Sports: Football

Carter ‘picks’ spots well

On second-and-6 midway through a scoreless first quarter near midfield, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne dropped back to pass.

He looked right, spotted wide receiver Greg Mathews and fired. As soon as Henne let the ball go, it became clear he made a mistake.

At first glance, it appeared the ball would fall harmlessly to the ground. But Wisconsin free safety Shane Carter, who initially stopped short of Mathews, expecting a better pass, leaped backward and made a spectacular one-handed grab.

It was a play that usually isn't known to be part of a defensive player's repertoire. More like a wide receiver, Carter was able to keep the ball alive with his hand-eye coordination and hold on for the early forced turnover.

The pick set up the game's first touchdown and an early Wisconsin 7-0 lead, one the Badgers would never relinquish.

"I don’t know how he caught that," UW cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu said of Carter’s pick following the Michigan game. "Shane’s a ballhawk, he’s always around the ball, and I’m not surprised that he made that catch. He’s got great hands."

Fitting, since that’s the position the younger brother of former Minnesota Viking and future Hall of Fame receiver Chris Carter wanted to play. After some deliberation, UW head coach Bret Bielema convinced Carter he’d be better off playing defensive back. The decision appears to be the right one.

In his first full year as a defensive starter after suffering a shoulder injury last season, Carter has racked up seven interceptions, tied for the most in the country.

He had two interceptions against Michigan Nov. 10, one in the first quarter and one in the fourth. He added to his total Saturday with a crucial pick at Minnesota when the Gophers were driving and already up by 10 points.

"He's a game changer," defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks said. "He's got great range from sideline to sideline, and he's able to communicate."

As a freshman in 2005, Carter played special teams but saw little action on defense. His role was supposed to expand last year, but he hurt his shoulder and needed surgery, putting an end to his sophomore year.

Now fully recovered, Carter has taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to him.

"I'm just really thankful," Carter said. "I thank God for being able to go out and play football every day."

As a junior, Carter has shown that he can make plays and steal the ball away from opposing offenses.

"Having a guy with that kind of athletic ability, who's a tall safety …, changes the game," Cooks said of Carter, who at 6-foot-2 is big for a safety.

Fellow safety Aubrey Pleasant is used to Carter's big-time plays while playing side by side with him in the UW secondary.

"He has amazing range and amazing ball skills," Pleasant said.

Pleasant would know best, considering that he is Carter's roommate, along with linebackers Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy.

"It's a pretty relaxed atmosphere," Pleasant said. "We pretty much all have the same schedule, so when we're home together, we're all home, and when we're all here [at football practice or a game], we're all here."

With 12:04 left in the fourth quarter nine days ago, the Wolverines were in possession of the ball, down by nine and getting desperate.

Carter was playing deeper than he was earlier in the game, making him the last man back against Michigan's dangerous receivers.

The ball was thrown deep down the field, this time by freshman quarterback Ryan Mallet. Not deep enough, however.

A leaping and well-positioned Carter came down with the ball on the Wisconsin 24-yard line, sealing the game for the Badgers.

"Shane had to play both of [the Michigan receivers], and he obviously made the right decision, the right choice, and got it done," Cooks said.

"That was a heck of a play. Nine times out of 10 that ball is caught for a big gain or a touchdown.

"That's the kind of the ability, the heads up, the being smart that [Carter] can give us."

 

— Kevin Hagstrom contributed to this report.