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P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> T H E 2 0 1 9 S E A S O N but Yetur is physical and is as good against the run as he is in the passing game." Gross-Matos was missing from team activities this past summer, part of a sus- pension levied for unspecified discipli- nary reasons. Since his return this past August, he's been asked whether his ab- sence did anything to increase his passion for the game. To those kinds of questions, he has a succinct response: "Nope." "I loved football," Gross-Matos said. "I still love football." Gross-Matos will continue to be one of the Nittany Lions' most celebrated play- ers as the Big Ten season gets under way. And as such, he'll be part of a debate over just how far a good defense can take a team in an era in which offense domi- nates. A year ago, Michigan fielded the Big Ten's best defense, allowing only 275.2 yards per game. And yet, when it mattered most, the Wolverines were thrashed by two good offensive teams, losing their bid for the con- ference championship by falling to Ohio State, 62-39, in their regular-season fi- nale, then losing their Peach Bowl matchup to Florida, 41-15. The Big Ten was won by Ohio State, which finished first in the conference in total offense and 10th in total defense. It wasn't just the Big Ten that exempli- fied that trend. The four teams that qualified for the College Football Playoff – Oklahoma, Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame – finished first, third, fourth and 41st, respectively, in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total of- fense last year. There's no reason to believe the trend will abate in 2019. Through the first three weeks of the season, 25 teams were aver- aging over 40 points per game, and eight teams were averaging over 50. Those numbers are sure to decline as the annual wave of nonconference mismatches gives way to the more-competitive matchups of the conference season. But a number of teams are likely to continue to post bas- ketball scores, largely due to the abun- dance of quarterback talent at the na- tion's top schools. The three active quar- terbacks who have played key roles on CFP-winning teams are poised to vie for the title again this year. Trevor Lawrence is back at Clemson, Tua Tagovailoa is still at Alabama, and Tagovailoa's former teammate Jalen Hurts is now at Okla- homa, where he appears fully prepared to pick up where Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray left off. Can any defense handle those kinds of players? It's an open question, and Penn State had enough problems with Buffalo and Pitt to remind college football watch- ers that its defense is still very much a work in progress. PSU gave up 184 rush- ing yards to the Bulls in week two and 372 passing yards to the Panthers in week three. The Nittany Lions amassed only four sacks in those games, prompting Franklin to grumble that the team "came into the season really feeling like [the pass rush] was going to be a strength of ours, and it hasn't necessarily shown up that way." But the Lions also stifled Pitt's running game, holding the Panthers to 24 rushing yards on 25 attempts. And for all their struggles, they gave up a total of 23 points in those two games. So even with all the challenges that lie ahead, Penn State would still like to see how far its defense can take it this year. Because to hear quarterback Sean Clifford tell it, the answer to that question is pretty far. "If anyone is going to ask who's the best defense in the country, the best person to ask is me or [backup QB] Will Levis," Clif- ford said. "Because we've been going against them every single day. They're a fast team. They're going to give you a lot of different looks and they're going to come at you with a lot of heat. I'm excited to see what they can do this season." ■ RUN STOPPER Mustipher has helped the Lions develop depth at defensive tackle. He tied for the team lead with four stops vs. Idaho. Photo by Ryan Snyder

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