Penn State’s defense has come out of the non-conference portion of the schedule relatively unscathed.
The starters have yet to allow a touchdown through three games, while the unit has forced seven turnovers.
On Saturday, Jim Knowles’s group nearly pitched another shutouts in a 52-6 win against Villanova, earning the entire unit this week’s BSD MVP award.
Penn State had a seven-quarter scoreless streak going before the Wildcats scored on the game’s final play. It was the first time since 2019 that the Lions
had gone that long without allowing a point. Meanwhile, they just missed being the first Penn State team to pitch back-to-back shutouts since it happened in 1996 against NIU and Temple.
Tony Rojas had two sacks, while Amare Campbell had three tackles for a loss and a sack to lead the linebackers.
Freshman Jahmir Joseph had an interception return for a touchdown, while Elliot Washington recorded his second career interception as the secondary shined.
Dani Dennis-Sutton deflected a pass to set up Washington’s interception. The Lions controlled the line of scrimmage as Villanova had just over 100 yards of total offense before its last-minute long scoring drive against the backups.
All three levels played well, which will be necessary as Penn State begins conference play with a White Out showdown against Oregon in less than two weeks.
Others Considered
Ryan Barker, Kicker: Barker was 3-of-3 on the day, including a pair from more than 40 yards. He’s now 9-of-11 in his career on field goals from more than 40 yards.
Luke Reynolds, Tight End: The sophomore had a team-high 73 yards receiving on Saturday, a week after he led the Lions in catches against FIU. The former five-star recruit is clearly turning into a favorite weapon for Drew Allar and the Penn State offense.
