Nebraska Football: Will Alfonzo Dennard Play Saturday?

Nebraska has their toughest test of the season this Saturday, when they play the Washington Huskies for their third time in the past 12 months.

So far this season, Nebraska’s play has been good enough to win, but not good enough to answer the many questions about the young Cornhuskers team.

One of the questions that must be answered is: Is this year’s defense as good as the defenses of the 2009 and 2010 seasons? So far the answer would be no, but there would be an asterisk next to the answer.  

Nebraska has played their first two games of the season without one of their All-American defenders, Alfonzo Dennard. Dennard pulled a muscle in his leg in summer camp. Without Dennard in the secondary, the Nebraska defense has given up some big plays this year.

Most fans and the Nebraska coaching staff believe when Dennard returns from his injury the Nebraska defense will play at a higher level.

The question is, will Alfonzo Dennard be available for the Cornhuskers in their tough matchup Saturday with Washington?

So far Dennard has been unable to practice so the chances of him taking the field Saturday are slim. When Dennard initially injured the muscle the time frame given for his return was set at 6-8 weeks.

There have been reports that Dennard is ahead of schedule in his recovery from the injury, but he is only at week five. The Nebraska Coaching staff revealed that as soon as Dennard is healthy he will be on the field.

That means even if he is unable to practice, if he is healthy on game day, Dennard will be in the lineup.

So this means there is a chance Cornhusker fans will be able to see their star cornerback on Saturday, though the chance is small.

The reason why the return of Alfonzo Dennard is so important for the Nebraska defense is because last year, against Washington, Dennard was a force in the secondary. In the first matchup with Washington, Dennard blanketed the Husky receivers and picked off a pass returning it 31-yards for a touchdown.

In the second meeting, the Cornhusker secondary held quarterback Jake Locker to zero completions in the first half of the game. Washington knows what kind of presence Alfonzo Dennard brings to the Nebraska defense.

I am sure they are hoping Dennard misses Saturday’s game, just as much as Cornhusker fans wish to see him on the field.

Washington brings back two quality receivers in Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar. If Dennard plays on Saturday he can shut down one of the Husky receivers, allowing Nebraska to double cover the other.

Without Dennard, Nebraska will have to matchup Kearse and Aquilar with two sophomore cornerbacks, Ciante Evans and Andrew Green.

While Evans and Green may be capable of stopping the Washington passing game, it would be much easier for the Cornhuskers with Dennard in the game.

Not only is Dennard one of the best cornerbacks in college football, he also brings a swagger to the Cornhusker defense that has been missing this year.

Although Nebraska has All Big Ten Conference players with defensive tackle Jared Crick and linebacker Levonte David, the secondary has not been the force it was in the past two seasons.

The return of Alfonzo Dennard will make Nebraska’s defense dynamic at each level.

Whether or not Alfonzo Dennard plays on Saturday will be answered soon enough. The fact remains that the Nebraska defense could sure use a boost after two lackluster showing early in the season.