Defensive keys to a Penn State win over Central Michigan
Penn State hosts Central Michigan this weekend in a game that should be a fairly easy win for the Nittany Lions. Several analysts are predicting Penn State to have a big day at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions have plenty of momentum leaning their way after a blowout win at Auburn last weekend. Everything was clicking on both sides of the ball.
One of the most surprising yet intriguing aspects of this Penn State team is the amount of freshmen that have played for them through the first three games of the season. Some don’t really come as too much of a surprise, like running back Nick Singleton, who has been one of the most sensational freshmen to watch thus far.
Heading over to the defensive side of the ball, Penn State has seen plenty of talented underclassmen see the field, and they have been productive. They certainly have the talent to take down Central Michigan on Saturday.
Here are the top three defensive keys to a Penn State win over Central Michigan.
Penn State's Veteran Presence
Sep 17, 2022; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Curtis Jacobs (23) tackles Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter (27) during the first quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Despite the amount of underclassmen that have played on Penn State’s defense, they still have plenty of veterans to help lead them to victory. One of them is [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] He has been one of the most productive cornerbacks in the Big Ten and his ability to diagnose plays with his vision and physicality has been huge for the Nittany Lions. Another name is safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag]. He has picked up right where he left off from his impressive leap last season. He is silently rising his draft stock and could hopefully hear his name called earlier than people think come April.
Next, we have defensive tackle [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag]. He is coming off a season-ending injury from last season. Despite that, Mustipher is still a reliable player for Penn State. The great thing about their defensive line room is that we saw plenty of players rotate in last season when Mustipher went down with his injury.
Next is linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag]. Penn State has lost a great deal of talent in their linebacker room over the past few seasons. This is a great game for Jacobs to really start making that leap. Lastly, we have edge rusher [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag]. Many analysts are high on Isaac to make a leap this season, even enough to drastically rise his draft stock into the early rounds. The Nittany Lions have the experience in crucial parts of their defense, which will be key in their win over Central Michigan on Saturday.
Penn State Run Defense
Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher (97) celebrates after tackling Indiana running back Stephen Carr (5) in the first half of their NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
As mentioned, Penn State has had plenty of guys rotate in on the defensive line, especially after Mustipher’s season-ending injury last season. Much of Central Michigan’s offensive production comes from the passing game. Meaning, you don’t see as many flashes in their run game. Despite the Nittany Lions having a ton of freshmen see action, especially on defense, all of those underclassmen still have the talent to prevent any momentum from Central Michigan‘s run game. Central Michigan has 490 rushing yards this season while the passing game has put up 933 receiving yards spread out with multiple receivers.
Penn State Secondary
Sep 1, 2022; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (9) and Penn State Nittany Lions safety Ji’Ayir Brown (16) celebrate in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
It was mentioned in an upset article that Penn State needs more than just Joey Porter Jr. and Ji’Ayir Brown to step up and stop Central Michigan‘s passing game from gaining any momentum. To switch gears on that a bit, this is a perfect opportunity for those freshmen to really start making a name for themselves. Through the first three games of the season, much of those leading tacklers on Penn State’s defense have come from their secondary. The production is there. Now someone just needs to make that leap, and Saturday’s matchup against Central Michigan is the perfect one to do so.
This should be another easy win for the Nittany Lions, but they are going to need some help. You know what they say — defense wins championships — and many expect an easy win over Central Michigan at home.
Anything can happen, but if Penn State can have a productive game on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, that will be key for their victory over Central Michigan on Saturday.
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