In her opening monologue from “The Blind Side,” Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) orates on the swift ferocity of football: “From the snap of the ball to the snap of the first bone is closer to four seconds than five.” She’s right, assuming that both the offense and defense both execute perfectly. But when a receiver catches a ball in the open field or a running back breaks a tackle, the offense gets a few extra seconds. What the defense does in those brief moments determines the difference between a stop and paydirt for the bad guys. That’s when coaches need an athlete like Quincy Marting, Washington University senior cornerback and team captain.

Playing in front of the largest home crowd of the season, the Washington University football team capitalized on big plays from on all sides of the ball to stain Hendrix College’s spotless 4-0 record with a 59-19 victory on Saturday at Francis Field.