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while less consistently successful, burned PSU for touchdown throws of 44 and 17 yards. The Lions finished the year ranked third in the Big Ten in pass defense, having surrendered an average of 173.5 yards per game. But while the season ended on a sour note, the Lions appear to have the per- sonnel they need to regain their momen- tum. Allen, who finished second on the team with 81 tackles, will be starting for the third season at free safety in 2016, while Haley will be back for his second year as a starter at cornerback. The Li- ons will be losing a three-year starter at the opposite cornerback spot with Williams having graduated, but Reid saw considerable action as a true freshman and appears well prepared to step into a starting role. At strong safety, Golden filled in for the injured Lucas late in the season, but he's likely to be challenged by Farmer and maybe a newcomer or two during the off-season. With so much experience returning, the Lions will be looking to intercept more passes than they did in 2015. As a team, Penn State was not particularly opportunistic this past season, finish- ing with 10 interceptions to tie for 10th place in the Big Ten. Only six of those picks were supplied by the defensive backs – a bit of a surprise con- sidering how much pressure the front seven was able to generate. Expect the coaching staff to take a long look during the off-season at a number of underclassmen as it works to strengthen the team's last line of defense. "We're really looking for- ward to seeing those guys in the spring, allowing them to compete for some playing time and contribute, whether it be on special teams or in the secondary itself," cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said. "And then at the corner position, a guy like Amani Oruwariye, who is in his second year here, he's showing some promise. ... And then there are the true freshmen like Garrett Taylor, who had a great last month [with the scout team]." SPECIAL TEAMS KEY RETURNEES KR: Koa Farmer, Brandon Polk, Nick Scott; P: Chris Gul- la, Daniel Pasquariello; PK: Tyler Davis, Joey Julius; PR: Mark Allen, Gregg Gar- rity, DeAndre Thompkins KEY LOSSES None NEWCOMERS P: Blake Gillikin; PK: Quinn Nordin OUTLOOK Let's start with the good news: Penn State has found three promising kick returners in Farmer, Polk and Scott. All averaged more than 20 yards per attempt in their first sea- son, and while the Lions didn't have any kick-return touchdowns, Polk KICKING BACK Pasquariello aver- aged 39.9 yards per punt during his sophomore season with nine kicks of 50 or more yards. Photo by Steve Manuel F A S T F O R W A R D > > A N E A R L Y L O O K

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