One-handed catches are certainly impressive, and they’ve led to a lot of publicity for receivers like Odell Beckham Jr., Tevaun Smith and Andy Fantuz. Defensive backs can make some remarkable one-handed grabs themselves, though, and Washington Huskies’ cornerback Kevin King made a great one in his own end zone Saturday against Arizona State:
That’s some excellent coverage by King, battling with Arizona State’s receiver the whole way, then adjusting to the slightly-overthrown pass and using his body to box the receiver out and go up and get the ball. It also came at an important moment for the sixth-ranked Huskies, who need a win to stay in any sort of contention for the College Football Playoff following last week’s disappointing loss to USC.
Washington was only up 3-0 at the time of this play, and a touchdown here would have given the Sun Devils the lead and perhaps some motivation. Instead, the pick helped Washington keep Arizona State scoreless through the first quarter, and the Huskies went on to pick up a 23-0 lead by the half. If they can hang on and come away with a win, this interception may prove to be a vital one for them.
The Huskies’ offense (which was fourth amongst FBS teams heading into this with 44.8 points per game) has received a lot of the praise this year, but their defense has also been very valuable. Heading into Saturday’s clash with Arizona State, Washington had allowed just 17.9 points per game. They’d posted 10 interceptions, too, so taking the ball away is a key part of their approach. King did a great job of that here, and in spectacular fashion.
[Ben Koo on Clippit]
