I realized something after posting the first part of the season recap. I write too damned many words. I am sorry for that and resolve to be more concise going forward.
The good news is, that the recap of the defensive side of the ball is a lot easier.
The defense was great. That is all.
By the numbers:
38th in total defense
6th in scoring defense (17 ppg)
3rd in red-zone defense (48 poss/32 scores)
25th in interceptions (14)
67th in rush defense (152 ypg)
23rd in pass defense (199 ypg, 11 total pass TDs)
74th in sacks (27)
42nd in tackles for loss (6.4/game)
Don’t be fooled by some of the higher numbers (rankings) there. The ones that count are scoring defense, and red-zone defense. The Penn State defense was the textbook definition of a bend-but-don’t-break defense. Teams moved the ball between the 20s, but once in the redzone, the defense was elite. The only teams above the Lions in redzone defense were Georgia and Clemson. Not bad company.
This defense held Ohio State to 26 points (there was a Buckeye fat guy touchdown), Michigan to 21, Wisconsin to 10, etc, etc, etc. Pretty darn good, folks.
We will break down the defense by level, starting with the defensive line.
Going into the season, the defensive line was a bit of a question mark. Adisa Isaac, a promising young DE was lost due to injury. The line replaced Odafe (Jayson) Oweh (NFL), Shane Simmons (NFL), Shaka Toney (NFL), Antonio Shelton (transfer), and Judge Culpepper (transfer).
Enter Arnold Ebiketie and Derrick Tangelo. Two transfer portal additions that absolutely
starred for the Lions this year AK17 led the team in sacks and TFLs, and even blocked a kick. He was SO valuable, that the Penn State coaching staff thought it best to fake an injury to him to slow down the potent Iowa offense.
Tangelo was part of a thin DT rotation with PJ Mustipher, Dvon Ellies, and Coziah Izzard. Frank Hansard and Hakeem Beamon, two upper classmen that were counted on to provide depth didn’t see much action.
Converted LB Jesse Luketa also provided some spark on the D-line and proved to be a very capable edge rusher (much more so than a middle linebacker).
Given the state of the line, it’s not hard to see why the team struggled to stop the run, especially with the loss of Mustipher midseason. And you probably noticed that the sack numbers were way down (we're accustomed to sack numbers in the 40s). Several PSU beat writers and analysts that I follow attribute this to a change in scheme where pressuring opponent QBs but not letting them evade the rush and exploit the defense for big plays on the ground was the goal. I guess I can buy that.
The fact that AK led the team with 9.5 sacks with no opposite DE bookend (Tarburton wasn’t it…) is remarkable. For all the blitzing that Pry liked to do with his backers, they registered very few sacks.
Behind the defensive line, Penn State boasted probably one of the more athletic linebacker trios in the conference. Ellis Brooks was a monster in the middle, racking up 100 tackles to lead the team. He seemed to always put the defense in the right call, and rarely missed a tackle. Flanking him were two athletic freaks in Brandon Smith and Curtis Jacobs. We all know that Smith is a gifted physically. He makes the spectacular hit and can go sideline to sideline. My untrained eye saw still too many missed tackles, and a glaring inability to get off blocks. I thought he could’ve used one more year in college before heading off to the NFL.
Jacobs, on the other hand, definitely grew into the season. By the end, it seemed he was always making the sure open field tackle and had the athleticism to cover TEs/RBs. He led the LBs in sacks and INTs and has a bright future. Behind these three, there isn’t much to talk about. Charlie Katshir saw some duty. Luketa played some LB at times.
Now to the final level, the secondary.
Let’s get this out of the way first. Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown were two of the best safeties Penn State has EVER had. I can’t remember any pair of safeties constantly around the ball. Brisker was just as capable of walking down into the box as he was playing centerfield. Rarely missed a tackle and was tough as nails. If only he didn’t drop the INT vs Illinois…
Brisker’s mate, Brown, might not have been as physical against the run, but he was superb in coverage. How many times in the past did we lament no safety help from a guy named Wade? Not the case with Brown. Always seemed to be in position. SIX interceptions. Glad he’s coming back. Depth at safety could be interesting next year with Keaton Ellis, Jaylen Reed, and converted DB Daquon Hardy in play for the spot.
The defensive backs were a mixed bag. They each had their good, bad, and very ugly. Joey Porter Jr is probably the most athletically gifted CB the Lions have had in a long time. He just can’t stop getting penalties in the worst possible moments. They even put oven mitts on him in practice to get him to stop grabbing. It hasn’t worked. Tariq Castro Fields misses as many tackles as he makes, and if not for some egregious overthrows by opposing QBS, would’ve been burnt beyond recognition. The aforementioned Hardy was a revelation as a slot corner. Undersized at 5’9, he was sure in coverage, and made some really nice open field plays. I’m not sure he has the body type to play safety, so that will be interesting. True freshman Kalen King saw a lot of time and showed a lot of good stuff. He’s still a little handsy, and needs to work on his footwork, but you can see why he played in nearly every game. If he and Hardy hadn’t picked each other on that final Michigan TD, who knows…
To summarize, a defense that gives up 17 points per game in today’s college football deserves to be called elite. And, it deserved better than a 7-6 season. There is a lot of production leaving this unit along the line and in the linebackers. As of this writing, no transfer portal help is coming. There is talent on the roster. It’s just young and unproven.
Thank you, Coach Pry, and good luck, Manny Diaz!
Next: Special Teams
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