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ing to happen. But he's embraced the role of being a vocal leader and the focal point of that defense. I see all those guys – not only Cabinda, but [Troy] Reeder, Cooper, all those guys – getting better. Manny Bowen is another guy – he's got real good quickness. As the season has evolved, they've gotten more playing time and experience, and you see how much better they've become. I'm glad this linebacking corps is going to be in good stead going forward. Taking into account that Nyeem Wartman-White got hurt in the first game of the season, what are your im- pressions of how the linebackers have played this year? If your middle linebacker gets hurt, that's like your quarterback on the other side of the ball. In the Temple game, it was Wartman's time [to lead the defense]. He had gained a lot of knowledge from watching Mike Hull [in 2014], and to get hurt like that in the first game I'm sure was very frustrating for him. But Cabinda has bounced back in that position, and Brandon Bell is able to make plays in space. He's making plays in open space, and he understands how to anticipate a blitz, and they have so many different packages right now coming off the edge. All the little things you have to under- stand and get experience at on the football field – all those guys are starting to get that. As a group, they can only get better. Penn State has faced a lot of differ- ent kinds of offenses this year: spreads, options and more conven- tional attacks. What's the most im- portant attribute that an outside line- backer has to have given the variety of offensive challenges that opponents present these days? It doesn't matter whether it's a read option or a pro set or whatever the case may be, you can't start hesitating. You have to be in an aggressive mode. A lot of times with a read option, defenses start to overthink it, and if you overthink it and hesitate, you'll never be able to make a play. The more aggressive you are, the more plays you're going to make in stopping all those offenses. That part is the key. You can't hesitate on defense. You have to read and react immediately. James Franklin has talked recently about Penn State's penchant for giv- ing up big plays, how a play that could have been stopped after 8 or 9 yards ends up going for 30 or 40. PSU has a pretty young defense this year. Is this a case in which its inexperience is coming into play? There's no question. James Franklin hit the nail right on the head. It's more [about] your secondary, your safeties. There are going to be plays where some- one is going to get into that secondary. You have to take good angles, and that's going to be Marcus Allen, it's going to be [Malik] Golden, it's going to be [Troy] Apke. You do not want a 7- or 8-yard run turning into a 25- or 30-yard run. You've got to make an offense really make solid plays against you to put points on the board. Taking good angles – that's what experience does for you. You don't learn that in a walk-through or a practice. You've got to take good an- gles at top speed and understand how quick you are and hold those plays to short gains. Offenses are going to make plays against you, there's no question. You've got to limit those yards when they get into your secondary. I think James Franklin is spot on. We've got to do a better job at that. This is a young defense. It's going to lose a few guys up front, but in the linebacker corps and the secondary, a lot of players are going to be back next year. How do you see the defense pro- gressing as you look to the future? Well, when you say "only a few guys," that's No. 99 [Austin Johnson] and No. 98 [Anthony Zettel]. Those guys are pretty darn good defensive linemen. A.J. may end up being a first-round NFL Draft pick. But of course, we're going to get more athletic, and it's a young defense. It will have the experience of playing, and play- ing in close games. You don't have a lot of blowout games in the Big Ten. Most of them are going to come down to the fourth quarter. And it's not just on the defense [to decide games]; the offense has to be able to close out a game. You've got to make those plays in the fourth quarter. If you make them on both sides of the ball, most of the time you're going to end up on top. We have to get better at that and be able to close out games. What are your impressions of the defensive line and how it's played this year, particularly Austin Johnson? We came in this year setting a high bar for his play and what we thought it was going to be. I think he has exceeded that expectation. With Austin Johnson, what people don't realize is that at 325 pounds, he is athletic. He will make plays. He's not just a run stuffer up front and a pass rusher up the middle; he will go sideline to sideline. And he uses his hands as well as any defensive tackle in college football. What's made Carl Nassib so suc- cessful this year? And as someone who's watched Penn State closely, did you see this coming? He's a smart guy. He has great feet, gets good leverage. He's a complete player, an intelligent player, plays the run as well as the pass, and he's a relent- less pass rusher. I thought he'd be better [this season], but not to the point where he's making big play after big play. If you'd asked me as color analyst whether I expected this, no. You've been doing color commen- tary for the Penn State Sports Net- work since 2000. What's your favorite part of the job? The thing I enjoy very much is working with Steve Jones and the entire crew we have up there in the booth. Working with Steve, there's not an ego, and in this business, people can have egos that are larger than life. Steve just cares about the broadcast being the best it can be, and that's a breath of fresh air. ■ > >

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