Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490816
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M home opener against Ohio. Carter made 5 tackles against the Bobcats on just 24 snaps, but he lacked the consistency that Diaz believed he was capable of bringing to the field. A student of the game with a willing- ness to put in the work necessary to ex- cel, Carter steadily improved, setting up a breakout stretch late in the year. "Early in the season, he flashed," Diaz said. "You could see that maybe he tried to do things his way. And then the next game, he locked in and flashed again. And then I think it took him one more game to understand, 'OK, I just need to do my job.' If he does his job, then his physical attributes will be accentuated. "And that's really what helped him in the final six weeks of the season. I think that helped us as a defense in the final six weeks. Guys sometimes believe they have to put on a cape and do something special. With his skill set, if he just does his job, he will be noticed on the field." In doing his job, Carter helped Penn State improve as the season went on. Although they struggled in losses to Michigan and Ohio State, the Nittany Lions allowed only 18.2 points per game to rank 10th nationally. They were 17th in the FBS in both total defense (323.5 yards per game) and rushing defense (111.2 ypg). Carter played a key role in helping Penn State amass those numbers. He finished with 56 tackles including 10.5 for loss, and he led the Nittany Lions with 6.5 sacks. In addition, his 5 quarterback hurries were second only to the 8 that junior defensive end Adisa Isaac produced. Now, Carter is being challenged by Diaz and the rest of Penn State's coaching staff to keep it up. "Abdul wants to be great. And I told him, my job is to help him achieve great- ness," Diaz said. "What happens is, you have success for a freshman. I put that in his face. 'You played well, for a freshman. Is that it? Is this as good as it gets? Or is there more?' "I think he's got high goals, high as- pirations. And generally speaking, high achievers don't want to hear BS. They want to be told, if it's good, it's good. And if it's not good, it's not good." Having brought home an avalanche of postseason honors, both within the Big Ten and from national media outlets recognizing the game's top true fresh- men, Carter is proud of the strides he has taken. But, channeling the feedback he's been getting from his coaches, he's eager to keep improving in his first offseason at Penn State. "I learned a lot, getting experience, getting the reps," Carter said. "From the beginning of the season to the end of the season, I just learned a whole bunch of stuff — how to prepare and how to get better every game. "You've got to be hungry to play this game. If you want to be great and make plays, you've got to have that hunger, you've got to have that drive, and that's what I play with." Working to foster an environment in which Carter can maximize his potential, the coaching staff has some ammuni- tion to work with coming out of the Rose Bowl. Carter finished with just 1 tackle against Utah, despite starting the game and playing 52 snaps, his second-highest rep count of the season. Diaz is looking for Carter to come away from his debut season with a strong desire to keep working. "That obsession with improvement can't stop because he played well for a freshman," Diaz said. "Next year, playing well for a freshman will not be enough. So, that will be his challenge." Carter is determined to meet that ob- ligation. Reflecting on his freshman sea- son, he said the experience he gained has helped build his confidence while putting him on a path he is eager to keep follow- ing. He wants to play faster. He wants to make more stops. More than anything, though, he wants his individual perfor- mances to yield team success. "I just want to win," Carter said. "I want to do what I've got to do to help this team win games." ■ ABDUL CARTER GAME BY GAME Tackles Opponent Solo Asst. Total TFL Yds. Sacks Yds. FF Purdue 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ohio 2 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 Auburn 6 0 6 1.0 11 1 11 1 Central Michigan 4 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 Northwestern 1 1 2 1.0 1 0 0 0 Michigan 4 1 5 1.0 1 0 0 0 Minnesota 3 5 8 0.5 0 0.5 0 0 Ohio State 3 1 4 1.0 8 1 8 0 Indiana 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Maryland 3 4 7 1.0 11 1 11 1 Rutgers 2 2 4 2.0 15 1 13 0 Michigan State 5 2 7 3.0 17 2 16 0 Utah 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Total 35 21 56 10.5 64 6.5 59 2