It doesn’t show up in the box score, unless you comb through the play-by-play. But football coaches understand its underrated value.
In the past two weeks, Arizona receivers have drawn five pass-interference penalties. Each gave the Wildcats 15 yards and an automatic first down.
Seniors Trey Griffey and Samajie Grant have proved particularly effective at it; each has drawn multiple PI flags this season.
Griffey said the key to getting those calls is to fight through the contact. Position coach Tony Dews instructs his receivers to “just run and let it happen,” Griffey said.
“Fifteen yards is 15 yards,” Dews said. “I think sometimes people don’t realize Trey is as fast as he is. It surprises people. All of a sudden he takes off, and they reach out and grab.”
Pass interference has accounted for half of Arizona’s 12 first downs via penalty this season. If it seems like PI penalties are increasing, UA coach Rich Rodriguez has a theory about that.
Rodriguez said defenses are “trying to take away the easy stuff” from offenses by playing more press coverage. As a result, offenses that rely on short, quick passes are taking more shots down the field.
“They’re … making the quarterback and the receiver execute,” Rodriguez said. “Sometimes they get away with it; sometimes they don’t. A 15-yarder is a lot better than a 50-yarder, so defensive coaches probably say, if you’re losing it, grab him.”
