Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
4 0 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M points per game to rank seventh in the conference. Their opener was not an en- couraging sign. Wisconsin trailed visit- ing Western Michigan early in the fourth quarter before the Broncos suffered a turnover on a punt return, sending the hosts to a 28-14 win. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke com- pleted 21 of 36 passes for 192 yards. The Badgers will need more than that from their offense if they're going to improve on their 7-6 record in Luke Fickell's first full season as head coach. 10. Rutgers This is shaping up to be the best sea- son of Greg Schiano's second stint with the program. Kirk Herbstreit even hailed the Scarlet Knights as dark horse playoff contenders, citing a schedule that deletes Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Rutgers pummeled Howard, 44-7, in Week 1, with star running back Kyle Monangai rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown, and new quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, formerly of Minnesota, throwing for 147 yards and 3 scores. The following week, Monangai rushed for 208 yards in a 49-17 win over Akron. The schedule will toughen up in the coming weeks, but not enough to make anyone in Piscataway miss the East Di- vision. 11. Maryland If you're going to open against an op- ponent like Connecticut, which hasn't had a winning season since 2010, you had better win convincingly. The Ter- rapins did that, rolling up 629 yards of total offense in a 50-7 victory. Quar- terback Billy Edwards Jr. was impres- sive, passing for 311 yards and rushing for 39. Edwards threw for 253 yards against Michigan State a week later, but the Terps squandered a fourth-quarter lead in a 27-24 loss. It was a missed opportu- nity to build some needed momentum. The November slate includes matchups against Oregon, Iowa and Penn State, so Maryland would do well to get its bowl credentials in order before then. 12. Indiana When he was introduced last Decem- ber as the Hoosiers' new head coach, former James Madison mentor Curt Cignetti made a brash pitch to prospec- tive recruits. "I win," he said. "Google me." Cignetti's team backed up that bold opening salvo, routing Florida Interna- tional, 31-7, in Week 1. The Indiana de- Top 10 Defensive Players 1. Will Johnson | CB | Michigan A first-team All-Big Ten choice as a sopho- more, Johnson opened the 2024 season with a pick six that slammed the door on Fresno State's upset bid. He's being hailed as a likely top-five pick in next year's NFL Draft. 2. Mason Graham | DT | Michigan As great as Johnson is, it's possible he's not even the best player on Michigan's defense. Graham is another first-team All-Big Ten choice and a potential top-five draft pick. 3. Abdul Carter | DE | Penn State Carter's debut at defensive end, in which he was penalized three times, showed there's still some work ahead. But matched up in the first half against West Virginia's Wyatt Milum, an honorable mention All- American last year, the Penn State junior also showed he can be a pass-rushing force at his new position. 4. Denzel Burke | CB | Ohio State A four-year starter in Columbus, Burke could be the first Buckeye defender off the board in next year's draft. With 28 career passes defended, he's closing in on the school record of 36. 5. Tyleik Williams | DT | Ohio State If Burke isn't the first Ohio State defender to hear his name called, it could be Wil- liams, a 6-foot-3, 327-pound senior with 20.5 career tackles for loss and 10 sacks. 6. Caleb Downs | S | Ohio State Downs was a first-team All-American and the national freshman of the year during his lone season at Alabama. He had only 2 assisted tackles in the Buckeyes' opener versus Akron, but he'll be an impact player this fall. 7. Jay Higgins | LB | Iowa Higgins was credited with 171 tackles last season, and hard as it may be to believe, that total only tied a school record. The fifth-year senior had 7 stops in the Hawkeyes' 2024 opener versus Illinois State. 8. Kevin Winston Jr. | S | Penn State Winston led the Nittany Lions with 60 tackles as a sophomore and got off to a strong start this year, making a team-high 12 stops versus West Virginia and winning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. 9. JT Tuimoloau | DE | Ohio State Tuimoloau was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick the past two seasons. The senior has to- taled 19.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks during his tenure in Columbus. 10. Dillon Thieneman | S | Purdue Thieneman was the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year and a third-team Associated Press All-American after totaling 106 tackles and 6 interceptions in 2023. Will Johnson has collected 8 interceptions in his three sea- sons at Michigan, including an 86-yard pick six in this year's opener against Fresno State. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY