Swinging Momentum With Int’s

by: AFM Editorial Staff
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Few plays in a game are more significant than an ill-timed interception. Offensive coaches can argue that there’s never a good time for one but no play seems to have more of a psychological impact than the interception. Last fall some of the leaders in passes intercepted included Troy, Boise State, USC, Coastal Carolina, Cal Poly, Shippensburg and Carthage. Coincidentally, all those colleges had outstanding seasons.

“The interception—more than just about any other play – swings momentum a little bit more for some reason,” said Todd Dodge, head coach of Southlake Carroll (TX) High School that finished the season last year as the top ranked prep team in the country. “You can really turn an interception into an offensive weapon” according to Dodge.

While offensive coaches find the interception disastrous to both tempo and momentum, defensive coaches relish it. Coastal Carolina led all Division I-AA programs with 27 pics last year. “Interceptions help create field position, make it easier to score, and affect momentum,” said the Chanticleer’s Defensive Coordinator Curtis Walker. “We have a defense that feels every time the ball is in the air we have a chance to get it. It’s great to have that air about yourself as a defense.”

Shippensburg led all Division II programs last season with 25 interceptions. They’re led by their All-American defensive back Burt Grimes who holds the school and Pennsylvania State Conference record with 26 career interceptions. “The psychological impact of an interception some times can’t be measured,” said Shippensburg head coach Rocky Rees. “Depending on what side you’re on, an interception creates an emotional balance of being high or low.

“A repetition of throwing interceptions can be destructive for your defense as well as your offense. It affects the psyche of a team and puts a crack in their armor, so to speak.

“We have interception drills we practice in which our players challenge each other and learn to break on the ball. Even when interceptions are thrown, the players can learn from a mistake.”

Boise State, which finished second in the nation last fall among D I-A programs in interceptions, takes practicing pics a step further. “ We practice not only interception drills, but finishing with the ball as well,” said defensive coordinator Ron Collins. “When our defense makes an interception, we want all 11 players to be ready to finish the play as well and result in the best possible return.

“Conversely, we have to be mentally prepared for sudden change. While we can’t control what our offense does, we have to be in the frame of mind defensively that we’re going to stop our opponents’ offense.”

Central Methodist University, an NAIA school in Fayette, MO, and playing in the Heart of America Conference, led all colleges last season with 33 interceptions.

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