The Penn State defense has been somewhat of an enigma throughout the season. Now however, they’re starting to become more of a certainty. Despite their front only recording 17 sacks, the secondary has held the defense together. The secondary has only allowed 200 yards through the air against their ranked foes. Yes, they have allowed 100 rushing yards in seven of nine games this season as well, but they are coming off their best defensive performance all year where both the front and the secondary were in sync. Going up against one of the weaker squads in the Big Ten in Michigan State, the Nittany Lions will be looking to string together two straight solid defensive games. Here are three keys to their success in that regard.
This past week for Michigan State must have been weird. Going into their bye week, the Michigan State coaching staff decided to do something interesting: they gave their redshirt freshman QB Alessio Milivojevic a runout. He actually played pretty well, throwing for over 300 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, he was a change of pace from regular starter Aidan Chiles, who offers more of a dual-threat sensibility. That does not mean however, that Chiles won’t be a part of the game plan. Perhaps they were just resting him amidst a grueling stretch of the season so that he could reset during the bye. Either way, the Penn State defense have to be ready for any scenario. If Milivojevic starts, the secondary will have to look to confuse him with disguised looks. If it’s Chiles, both the edge rushers and linebackers have to be discipline in their gap integrity. It should be a fun challenge for a confident defense.
While Penn State’s secondary is one of the best in the nation, ranking 15th nationally, they did struggle against two of the best receivers in the conference. Two weeks ago, both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate combined for 247 yards and 3 total touchdowns, highlighting a potential chink in the armor for Penn State’s secondary. Unfortunately, while Michigan State’s QB situation remains up in the air, they probably have the Big Ten’s third best receiver. Nick Marsh leads the Spartans with 554 yards and his size and athleticism is up there with the best not just in the conference but the nation. It will be up to a guy like Zakee Wheatley, Penn State’s second leading tackler, to try and contain him.
If there’s one area Michigan State excels at, it’s big plays late in games. MSU’s skill players average a whopping 15.2 yards per reception. The caveat though is they also have the Big Ten’s worst sack percentage in the fourth quarter at 19% meaning Penn State can still generate pressure on whoever the MSU QB is. Still, it is something to be wary of for the Nittany Lions considering last week’s heartbreak. This just proves that they need to stay focused for the full 0, and not 58:30. Chances are Penn State could have a lead going into the fourth. They have to make sure they preserve it.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Defensive Keys for Penn State in Week 12