In one swift movement, TCU safety Travon Moehrig wrapped up his target, began bringing him to the ground, got a piece of the ball, loosened it and pulled it away just as their bodies hit the grass.
Interception.
The play at Purdue by the sophomore in the first quarter got the game going in the Horned Frogs’ direction, demonstrated immense skill and awareness and highlighted the value of takeaways.
The Frogs already know. Since they entered the Big 12 in 2012, they are the league’s most prolific team at picks — 111 including the latest, Ar’Darius Washington’s juggling theft in the end zone against SMU.
They just want to keep adding to the total.
In their last two games, TCU has come up empty. Picks aren’t a given, but any kind of takeaway — the Frogs haven’t recovered an opponent fumble yet — will help a 3-2 team coming off a bye and trying to ramp up as its Big 12 schedule resumes with Saturday’s game at Kansas State.
“For takeaways, the game has to slow down,” coach Gary Patterson said. “If you have three guys getting to the tackle, then one is usually stripping it. So you’re going to have more of those kinds of things happen to you. For our guys, we need to think about it. It’s something we talk about.”
And might soon reward.
“We need to have more fun, to be honest with you,” Patterson said. “So we may start some of that stuff that everybody else is doing. In our own way.”
What will that look like? Patterson is sure to let the players take the lead. It’s their team, after all, and if they’ve earned the right to stage a celebration, more power to them. There has been ample opportunity. Frogs defenders have 14 pick-sixes, most among the Big 12 teams since they joined the league.
Cornerback Jeff Gladney has three interceptions in the past seven games. Moehrig and Washington share the team lead with two each this season. Washington got things started with a pick on the first defensive series of the season, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
“Usually the older they get, the slower the game gets, the faster they move, the better opportunities they have to make those kinds of plays,” Patterson said.
Moehrig came close to nabbing a third interception two weeks ago at Iowa State. “I should have caught that one. We’ll see if we can get one next time,” he said.
The free safety from Spring Branch is a likely candidate. With seven starts, his experience level in the TCU defense is catching up to his talent.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered it, but I think I’ve gotten a good grasp on what it is,” the 6-foot-2, 208-pound athlete said. “There’s a lot more I can learn. This defense is complicated, but there’s a lot more I can learn.”
The learning begins early when it comes to interception technique.
“Starting in two-a-days and then every Sunday night,” Patterson said. “We need to do more of it as far as guys need to be more opportunistic in what we do and how we do it. As a general rule, if you have to play more man, you’re going to have less picks. If you can play more zone, then you’re going to have an opportunity to have more interceptions. Most of our stuff has happened in zone concepts.”
That’s a concept TCU fans can get behind.
(Photo by Melissa Triebwasser)