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MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 12, 2013Darqueze DennardQ. When you watch them on film, they like to attack the corners. For a guy like you that plays with a chip on his shoulder and likes that, do you get more amped up knowing, okay, they're coming this week? DARQUEZE DENNARD: Yeah, definitely amped up just knowing I'm going to have a lot of opportunities to make plays to help my team out. I think Trae and I both, we're both ready for this weekend. It's going to be a lot of opportunities to make plays, and we're just ready to go. Q. Look back to last year's game here. Obviously you returned an interception for a touchdown that got called back and there was a call in the end zone. What do you remember about that, those moments in particular, and then also, what was it like getting over that game and that loss? DARQUEZE DENNARD: The moment was kind of heartbreaking because not only‑‑ the touchdown thing, I can get over that because we were still in the game, and just coming down to the last drive, and just knowing we stopped them, they stopped them for the touchdown, forced them to maybe kick a field goal and we can block it or they can miss it and just knowing we had an opportunity to win the game after that and just getting the call that was called, it was hard. I think it was tough for the whole team. And just knowing that we've been through that earlier this season, we got into it with the refs already, we know how to change our game up now and just play our type of game. Trae and I both, we've been playing well, I think, been playing tremendously, actually. We haven't got many pass interference calls after the Notre Dame game and I think we done changed our game well with the refs. So I think we'll be all right. Q. How many times, give me a number, have you been asked about that play in that Nebraska game in the last year? DARQUEZE DENNARD: I lost count. Q. What would you guess, 100, 200? DARQUEZE DENNARD: Yeah, it's probably‑‑ it's well over 100, I'll say that. Q. With all that happening last year, are you more excited to go to Nebraska knowing you can maybe return the favor in their stadium and also with the Big 10 title and the Legends Division on the line, does it mean that much more? DARQUEZE DENNARD: Yeah, I think the whole team, knowing all our goals are sitting in front of us and knowing that Nebraska is the main team we've got to focus on right now, 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. Q. As a leader on this team, you guys have some pretty big goals still conceivable and well ahead of you, in front of you. You can see it now, whether it's walking across campus and students talking to you about it or family or in the media. It's everywhere, you can't get away from that. How do you talk to young players? What do you say to Connor, Delton, these young players to keep them focused just on Nebraska because you've done a good job of that. DARQUEZE DENNARD: Just say just do what we've been doing the last couple weeks and not lose‑‑ the same thing that's got us here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I just tell those guys just focus on this game, take it one game at a time. Put all our chips into Nebraska because this is the biggest game is the next game up. With all our goals still in front of us, yeah, you can kind of peek and be excited a little bit and look ahead a little bit, but at the same time we've just got to stay focused and get that tunnel vision. I think every guy in the locker room has got it, and we're all just focused on this one game right now. Q. What's happened to you DBs since the Notre Dame game? I can't remember many pass interference calls since the 27 that were called that day. Even the video kind of shows that those were not great calls. How have you changed? What do you mean by we've adjusted to that? DARQUEZE DENNARD: Just with Coach B and Coach Narduzzi and also Coach D putting his hand in throughout practice, with the refs being at our practices we just ask questions, and just knowing what can we get away with, what will be the call? Knowing when we go out there and play the game and just the feel of the game, we'll know how the refs get in, just play our game. Q. You said that you want this team to approach it the same way, but in some ways it's not the same. Part of what fueled this team earlier this season it seemed like was a big chip on the shoulder, not getting any recognition, not being regarded as the best team in the state. All that's changed now, you're 14th in the polls, you beat Michigan clear and out. How does this team maintain the chip on its shoulder? DARQUEZE DENNARD: Don't read the news chippings. That's all I can say. Just stay out of‑‑ just save them right now, you can read them at the end of the season. I tell the guys, just focus. We've got this one opportunity. We've got a great opportunity. We're chasing greatness right now, and we have a great opportunity in front of us, and just don't look too far ahead because that's what a lot of teams do and end up slipping or messing up. My goal for the team is, or my message to the team, is just take it one game at a time like we've been doing. Q. You guys were ranked No.11 the last time you went to Nebraska. Did that sort of happen to you at that point? DARQUEZE DENNARD: Probably. We really wasn't focused, didn't come in and play with the same energy when we went down there. We started out slow. I know defense didn't play the way we wanted to play, and I say‑‑ that's another thing. When we just come out and play our game, we'll be excited for the game, like we've been doing every week we've been playing. Just come out and have that excitement just like it's our last game, and we'll go out and have fun and fly around and make plays. Q. Can you talk a little about what the difference in quarterback for Nebraska is like right now? Obviously Martinez last year was kind of a thorn for you guys. Knowing that he's out or probably going to be out versus the other guys that you've seen on film, where are the differences and where are the similarities? DARQUEZE DENNARD: The difference is with Armstrong there's a little bit more option. He can throw the ball as well. There's a little more option with him, and when they bring Kellogg in it's a lot more throws. He don't run too well. Not saying he can't, but the team, when he comes in, they're not looking to run. If they do run, it's just going to be handing the ball off to Abdullah. It's probably more throws with Kellogg in, and with Armstrong coming in it can be a little bit are both, more spread out, roll‑out passes with him. And I say more option with him, as well. It's a big difference with Martinez, but with them changing quarterbacks, we know what to expect. Yeah. Q. A lot is made about the environment at Nebraska, how the fans‑‑ walking off the field the last time, they gave you a standing ovation, just the whole environment. What is it about that environment that makes it special? DARQUEZE DENNARD: It's just different. Their fans are pretty great. Nothing else in Nebraska I guess you could say so everybody will be there. They'll be very proud. But at the same time it's a different atmosphere because they're friendly. It's a difference between Iowa. Going to Iowa you know you're going to get, "you're going to lose," da da da, but go to Nebraska it's a little bit different. I hope you guys have a great game, and da da da, and it's a different feeling. It throws the teams off a little bit. But we're just going to go there and play our game, don't let that environment mess with us. We've been doing good this year on the road games and handling the environment. I don't think we're going to let that take a toll on us. Q. You mentioned Abdullah a moment ago. Is he the best running back in the Big 10? I think he had 100 yards on you guys last year, and he's got a streak of eight this year or something like that. DARQUEZE DENNARD: I would argue that. I like Jeremy Langford. He's a pretty good running back. He's been having great games the past couple weeks. Q. Outside of the Michigan State program. DARQUEZE DENNARD: Outside of Michigan State? I don't know. He's a good running back. He can do a lot for their the team. He runs tough. Even though he's a smaller guy, he runs tough. He likes to run inside, he runs hard, and he's also shifty. He's fast, and he's a good player. I will say that. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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