Penn State defense rises to the occasion in Rose Bowl win over Utah
PASADENA, Calif. — Penn State football played a fast, aggressive, turnover-focused defense all season long. All of its strengths were on display in 35-21 Rose Bowl victory over Utah to cap an 11-win 2022 season.
The Utes lost quarterback Cam Rising in the second half due to an injury. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz decided to endlessly hound backup Bryson Barnes. It worked to perfection. Once Rising left the game with about seven minutes left in the third quarter, Utah only scored a late touchdown against the Lions’ backups and it mustered its only yards of the fourth quarter on that drive. All told, the Penn State defense forced two turnovers — Ji’Ayir Brown and Kalen King secured interceptions — and racked up six sacks, nine tackles for loss, and Utah only averaged 4.7 yards per play.
“Cam Rising is a very good player for Utah,” King said. “The offense definitely runs through him. And I feel like once he went down, that definitely was a big turning point in the game. And we capitalized on it. Like, once he went down, everybody on the sideline would just communicate like the game’s not over. We got to finish, you got to finish them. That was really the point of emphasis coming out of halftime was just finishing the game.”
Linebacker Curtis Jacobs, who had two sacks, said he sensed the opportunity to get after the Utes once the quarterback change happened, as well.
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“We just had to decide to attack everything,” Jacobs said. “Their backs are really good. They fall forward on contact. They’re not easy to tackle. So we just had to get downhill.”
Penn State defense spring boards into 2023
Penn State will have to fill a few holes next season. It loses starting defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, linebacker Jonathan Sutherland, corner Joey Porter Jr., and safety Ji’Ayir Brown. But, it returns a number of key pieces for second-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. This win is a springboard into next year. But, the season as a whole was. The Lions quickly embodied Diaz’s aggressive style and played with his trademark energy and determination. It led to 11 wins.
“It’s only going to get better in 2023,” King said. “I’m very proud of this team. I’m very proud of our defense. A lot of people last year thought our defense was going to take a step back when a couple of guys went to leave for NFL. And you know, I feel like there’s going to be the same issue. But, even though we got guys leaving, there’s going to be no problem.”
