Anatomy of a Pick-Six

It had been a long time, a decade to be exact, since a Ball State player had returned an interception for a touchdown. Not since Charlie Todd against Liberty in 2010 had the Cardinals taken a pick the other way to the house.

It nearly happened last year, but Tyler 'Red' Potts' pick-six against Fordham was called back for a penalty. It finally happened, and stood, last week against Northern Illinois. And it happened when the Cardinals truly needed it.

Northern Illinois was leading 14-7 in the second quarter and driving for more at the BSU 35-yard line. NIU quarterback Ross Bowers was off to a comfortable start, having completed 12 of his first 15 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown.

Then Amechi Uzodinma II made things uncomfortable for the grad transfer from Cal.

Uzodinma was originally defending NIU receiver Cole Tucker who was running an out route toward the Cardinals' sideline on the first-and-10 play. But Uzodinma read Bowers' eyes and moved to undercut a throw in front of him to tight end Daniel Crawford. He got there so quickly it looked like the pass was intended for him.

"I saw the ball and just broke on it," the junior cornerback from Orlando, Florida, said. "I was in man coverage on the other receiver, but I just saw the ball thrown and I broke on it and tried to make a play."

With his momentum carrying him, Uzodinma breezed through a pack of NIU offensive linemen and then had open field ahead of him. Still, he had 71 yards to go.

NIU players Harrison Waylee and Trayvon Rudolph made valiant efforts to track him down, but Uzodinma managed to angle his way across the field and beat them to the front pylon for a game-tying touchdown.

"When the ball was coming to me, it almost felt like slow motion," Uzodinma said. "Obviously, you want to secure the catch. And then after that, I just saw a lineman out of my rearview and a lane to cut back and, honestly, just run for your life. I started getting tired at the end, but I was like, 'I can't get caught. I gotta make it all the way to the endzone."

71 yards TO THE HOUSE!!!! @ajuzodinma with the Pick 6!

14-14 ballgame#1AAT #DOB pic.twitter.com/YLgsGCKEMn
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) November 19, 2020

It was just what the doctor ordered for Ball State, setting off a run of 21 unanswered points as the Cardinals grabbed a two touchdown lead and went on to hold off the Huskies, 31-25, to win the Bronze Stalk trophy for the second straight year.

Uzodinma had an interception in last year's win over the Huskies, too. The Thorpe Award candidate now has seven of them in his career, the second-most of any active MAC player behind only the nine of Toledo's Delonte Hood. Fellow BSU defensive backs Antonio Phillips and Bryce Cosby both have six career picks, giving Cardinals trio 19 combined.

Toledo is next up for Ball State as the Cardinals return to the road this week in a matchup of teams looking to stay in the thick of the MAC West Division race. Both squads enter Saturday's game at 2-1, one game behind first-place Western Michigan.

Anatomy of a pick-six. A closer look at @ajuzodinma's game-changing touchdown against NIU ...

?? https://t.co/AoZ9EMCDdY

?? courtesy @mcintyreimaging (ExcelHSports) pic.twitter.com/w8oVPoqJEN
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) November 23, 2020

Players Mentioned

Bryce Cosby

Antonio Phillips

Tyler 'Red' Potts

Amechi Uzodinma II

Related Videos