For many of Penn State's players, the Week 1 game against Marshall was the first taste of the Beaver Stadium atmosphere. After a resounding 45-0 win, there was little they could do but drink it all in. One of the new transfers, linebacker Kooper Ebel, was especially taken aback by how vocal the Nittany Lions fans were, especially when they may have been unfamiliar with the new look of the team.
“That's unreal, and we could feel all of it,” Ebel said, according to Sports Illustrated. “We could feel the energy from those guys after every big play. Man, those guys brought the juice, and we're super thankful to have them. That was awesome.”
Ebel did acknowledge one potentially negative factor about the noise in Beaver Stadium: the fact that it made
calling plays on the defense hard.
“It's awesome, but it's obviously difficult playing defense at home just because of how loud our fans are trying to disrupt their offense and stuff,” Ebel said. “That's a challenge that we're going to continue to work on, but it's a great challenge, and we love it. You can hear it in my voice.”
That did not deter Ebel performance-wise, as he commanded the Penn State D to perfection. He had three tackles, one pass breakup, and a half a tackle for loss. In fact, linebackers in general ruled the day for the blue and white, with the returning Tony Rojas leading the team in tackles and Caleb Bacon playing somewhat of a hybrid role and dominating up front. Unfortunately for Ebel and Co., their next game will come on the road. But Penn State fans should be hyped that their new players are already feeding off of their positive energy.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State transfer LB Kooper Ebel praises Beaver Stadium atmosphere
