Penn State defense makes case for more national attention after motivated shutout of Iowa
Penn State pitched its first shutout of the 2023 season on Saturday when it blasted Iowa 31-0 at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions last had a conference shutout in 2022 when it beat Maryland 30-0. This game was as dominating as that performance was. The Hawkeyes had only 76 yards of offense, which is the 10th fewest the Lions have allowed in program history. They netted just four first downs, lost four fumbles, and averaged only 2.3 yards per play.
Make no mistake, this is not a good Iowa offense. But, this is a very good Penn State defense that is making the case for national attention after four good weeks and two big ones in Big Ten play.
“Manny’s doing a great job. He really has done a good job of coming in, embracing our culture, and bringing a perspective of his own as well. The staff has a ton of respect for him. We put a priority on athleticism. There are probably a few bigger defenses. But we’re athletic, quick, and explosive, and playing more consistent, gap-sound defense. Manny’s doing a great job. We’re fortunate and blessed to have him and his family here with us.
Linebacker Curtis Jacobs became the first Penn State player to recover two fumbles in the same game since 1991. Defensive ends Chop Robinson and Amin Vanover both had strip sacks. The performance was as dominating was about as perfect as they come. The visitors never threatened to score. How bad was it? Iowa only had the ball in Penn State territory once and only crossed its own 40 yard line twice on 10 drives. And, it averaged just three plays a series. The numbers and visuals matchup. It was an ugly performance. Penn State made it that way.
Penn State defense is flying high
Confidence has never been lacking from coordinator Manny Diaz’s group. But, it is now at an all-time high after giving up just 35 points over the first four weeks of the season.
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“I think the biggest thing is being able to get people off schedule,” Franklin said. “If people are able to stay on schedule and run the ball, throw quick game and things like that, It’s hard to have the havoc that you want. But when you get people off schedule on first and second down and do a great job of defending the run, you put yourself in a position to earn the right to rush the passer by how you want to win.
“So, some real positives to build on. But it really starts with playing great run defense on early downs to give yourself the havoc rate in terms of sacks, tackles for loss, and turnover.”
Penn State defenders made clear after the game that they put extra emphasis on this matchup after Iowa fans booed injured Nittany Lions, many of which played defense, back in 2021. It showed. They were fast, physical, aggressive, and fearless. It all led to a historic performance.
“I felt like once that first drive came, knowing every person was whipping the man in front of him, I just felt like ‘oh, we got control,'” Robinson said.
The Lions did for a full four quarters.
