Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 10 9 TOP FIVE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES 1. Joey Porter Jr. vs. Purdue, 2022 Penn State opened its season on a Thursday night at Purdue in 2022, and Porter showed everyone right away that he was about to have an excellent year. That night, he not only led the Nittany Lions with 8 tackles, but he also had an eye- catching 6 pass deflections. He even had a fumble recovery in the second quarter that led to a touchdown before halftime. 2. Jaquan Brisker vs. Michigan State, 2020 The 2020 season was a rough one for Penn State, but Brisker's performance against the Spartans was one to remember. In addition to totaling a career-high 9 tackles, he had an interception, a pass breakup, 1.5 tackles for loss and 2 quar- terback hurries. It remains one of the best overall performances by a safety in the James Franklin era. 3. Daequan Hardy vs. Massachusetts, 2023 Sure, it was against UMass, but anyone who scores 2 punt-return touchdowns in the same game deserves a spot on this list. After two lackluster Penn State drives that ended in a fumble and a punt, Hardy opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 56-yard return. He struck again in the third quarter, this time weaving 68 yards to give the Lions a 49-point lead on their way to a 63-0 win. What made Hardy's performance even more memorable is that the UMass game was his first time returning punts for the Nittany Lions. Receiver Kaden Saunders had handled that role previously, but Hardy took over the job after his dazzling afternoon against the Minutemen. 4. Adisa Isaac vs. Michigan State, 2023 Isaac had his fair share of highlight moments as a Nittany Lion, but he saved one of his best games for last year's regular-season finale against Michigan State. With PSU facing the Spartans in Detroit, he totaled a career-high 7 tackles, includ- ing 1.5 for loss and a sack. 5. Brenton Strange vs. Auburn, 2021 Strange totaled 225 yards and 3 touchdowns during his redshirt sophomore season, and nearly a third of those yards came in a single game. With Penn State facing Auburn in its 2021 White Out contest, the tight end finished with 4 recep- tions for 71 yards, adding a touchdown with just over a minute to play in the second quarter to give the Nittany Lions a 14-10 lead heading into halftime. They never trailed after that. Defensive end Adisa Isaac put together his best season as a senior, totaling 16 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He had 7 tackles against Michigan State in his final regular-season game. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL