Darqueze Dennard has been asked about it more times than he can count. And now, he’s out for blood.
Last season, the then-junior cornerback returned a 96-yard interception on a pass by Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez for a touchdown, which would have put the Spartans in the position to beat the Huskers for the first time in history. Instead, the play was called back on a penalty, opening the door for the Huskers to score on their final drive of the game to defeat the Spartans, 28-24.
Forced to watch Nebraska celebrate a game that just slipped through his fingers, Dennard can’t possibly undervalue the meaning of No. 14 MSU’s (8-1 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) matchup with Nebraska (7-2, 4-1) at Memorial Stadium (3:30 p.m., ABC).
“For me personally, it’s a great challenge for me just knowing I can be able to make plays this weekend and hopefully I can get a pick six like I did last year that makes up for the last game. I’m just ready to go,” Dennard said.
With a win Saturday, the Spartans can clinch a share of the Legends Division title and will be the front runner to represent the division in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 7 in Indianapolis. However, a loss puts the MSU in a tie for first place with Nebraska, with the Huskers holding the tiebreaker if the two teams win out.
Even with a lot of football left to play, head coach Mark Dantonio said a win means something tangible for the Spartans in pursuit of a conference championship.
“We’re to a point where we go to this game and we have an opportunity to at least clinch the Legends Division title if we win this football game,” Dantonio said.
The game draws a few parallels to the 2011 season, where the Spartans traveled to Nebraska with a 6-1 record and the lone loss of the season coming from Notre Dame. But Nebraska, who finished 9-4 on the season, dominated the Spartans in a lopsided 24-3 affair.
The Spartans finished the season 11-3, then lost a chance at the Rose Bowl after falling to Wisconsin in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game.
The Spartans are looking to get back to the Rose Bowl in 2013, meaning that any road to Pasadena, Calif. will have go through Lincoln, Neb. — a fact welcomed by sophomore quarterback Connor Cook.
“You’ve just got to take it one game at a time, but obviously a win here is a big time win, never beating Nebraska obviously, and then clinching a share for the Big Ten Championship game,” Cook said. “As long as we win, I’m not really trying to focus on if we win here, what if we win two games out of the remaining three or if we lose to Nebraska, we have to win the next two.”
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