Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1511150
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 3 3 Sophomore linebacker Abdul Carter (center) was second on the team with 35 tackles through nine games, including 3 for loss and 2 sacks. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL meant completely shutting down the Terrapin running game from the jump and sacking quarterback Taulia Tago- vailoa 6 times. Here's a look at where the Nittany Li- ons stood at each level of their defense heading into the last three games of the regular season: Defensive Line Bad news hit the Nittany Lions' defen- sive front twice in the loss to the Buck- eyes. After making it through the first six games of the season relatively unscathed, the injury bug bit twice at Ohio Stadium. The first to fall was junior Amin Vanover, the Lions' reliable fourth op- tion at defensive end. Returning from two missed games to open the season, Vanover accumulated sacks, hits and quarterback hurries in the five contests in which he appeared before suffering an unspecified right leg injury. The second loss was even more dam- aging. Junior Chop Robinson, the most disruptive pass rusher on a unit with no shortage of talented defensive ends, was down on the Ohio Stadium turf for minutes, appearing at times to be ex- periencing convulsions, before medical personnel and tight end Theo Johnson walked him back to the injury tent on the sideline. A star performer who was living up to the preseason hype with 15 quarterback hurries in seven games played, Robinson was missed against Indiana and Mary- land. The good news for Penn State was that the unit very much proved itself viable even in his absence. For the season, the Nittany Lions had 19 players with at least 1 sack heading into the Michigan game on Nov. 11, meaning that defensive coordi- nator Manny Diaz has plenty of options while he looks to find ways of keeping the heat on opposing passers. Franklin said after the Lions' win at Maryland that he was thankful for the depth Penn State has been able to build on defense. "Not having Amin or Chop now for two weeks, that's been big," he said. "Hopefully, we'll have both of those guys back [soon]." Linebacker Penn State's defensive line wasn't the only group to leave College Park with a confidence boost. Repeatedly confusing the Terrapins' protections, sophomore Abdul Carter and junior Curtis Jacobs combined to make 9 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, a sack and a pass breakup. The defensive effort was also bolstered by a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by linebackers. Redshirt sophomore Dominic DeLuca grabbed the first when an ill-advised pass hit him in the chest. True fresh- man Tony Rojas pulled in the second on an errant throw by backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., helping the Lions run away from the Terps late in the game. Afterward, Franklin said he was pleased with the performance of his linebackers in the Lions' 51-15 romp. "Abdul, as we all know, he's an explo- sive guy," Franklin said. "He came on the scene last year, kind of out of nowhere, and became the buzz and talk of the sea- son, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. And for him to play well within the constraints of our defense allows us to be successful. "When Abdul is playing well, and Kobe and Curtis, and the other guys that rotated [are also excelling] … it's pretty cool seeing those guys come in and make plays. When Abdul is playing well, and that unit's playing well, then we're dif- ficult to deal with, especially with the depth that we have on the D-line." Secondary Penn State went into its game against Michigan with some concerns in this area. The Nittany Lions' pass defense had been stout for much of September and October, but then came worrisome showings against Ohio State and Indi- ana. That Harrison lit up the Lions' sec- ondary was disappointing but hardly surprising. He's the Big Ten's leading re- ceiver this season with 52 catches for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he will hear his name called in the first handful of picks in next year's NFL Draft. The surprise came the following week when Penn State let Indiana into the end zone three times via the passing game. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 269 yards on just 13 completions, and Penn State's pass coverage graded out as average in that narrow win. The threat level is likely to diminish in the coming weeks. Facing Rutgers on Nov. 18 and Michigan State on Nov. 24, the Nittany Lions will conclude their regular season against two of the lesser passing attacks in the country. Through nine games, the Scarlet Knights were ranked 124th in the FBS in passing of- fense (146.2 yards per game), while the Spartans were 81st (216.1). ■