Neither rain nor sleet nor snow stops the Weber State defense from forcing turnovers. We know that because the Wildcats forced five of ‘em in such conditions to advance to the FCS semifinals. 

Five interceptions buoyed Weber State in the quarterfinals when its offense started slow. It’s actually more like six turnovers, looking at it from the perspective of James Madison coach Curt Cignetti, who said blocks are analogous to takeaways. 

No, the Ja’Kobe Harris blocked punt in the end zone to essentially put away Montana does not count toward the 31 turnovers Weber State has generated on the season. But it does speak to just how dangerous the Big Sky Conference champions are even when the offense is not quite clicking. 

“I was watching that game, and they have a lot of ball hawks on that defense,” said James Madison wide receiver Brandon Polk. 

A little snow couldn't stop the Wildcats from wildin' last Friday ?❄️#FCSPlayoffs
(via @weberstatefb)pic.twitter.com/cZGEllPEBl

— FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 16, 2019

And it’s that Weber State has a multitude of ball hawks that makes it such a prolific intercepting defense. Harris and Eddie Heckard lead the way on the season, but the freshmen duo have three apiece – impressive, but not transcendent.

What is, however, is that they’re tops among a defense with six players boasting multiple interceptions on the campaign. In total, nine Wildcats have picked off a pass. 

Of course, most any high-turnover yield defense starts with tenacious rush from the front seven. Weber State certainly has that with Adam Rodriguez producing 10.5 sacks, George Tarlas nine, and Jonah Williams 7.5. 

Great defenses force takeaways; that isn’t exactly revelatory. Every team remaining in the FCS Playoffs ranks in the top 20 nationally for points allowed. What makes Weber State’s turnover-creation particularly noteworthy is the critical role takeaways played in the Wildcats’ playoff wins. 

#FCS Plays of the Week ?
2️⃣ | ...And Ogden goes crazy‼️ Adam Rodriguez with the HUGE scoop and score to help lead @weberstatefb to the quarterfinals!! ?? pic.twitter.com/Dhvy0D4T3a

— FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 10, 2019

Five picks against Montana, in a 17-10 final, don’t really require additional context. In the first round opposite Kennesaw State, however a fumble recovered at the end of a 45-yard Jonathan Murphy run to open the third quarter swung that game around. 

The Owls were threatening to go ahead by two touchdowns, which, against a stout defense and triple-option offense, is pretty close to game over. 

Instead, Rodriguez’s scoop-and-score the other way flipped the lead in Weber State’s favor. 

Moments like those speak to why coaches so often recite turnovers as a key in any game. The other oft-repeated facet: line of scrimmage. James Madison’s best hope for negating Weber State’s turnover generation is to win up front, something it did successfully against the outstanding, turnover-forcing Northern Iowa defense. 

4️⃣ Interceptions for Weber State today ?‍♂️ They are ?⬇️ #FCS#FCSPlayoffs Q3 | (6) MONTANA. 7 | (3) WEBER ST. 10 pic.twitter.com/hmcfEZnexY

— FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 14, 2019

Cignetti compared Weber State to Northern Iowa, the Dukes’ quarterfinal-round opponent. James Madison moved the ball effectively on the Panthers, but a surefire blowout turned closer than the production might indicate as a result of two Dukes turnovers. 

“We got out of sorts at times,” Cignetti said. “A lot of it was in the pass game, which is why we ran the ball as much as we did in the second half.” 

The ability to move the ball effectively on the ground helps mitigate some turnover risk. Last week, Montana could not establish a run game, averaging just 0.6 yards per carry, forcing the Grizzlies into an almost pass-exclusive offense. 

“We’ll be OK. We’ve done a good job throughout the season,” Cignetti said. “We did what we thought we needed to be success, and now we’re moving onto the next one.”

And if the Dukes can keep the ball out of Weber State’s hands, they’ll move onto one more after that.