismissed the suggestion that the NU defense is playing well as a result of the Blackshirts’ absence. He said he actually forgot about the issue until it was raised by the news media.

“I’m just focused on trying to do my job,” Dillard said. “It’s an honor. You’ve got to earn it. But that’s not going to dictate how we play. When it comes, it comes. The mentality of this defense, without or without the Blackshirts, we’re going to play hard. That’s not going to change our intensity.”

Similarly, receiver Niles Paul said he knew nothing of the Huskers’ No. 15 ranking until after practice on Monday.

“We just want to play ball,” Paul said.

It seems the Huskers are staying insulated from all the outside talk. And it’s probably a good thing, according to Asante, after a notable win.

“We haven’t arrived yet,” Asante said. “We haven’t done anything yet. When we win it all, then we’ll look at the praise that everybody in the nation is giving us.”

As for the national attention, Asante said, “It’s good to hear.”

“But at the same time, you have to pay no mind to it,” he said. “Our coaches do a good job of constantly reminding us to stay on the task at hand.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9587, mitch.sherman@owh.com