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Grant Shorin/Stanford Athletics
Football

Top 10 Interceptions of David Shaw Era

#10 - 2013 Rose Bowl Game (Wisconsin) - Usua Amanam Game-Winning Interception
October 31, 2015 at Washington State - Quenton Meeks Second Interception of GameUsua Amanam made the decisive interception near midfield with 2:30 to play in the fourth quarter as Stanford defeated Wisconsin in the 99th Rose Bowl Game. Amanam picked off a Curt Phillips pass intended for Jacob Pedersen as the Cardinal thwarted the late Badger drive and held on for a 20-14 victory.

The second of two Quenton Meeks interceptions, coming with 3:27 left in the fourth quarter, got the football back and began a scoring drive that ended with a 19-yard field goal from Conrad Ukropina that proved to be the game-winner in a 30-28 victory at Washington State. The two interceptions were the first of Meeks' career
 

#9 - September 9, 2017 at No. 6 USC - Justin Reid Leaping InterceptionJustin Reid made an acrobatic leaping catch to intercept a Sam Darnold pass in the third quarter at No. 6 USC – handing the ball back to the Cardinal and setting up a Stanford scoring drive. The interception was the first of five on the season for Reid.
 

#8 - October 5, 2019 vs. No. 15 Washington - Kyu Blu Kelly Full Extension InterceptionKyu Blu Kelly made his first collegiate interception early in the fourth quarter of a 23-13 victory over No. 15 Washington, leaping into full extension to nab a Jacob Eason pass on the far sideline.
 

#7 - November 12, 2016 at Oregon – Joey Alfieri Interception in End ZoneLinebacker and Oregon native Joey Alfieri intercepted two passes in the end zone as the Cardinal took advantage of four Oregon turnovers for 21 points in a 52-27 pummeling of the Ducks.
 

#6 - 2016 Rose Bowl Game (No. 6 Iowa) - Quenton Meeks Pick-SixQuenton Meeks capped the highest-scoring first quarter in Rose Bowl Game history when he returned an interception 66 yards for a pick-six to run the Stanford advantage to 21-0 after one quarter of play.
 

#5 - September 27, 2012 at Washington - Trent Murphy Juggling Pick-SixTrent Murphy juggled and corralled a Keith Price pass for a 40-yard pick-six in the third quarter at Washington - extending Stanford's lead to 13-3. The interception was the first of Murphy's career.
 

#4 - October 15, 2015 vs. UCLA - Alijah Holder Pick-Six Makes it 7-0The Cardinal never trailed in a 56-35 victory over UCLA, and Alijah Holder put Stanford on the scoreboard with an interception return for a score on UCLA's first series. Holder stepped in front of the receiver at the 31, spun out of a tackle at the 20, got a good block from Aziz Shittu, and then cut back across the field to beat the Bruins to the far pylon for the pick-six.
 

#3 - October 15, 2016 at Notre Dame - Quenton Meeks 50-Yard Pick-SixReturning to action after missing two games due to injury, Quenton Meeks intercepted a DeShone Kizer pass for a 50-yard pick-six that turned the momentum in a 17-10 victory over Notre Dame. Following the interception, Meeks escaped the grasp of one player, and Zach Hoffpauir served a big block downfield to allow Meeks to complete the touchdown return.
 

#2 - 2012 Pac-12 Championship vs. No. 16 UCLA - Ed Reynolds 80-Yard Interception to the 1-Yard LineWith UCLA leading 14-7 and developing another strong drive, Ed Reynolds turned the momentum in favor of the Cardinal by intercepting a Brett Hundley pass - his sixth theft of the season - and darted his way through Bruin tacklers for an 80-yard return to the UCLA 1-yard line that set up a Stanford touchdown on the very next play. The 80-yard return ran Reynolds' total interception yards for the season to 301 – one shy of the NCAA record.
 

#1 - December 1, 2018 at California - Paulson Adebo One-Handed InterceptionPaulson Adebo intercepted a pair of passes in a 23-13 victory over California in the 121st Big Game, including diving to haul in a spectacular one-handed pick in the end zone to preserve a 13-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. In addition to the two interceptions, Adebo compiled three pass breakups in the victory – breaking the Stanford season record for passes defended with 24..
 

Honorable MentionOctober 27, 2012 vs. Washington State - Ed Reynolds Pick-Six
Ed Reynolds essentially sealed the victory over Washington State by way of a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown that built a 24-10 advantage with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter. Reynolds jumped the route, picked off the Jeff Tuel pass for his fourth interception of the season, and scored to collect his second pick-six of the year.

October 6, 2012 vs. Arizona - Chase Thomas Interception in Overtime
Square with Arizona at 48-48 in overtime, Stanford got a big lift from Chase Thomas on the defensive side of the ball as Thomas intercepted a deflected pass and handed the ball to the Cardinal for the game-winning scoring drive.

November 3, 2012 at Colorado - Ed Reynolds Pick-Six Makes it 7-0
Ed Reynolds kick-started a 48-0 rout of Colorado when he intercepted a Jordan Webb pass and returned it for a 52-yard pick-six that put the Cardinal on the board in the first quarter.

September 28, 2013 at Washington State - Trent Murphy Pick-Six
Trent Murphy's 30-yard pick-six of Austin Apodaca in the third quarter helped fuel a 55-17 rout of Washington State.

2016 Sun Bowl (North Carolina) - Dallas Lloyd Pick-Six
Trailing 17-16 to North Carolina, Stanford took the lead on the defensive side of the ball as Tar Heel quarterback Mitch Trubisky's pass was sniffed out by Dallas Lloyd, intercepted and returned 19 yards to the end zone for a pick-six. Lloyd finished the game with two interceptions and a forced fumble as the Cardinal defeated North Carolina 25-23.

November 25, 2017 vs. No. 9 Notre Dame - Curtis Robinson Interception
Curtis Robinson played a key role in securing a 38-20 victory over No. 9 Notre Dame, following up a Cardinal touchdown by intercepting a Brandon Wimbush pass on the first play of the ensuing Irish drive. The Cardinal needed just three plays to turn that into another score – extending its lead to 31-20.

November 18, 2017 vs. California - Ben Edwards Game-Sealing Interception
Leading 17-14 in the fourth quarter, Stanford had to withstand just one California drive in the final stanza – getting the stop on Ben Edwards' game-sealing interception with 7:25 left to play.

September 7, 2018 vs. No. 17 USC - Malik Antione Interception in End Zone
Malik Antoine recorded a pair of interceptions in a 17-3 victory over No. 17 USC, including an interception in the end zone to stall a 64-yard drive for the Trojans late in the fourth quarter. 

September 22, 2018 at No. 20 Oregon - Alameen Murphy Game-Ending Interception in Overtime
After K.J. Costello hit Colby Parkinson for a 23-yard touchdown pass in overtime, Alameen Murphy intercepted Justin Herbert's pass in the end zone on the ensuing drive to seal a 38-31 victory at No. 20 Oregon