Over the past several weeks, the Nittany Lions have improved drastically defensively. Their ability to generate pressure has given the defense new life and the ability to hang tough with any team in the country. Some fans may be thinking about why this didn’t happen sooner in the year, but for Penn State, there’s no time like the present. Facing an underrated Nebraska squad, the Nittany Lions will do their best to do enough to stay in the hunt for bowl eligibility. Here are their defensive keys to success against the Cornhuskers.
Stop Emmett Johnson and the run game
The Penn State run defense has been their biggest weakness all season, but last week against Michigan State, it somewhat shored up. This week, they will be faced with a daunting task: of stopping one of the most efficient running backs in the Big Ten. Emmett Johnson leads all FBS backs in yards from scrimmage and has 11 touchdowns on the year. Penn State on the other hands, still only ranks 70th nationally in terms of rush yards allowed. It will be up to guys like Amare Campbell and Zane Durant to control the line of scrimmage and make sure Johnson does not get to the second level.
Pressure TJ Lateef relentlessly
TJ Lateef has had to come in and fill the shoes of the injured Dylan Raiola and for the most part, he has excelled at it. He has completed 85.3% of his passes and has 4 touchdowns to zero interceptions. However, stats can be deceiving, as he has a low QBR of 63.5 when pressured. If there’s any defense that has wreaked the most havoc over the past couple of weeks, especially on young QBs, its the Nittany Lions. Dani Dennis-Sutton is coming off of his second two sack game of the year and is determined to end his Penn State career on a high note.
Force turnovers on third downs
If there’s one potential weakness that TJ Lateef could have, it could be his ability to convert longer third downs. He has not yet faced a third down of longer than 7 yards, but on those 6 yards and shorter, he’s been sterling, completing all of his passing attempts with a touchdown to boot. It will not only be up to the pass rush, but the secondary as well. The secondary has truly come alive over the past several weeks, with a +3 turnover margin. If they can continue to step up their game, there will be turnovers to be had.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: What Penn State must do defensively against Nebraska
