Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1138762
2 0 1 9 S E A S O N P R E V I E W ollowing the Blue-White Game this past spring, Yetur Gross- Matos was asked whether he thought the defense would be one of Penn State's strengths this coming fall. As it turned out, the All-Big Ten defen- sive end did indeed foresee the Nittany Lions doing big things on that side of the ball in 2019. This was not surprising. It was April, after all. In April, every team in the coun- try envisions its de- fense, offense and special teams all doing big things, and at least half of those teams can probably see a path to the College Football Playoff if they squint hard enough. But Gross-Matos's comments weren't simply a reflexive response rooted in the sort of optimism that comes easily to players when the season opener is still months away. They were rooted instead in a realization: The Nittany Lions' de- fense was already a strength and had proven it on the field. "I think the defense was actually a strength for the team last year," Gross- Matos said, "and I think it's going to be a strength again this year." We won't know for a few months whether he was right about the upcom- ing season, but he was certainly right about the one that preceded it. Although the Nittany Lions have gone into the past couple of seasons with a reputation as an offensive juggernaut, their performance on the opposite side of the ball in 2018 surpassed a lot of people's expectations and played an in- dispensible role in sending the team to its third consecutive New Year's bowl. The Lions led the Football Bowl Subdi- vision in sacks per game (3.62) and were fourth in tackles for loss per game (8.2). They finished fifth in the Big Ten in total defense (350.5 yards per game), were fourth in scoring defense (20.5 points per game) and were especially tough against the pass, ranking second in the league in that category (181.5 ypg). Even in the games they lost – games vs. Ohio State, Michigan State, Michi- gan and Kentucky – the defense showed up. Through three quarters, STOPPING POWER F The Nittany Lions have been known for their offense in recent years, but during the 2019 season, they may find themselves leaning on a defense that appears loaded with playmakers PARTY CRASHER Robert Windsor chases down Michi- gan State quarter- back Brian Lewerke during a game last year at Beaver Sta- dium. Photo by Steve Manuel