Blue White Illustrated

O 9ensively, Penn State was devastat- ed by the NCAA sanctions, injuries to Miles Die9enbach, Donovan Smith and Zach Zwinak, a complete lack of depth along the o9ensive line, and the fact that between 2010 and 2012, two Nittany Lion coaching sta9s did a poor job of recruiting, retaining and develop- ing o9ensive linemen. Statistics don't always tell the entire story, but in the case of Penn State's 2014 o9ense, they paint a vivid picture. Heading into the last three games of their season, the Nittany Lions were 13th in the Big Ten in scoring o9ense (20.3 points per game), 12th in total of- fense (338 yards per game), 14th in rush- ing o9ense (86.6 YPG) and 10th in pass- ing e:ciency, with a rating of 109.3. They had completed only 55.3 percent of their passes (201 of 360) with only eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Surprisingly, just the opposite is true of the Nittany Lions' defense. It seems that the NCAA sanctions have had a negligible impact on Penn State's per- formance this season. Defensive coordi- nator Bob Shoop has put together what I believe is the most balanced defense in the Big Ten, one that is strong against both the run and the pass. Going into their game against Temple on Nov. 15, the Nittany Lions had domi- nated the Big Ten and NCAA statistical charts. They were second in the confer- ence and sixth in the country in scoring defense (16.6 PPG), second in the con- ference and third nationally in total de- fense (267.6 YPG), 8rst in both the Big Ten and the nation in rushing defense (85.6 YPG), third in the league and 13th in the nation in pass defense (182 YPG) and second in the league and 18th in the nation in pass-e:ciency defense, with a rating of 100. Penn State was also 8rst in the Big Ten in red zone defense, with opponents scoring on only 74.1 percent (20 of 27) of their trips inside the Lions' 20-yard line. (And of those 20 scores, only 13 were touchdowns.) The Lions were 8rst in the Big Ten in opponents' fourth-down conversion rate (3 of 15), third in inter- ceptions (11), tied for second with Michigan State in 8rst downs allowed per game (14.7), fourth in sacks (26) and third in opponents' third-down conver- sion rate (30.4 percent). Not bad for a team that has been competing with only 46 scholarship players due to the sanc- tions. Head coach James Franklin has attrib- uted much of the defense's success to career-making performances by the members of its front four. That is espe- cially true of redshirt junior defensive end Deion Barnes. "He had a great o9-season, he's a very mature guy, and his work ethic has been really good," Franklin said. "But I also think that all of those guys are proba- bly… on pace to have their best years. So I think it has an e9ect. When you're playing really good at one defensive end, it a9ects the other defensive end. If you're playing good at defensive tackle, it helps the defensive ends out. So I think it's what Deion is doing individu- ally, I think it's what the whole D-line is doing collectively, I think it's the scheme. I think there are a lot of things that go into it, but I'm happy for him and I'm proud of him. He's a great example of what we're trying to do here." Personally, I'd go so far as to say that all four starters on the defensive line – Barnes and C.J. Olaniyan at end and Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel at tackle – have performed up to or ex- ceeded preseason expectations. Barnes is the perfect example. During his redshirt freshman season, he 8n- ished with 26 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles and was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year. Last fall, he had what many considered to be a dis- appointing sophomore season. He sur- passed his previous performance in terms of total tackles, 8nishing with 28, but had only two sacks and one forced fumble. This year, Barnes has been a hugely disruptive force for Penn State, topping his accomplishments last year as well as those of his redshirt freshman season. Nittany Lions' defensive resurgence begins with the players up front PHIL'S CORNER

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