Quenton Meeks' return bolsters Stanford's defense

Several weeks ago Stanford offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren described defense as a destructive process, within which one defender can make a play that disrupts what the offense is trying to do. Quenton Meeks is a good example of the type of player that can destroy an offense's day.

The impact of Meeks' return was immediately felt during the third quarter of the Notre Dame game when he intercepted a pass and returned it for a crucial touchdown. It was Meeks' fifth interception in his young career at Stanford and the second he has returned for a touchdown.

His position coach, Duane Akina, said the best defensive backs capitalize on the rare opportunities they have to change a game. If you're lucky, he said, a player gets eight or nine chances in a season to do something similar to what Quenton did at Notre Dame.

The best players take advantage and that's how they distinguish themselves from the pack.

"If you have eight opportunities and you only catch three, that's a tough year," he said. "You catch all eight and you're first-team All-American."

Meeks' interception also was the second straight week that a Stanford corner back nabbed a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Frank Buncom scored a touchdown against Washington State, and it was Buncom who, several days later talking about the possible return of Meeks and Alijah Holder, said the two sophomore corners bring an emotional boost to the defense.

Akina wholeheartedly agreed that Meeks has that effect and expects the Holder and Meeks duo to pick up where they left off at UCLA.

"There's a certain level of confidence that goes up," he said. "There's a football IQ, too. We can do maybe a little bit more. Frank (Buncom) and Alameen (Murphy) when they first started out were much like when Alijah and Quenton started out last year. They both had growing pains. And they're better players today than going into the Washington game. But obviously getting Holder and Meeks back is going to be a great lift for us."

Before their injuries in the second quarter against the Bruins, Akina said the starting corner backs were ready to make another leap in their development.

"I've been blessed over my time to coach a lot of outstanding defensive backs, and they were playing at a very high level at the time," he said. "And they were just starting -- because they're only sophomores -- they were just starting to hit that next peak. You go and hit that peak and then you level again. Now there's more little things that you're trying to see with the game, because the game is an intellectual man's game. There is so much information they can grab. They were just really starting to hit that second peak."

And Meeks' commitment to studying the game has him on a path to possibly join elite players at his position, Akina said. When he intercepted Deshone Kizer the play was possible because the defensive coaches identified that skinny post route as a favorite for Notre Dame to make a big gain.

Meeks recognized the formation and the situation like he did last season against Iowa in the Rose Bowl and at Washington State before making a critical play. That understanding allows him to be in the best position possible to use his physical tools.

"The intellectual side of the game he's really embraced," Akina said. "That's a gift, too, that he understands that. He can take the classroom to the field. There's a lot of people who can get it in the classroom, but now all of a sudden -- ready, set, hike and you have 2.2 seconds to process all this. Some computers don't work as fast as others. His is beautiful."