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Micah Parsons loving Penn State's one-handed interception

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos•09/11/21•

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Jesse Luketa
Micah Parsons sent out a shoutout to the Penn State defensive end. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Penn State defensive end Jesse Luketa’s one-handed pick six earlier Saturday has turned plenty of heads. The list includes former Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons, who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of April’s NFL Draft.

Luketa showed why he is a versatile defender Saturday, shuffling between linebacker or pass rusher. Although Parsons opted to sit out of Penn State’s schedule last season, Luketa and Parsons played on the same defense back in 2019.

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Luketa was a key part of Penn State’s defense last season. As a junior he was selected as a team captain and started in nine games, finishing with 59 tackles, the second most on the team. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups. His best game came against Rutgers, when he registered a career-high 10 tackles. 

In the Nittany Lions’ season opening win at Wisconsin, the versatile defender made four stops and tallied a quarterback hit. The Penn State defense held the Badgers to just 10 points.

College GameDay headed to Penn State

College GameDay has announced where it will set up shop next Saturday. The ESPN pregame college football show is headed to Happy Valley for the Week 3 showdown between No. 11 Penn State and No. 25 Auburn. 

The trip to State College is the show’s first since 2019. The two programs met twice before, and with an SEC opponent traveling to Penn State for the first time since 2011, the Nittany Lions’ annual white-out game is scheduled for Saturday night. 

The huge nonconference matchup comes after GameDay headed to Ames, Iowa, this week for Iowa vs. Iowa State. The Hawkeyes secured the Cy-Hawk Trophy with a 27-17 win. 

Penn State picked up a 44-13 win on Saturday over Ball State, while Auburn routed Alabama State 62-0. Both teams enter the Week Three matchup with a perfect 2-0 record and with the opportunity to enter their name into the College Football Playoff picture.

Penn State picked up a huge Week 1 win, knocking off Wisconsin in Madison. With a new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurcich, the Nittany Lions have completely revamped their offense. Yurcich has spent time at Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Texas and has brought a fast-paced, pass-first offense to Penn State. 

Auburn has a new look this season, too. The Tigers hired Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin after firing Gus Malzahn after eight seasons. Harsin has brought a new offensive identity to Auburn focused on the run. In the opening two games of the season, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 122-10.