Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1509432
3 8 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Big Ten in takeaways through the first five games (12) while allowing the few- est passing yards in the FBS (136.4 per game) and the lowest pass-efficiency rate (86.46). While the stars weren't shining particularly bright, the system was working exactly as Diaz, corner- backs coach Terry Smith and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter intended. King, a junior who has been hailed as a likely first-round NFL Draft pick next year, had opportunities in those games, but not many good ones. He was sta- tistically the most thrown-at defender in the Nittany Lion secondary, and the result was a 50 percent catch rate and just 93 receiving yards allowed. At safety, meanwhile, versatility has proven to be a huge boon to the posi- tion. Sophomore Kevin Winston Jr. has taken on a starting role and shined in it, already ranking sixth on the team in tackles with 13 in just his second season. Complemented by Wheatley, junior Jaylen Reed and senior Keaton Ellis, the group had four of the top 11 tacklers on the defense, in large part thanks to their excellent run support. There is a catch for all, though. Penn State did not face an elite quarterback in the first half of its season, so the test is due to get tougher with Ohio State, Michigan and Maryland remaining on the schedule. All of those opponents present challenges at the quarterback and receiver positions, setting up some serious showdowns the rest of the way. Grade: A SPECIAL TEAMS PLACEKICKER: When it gets into the red zone, Penn State typically at- tempts to convert makeable fourth downs rather than settling for field goals. It's hard to argue with the re- sults; through five games, the Nittany Lions had converted 91 percent of their fourth-down attempts, the fifth-best rate in the FBS. Moreover, they were av- eraging 40.6 points per game, ranking 12th nationally in that department. The Lions' habit of eschewing chip- shot field goals has generally worked in their favor, but as Franklin noted re- cently, it has also made things a little bit tougher for their kickers. Of the team's 11 attempts, 7 were from 30 yards and be- yond, and 5 were from 40 or more yards. The Lions hit 7 of those attempts, with senior Alex Felkins responsible for all of the makes. Felkins took over the starting job after redshirt sophomore Sander Sahaydak missed attempts of 38 and 34 yards in the opener against West Virginia. It looked initially as though the two kickers might find themselves engaged in a season-long battle, but Felkins appears to have seized control of the position. The Columbia transfer solidified his grip on it with a season- long 47-yarder at Northwestern. Felkins and Sahaydak have also kicked off at points this year, but that job has mostly been handled ably by redshirt sophomore Gabriel Nwosu. Of Nwosu's first 32 kickoffs, 22 went for touchbacks. Grade: B PUNTER: In its showdown with Iowa, Penn State received a reminder of just how valuable a great punter can be. Tory Taylor was the Hawkeyes' player of the game, averaging 52.3 yards on 7 punts. If you thought PSU's 31-0 win was lopsided, imagine how the game might have gone if the Lions hadn't been forced to start four possessions inside their own 20-yard line thanks to the Aussie senior. Taylor's countryman Riley Thompson hasn't been a game-changer for Penn State, but the senior transfer from Flor- ida Atlantic has been dependable, aver- aging 42.6 yards on 18 attempts to rank ninth in the Big Ten, with no shanks and no blocks. Grade: B- PUNT RETURN: The primary job of every punt returner is to not fumble. Every once in a while, you get lucky with an electrifying return man like Jahan Dotson, who averaged a gaudy 24.6 yards in 2020. But players like Dotson Kevin Winston Jr. has emerged as a starter at safety in only his second season at Penn State and was sixth on the team with 13 tackles through five games. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL