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John Roth’s Favorite Interceptions for Touchdowns
6/8/2020 10:00:00 AM | Football
John Roth, Duke football's pregame show host for the last 21 years and current sideline reporter for radio, gave GoDuke.com his top 12 most memorable Duke interceptions for touchdowns. The touchdowns highlighted below are not meant to be a complete listing of all outstanding scoring plays, but a sampling of great moments in Roth's words.
A few weeks ago Roth presented a list of favorite Duke touchdown passes over the years. Here, he's compiled the defensive equivalent — a dozen favorite touchdowns scored on pass interceptions. Officially the Duke record book lists 78 pick-6's dating back to 1931; these are a few of the highlights from the modern era. The top 10 were all key plays in Duke victories.
12. John Talley vs. Maryland in 2004
"Let's start the reverse countdown with the player who intercepted more passes than anyone else in school history. Talley had 18 picks during his four years (2003-06) and returned them for more yardage than any other Blue Devil (395). Three went for scores, including a career-long of 85 yards vs. Maryland early in his sophomore season."
11. Patrick Bailey vs. UNC in 2006
"In a wild season finale at Wallace Wade Stadium, Duke linebacker Bailey picked off a UNC pass with just under three minutes to play and returned it 21 yards to the end zone to bring the Blue Devils within 45-44. They had been trailing 45-31 just five minutes earlier. After Bailey's heroics the Devils were an extra point away from knotting the score, but the Tar Heels blocked the PAT, recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock to deal Duke a heartbreaking one-point defeat."
10. Brendan Dewan vs. East Carolina in 2002
"Duke had lost 23 consecutive games entering the 2002 season-opener with East Carolina. Determined to snap that streak, the Blue Devils relied on their running game led by Alex Wade to control the flow of play on a rainy night at Wallace Wade Stadium. And what they got was a defensive gem from linebacker Dewan, who compiled 12 tackles (three for lost yardage), a fumble recovery and a key 20-yard pick-6. The result: a 23-16 victory."
9. Leonard Johnson vs. Baylor in 2018
"During the week that Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina and quarterback Daniel Jones was sidelined by a broken clavicle, undefeated Duke met undefeated Baylor in Waco. Quentin Harris filled in as Jones' replacement to lead the offense, and redshirt freshman strike safety Johnson stepped up on defense. With All-America defensive back Mark Gilbert going down for the season the week before, Duke shuffled assignments in the secondary and Johnson, in his first career start, sealed a 40-27 victory by returning his first interception 53 yards to paydirt in the fourth quarter."
8. Dennis Tabron vs. Clemson in 1980
"Duke took an 0-5 record to Death Valley to face a 4-1 Clemson program (that would win the national championship the following year) and trailed 17-10 at halftime. But the Blue Devils rallied behind freshman quarterback Ben Bennett in the second half en route to a 34-17 upset. All-ACC corner Tabron paced the lockdown defensive charge with three interceptions, including an 87-yard pick-6 that still ranks as the third longest interception return in school history."
7. Bryon Fields Jr. vs. UNC in 2017
"Fields Jr. holds the Duke record for the most career interceptions returned for touchdowns at four. He enjoyed at least one pick-6 in three different seasons, but by far the most impactful was his last one, a 61-yarder in Chapel Hill to seal a 27-17 victory over the Tar Heels in 2017. Duke's pressure forced an awkward two-handed pass attempt by UNC that Fields took to the house, as the Blue Devils grabbed a 4-0 start to the season, coach David Cutcliffe's 100th career victory and the program's 500th all-time win."
6. Leon Wright vs. Army in 2009
"Coach David Cutcliffe's second Duke team was trying to salt away its first victory of 2009 when cornerback Wright took matters into his own hands. With 1:48 to play he picked off a pass and ran it back 51 yards to give the Blue Devils a 28-13 lead. Then 16 seconds later, following the kickoff, he did it again with a 33-yard return on the first play of Army's next possession. That made him the first player in NCAA history to record pick-6's on consecutive snaps. Duke got the road win, 35-19."
5. Wyatt Smith vs. NC State in 1989
"On a day in which All-America receiver Clarkston Hines set the NCAA touchdown catches record and Duke effectively secured its first bowl bid in almost three decades, the play of the game was turned in by cornerback Smith. State had whittled the score down to a 28-20 deficit in the third quarter and was looking to get closer when Smith jumped a route, got a pick and set sail 64 yards for a score that secured a 35-26 victory before an overflow crowd of 41,000+ at Wallace Wade Stadium. It was Duke's sixth straight win on their way to the 1989 ACC title under coach Steve Spurrier."
4. Dennis Tabron vs. Virginia Tech in 1981
"With about two minutes to play in a 7-7 game, Duke had the ball inches from the goal line on fourth down and opted to go for a touchdown instead of a tie-breaking field goal. The Hokies stopped the Blue Devils in their tracks and it looked like this would go in the books as a tie. But on third-and nine with a minute to go, Tech QB Steve Casey attempted a pass out of his own end zone and All-ACC cornerback Tabron stepped in, picked it off and scooted 10 yards across the goal line to give his team a 14-7 win and a third straight victory."
3. Earl Cook vs. South Carolina in 1977
"Remember the movie "Remember The Titans," about the integrated football team at T.C. Williams High School in Virginia and its undefeated march to a state championship in 1971? Well, 23 years before Disney turned that story into a blockbuster film, Williams' QB Ron "Sunshine" Bass was the signal-caller at South Carolina and had the Gamecocks on top of the Blue Devils 21-3 in Columbia. Duke staged a huge rally, however, and trailed only 21-19 when Bass dropped back to pass on a third-and-15 play late in the fourth quarter. Duke defensive back Cook, who had been one of Bass' high school teammates (but not portrayed in the movie), read the play, picked off the throw and completed an unforgettable storybook finish with a 30-yard run down the left sideline to give the Devils a 25-21 victory."
2. Ernie Jackson vs. Stanford in 1971
"Duke had gotten off to a 3-0 start under the direction of first-year head coach and alumnus Mike McGee and took a No. 19 national ranking across the country to No. 10 Stanford, the defending Rose Bowl champion. Playing without injured star running back Steve Jones, the Blue Devils were decided underdogs, but the defense led the way to a 9-3 road upset. Jackson scored the only touchdown on a 54-yard interception return, his second pick-6 of the season and one of the performances that helped him earn ACC player of the year honors."
1. DeVon Edwards vs. NC State in 2013
"With Duke holding a 24-20 lead with just over three minutes to play, redshirt freshman Edwards tipped an NC State pass into the air, pulled it down and raced 25 yards to the end zone for an insurance score. Then, after Duke kicked off, Edwards got another pick on State's first snap and weaved his way 45 yards to the end zone for a second touchdown in 16 seconds. He joined alum Leon Wright as the only players in NCAA history with pick-6's on consecutive plays as Duke celebrated a 38-20 victory on its way to a 10-win season and ACC Coastal championship. Edwards actually had three non-offensive TDs in the game, scoring on a 100-yard kickoff return in the third quarter — giving rise to the Mr. November tag he enjoyed for the remainder of his all-star career."
#GoDuke
A few weeks ago Roth presented a list of favorite Duke touchdown passes over the years. Here, he's compiled the defensive equivalent — a dozen favorite touchdowns scored on pass interceptions. Officially the Duke record book lists 78 pick-6's dating back to 1931; these are a few of the highlights from the modern era. The top 10 were all key plays in Duke victories.
12. John Talley vs. Maryland in 2004
"Let's start the reverse countdown with the player who intercepted more passes than anyone else in school history. Talley had 18 picks during his four years (2003-06) and returned them for more yardage than any other Blue Devil (395). Three went for scores, including a career-long of 85 yards vs. Maryland early in his sophomore season."
11. Patrick Bailey vs. UNC in 2006
"In a wild season finale at Wallace Wade Stadium, Duke linebacker Bailey picked off a UNC pass with just under three minutes to play and returned it 21 yards to the end zone to bring the Blue Devils within 45-44. They had been trailing 45-31 just five minutes earlier. After Bailey's heroics the Devils were an extra point away from knotting the score, but the Tar Heels blocked the PAT, recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock to deal Duke a heartbreaking one-point defeat."
10. Brendan Dewan vs. East Carolina in 2002
"Duke had lost 23 consecutive games entering the 2002 season-opener with East Carolina. Determined to snap that streak, the Blue Devils relied on their running game led by Alex Wade to control the flow of play on a rainy night at Wallace Wade Stadium. And what they got was a defensive gem from linebacker Dewan, who compiled 12 tackles (three for lost yardage), a fumble recovery and a key 20-yard pick-6. The result: a 23-16 victory."
9. Leonard Johnson vs. Baylor in 2018
"During the week that Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina and quarterback Daniel Jones was sidelined by a broken clavicle, undefeated Duke met undefeated Baylor in Waco. Quentin Harris filled in as Jones' replacement to lead the offense, and redshirt freshman strike safety Johnson stepped up on defense. With All-America defensive back Mark Gilbert going down for the season the week before, Duke shuffled assignments in the secondary and Johnson, in his first career start, sealed a 40-27 victory by returning his first interception 53 yards to paydirt in the fourth quarter."
8. Dennis Tabron vs. Clemson in 1980
"Duke took an 0-5 record to Death Valley to face a 4-1 Clemson program (that would win the national championship the following year) and trailed 17-10 at halftime. But the Blue Devils rallied behind freshman quarterback Ben Bennett in the second half en route to a 34-17 upset. All-ACC corner Tabron paced the lockdown defensive charge with three interceptions, including an 87-yard pick-6 that still ranks as the third longest interception return in school history."
7. Bryon Fields Jr. vs. UNC in 2017
"Fields Jr. holds the Duke record for the most career interceptions returned for touchdowns at four. He enjoyed at least one pick-6 in three different seasons, but by far the most impactful was his last one, a 61-yarder in Chapel Hill to seal a 27-17 victory over the Tar Heels in 2017. Duke's pressure forced an awkward two-handed pass attempt by UNC that Fields took to the house, as the Blue Devils grabbed a 4-0 start to the season, coach David Cutcliffe's 100th career victory and the program's 500th all-time win."
6. Leon Wright vs. Army in 2009
"Coach David Cutcliffe's second Duke team was trying to salt away its first victory of 2009 when cornerback Wright took matters into his own hands. With 1:48 to play he picked off a pass and ran it back 51 yards to give the Blue Devils a 28-13 lead. Then 16 seconds later, following the kickoff, he did it again with a 33-yard return on the first play of Army's next possession. That made him the first player in NCAA history to record pick-6's on consecutive snaps. Duke got the road win, 35-19."
5. Wyatt Smith vs. NC State in 1989
"On a day in which All-America receiver Clarkston Hines set the NCAA touchdown catches record and Duke effectively secured its first bowl bid in almost three decades, the play of the game was turned in by cornerback Smith. State had whittled the score down to a 28-20 deficit in the third quarter and was looking to get closer when Smith jumped a route, got a pick and set sail 64 yards for a score that secured a 35-26 victory before an overflow crowd of 41,000+ at Wallace Wade Stadium. It was Duke's sixth straight win on their way to the 1989 ACC title under coach Steve Spurrier."
4. Dennis Tabron vs. Virginia Tech in 1981
"With about two minutes to play in a 7-7 game, Duke had the ball inches from the goal line on fourth down and opted to go for a touchdown instead of a tie-breaking field goal. The Hokies stopped the Blue Devils in their tracks and it looked like this would go in the books as a tie. But on third-and nine with a minute to go, Tech QB Steve Casey attempted a pass out of his own end zone and All-ACC cornerback Tabron stepped in, picked it off and scooted 10 yards across the goal line to give his team a 14-7 win and a third straight victory."
3. Earl Cook vs. South Carolina in 1977
"Remember the movie "Remember The Titans," about the integrated football team at T.C. Williams High School in Virginia and its undefeated march to a state championship in 1971? Well, 23 years before Disney turned that story into a blockbuster film, Williams' QB Ron "Sunshine" Bass was the signal-caller at South Carolina and had the Gamecocks on top of the Blue Devils 21-3 in Columbia. Duke staged a huge rally, however, and trailed only 21-19 when Bass dropped back to pass on a third-and-15 play late in the fourth quarter. Duke defensive back Cook, who had been one of Bass' high school teammates (but not portrayed in the movie), read the play, picked off the throw and completed an unforgettable storybook finish with a 30-yard run down the left sideline to give the Devils a 25-21 victory."
2. Ernie Jackson vs. Stanford in 1971
"Duke had gotten off to a 3-0 start under the direction of first-year head coach and alumnus Mike McGee and took a No. 19 national ranking across the country to No. 10 Stanford, the defending Rose Bowl champion. Playing without injured star running back Steve Jones, the Blue Devils were decided underdogs, but the defense led the way to a 9-3 road upset. Jackson scored the only touchdown on a 54-yard interception return, his second pick-6 of the season and one of the performances that helped him earn ACC player of the year honors."
1. DeVon Edwards vs. NC State in 2013
"With Duke holding a 24-20 lead with just over three minutes to play, redshirt freshman Edwards tipped an NC State pass into the air, pulled it down and raced 25 yards to the end zone for an insurance score. Then, after Duke kicked off, Edwards got another pick on State's first snap and weaved his way 45 yards to the end zone for a second touchdown in 16 seconds. He joined alum Leon Wright as the only players in NCAA history with pick-6's on consecutive plays as Duke celebrated a 38-20 victory on its way to a 10-win season and ACC Coastal championship. Edwards actually had three non-offensive TDs in the game, scoring on a 100-yard kickoff return in the third quarter — giving rise to the Mr. November tag he enjoyed for the remainder of his all-star career."
#GoDuke
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