Penn State defensive ends power way to another strong performance
For the second week in a row, Penn State’s talented group of defensive ends was the best collective unit on the field. The formula wasn’t scientific, as the group battered Northwestern’s offensive tackles en route to a stat line that finished with 3.5 sacks. Defensive line coach Deion Barnes had a simple objective for the group before the game.
“Coach Deion just preached, “throw your fastball,” sophomore Dani Dennis-Sutton said following the win. “Me and Adisa [Isaac] are bigger guys, so our bull rush is going to be pretty good. Chop [Robinson] is already lower to the ground, so when he goes to power it’s impactful, too. So we just threw our fastball. Whatever came to us, we just took.”
Just as they did against Iowa last weekend, all five members of the rotation made notable plays in the win. The stats were once again spread to the masses. It was Dennis-Sutton’s turn to lead the way on Saturday, as he finished with three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. The numbers probably don’t do the cumulative performance justice, however, as the group was a constant nuisance for the Northwestern offense.
“I think our whole D-Line, not just defensive end, has become dominant,” said Dennis-Sutton. “I think that just built off of last year, we were dominant last year and we’re going to aim to do the same thing this year. And I don’t think any of us lack confidence. I know everybody from top to bottom has been making plays — Zuriah (Fisher), me, Jordan van den Berg — everybody has been making plays. We expect to be dominant.”
Penn State DEs starting to pile up stats
The stats didn’t come easily for the group out of the gate this season. Both Dennis-Sutton and Isaac noted after the game that the Nittany Lions were winning their rushes, even if it didn’t reflect on the stat sheet.
“We’ve been thinking a lot in the beginning of the season, like “what should I do” and in our thoughts a lot,” explained Isaac, who also notched a sack in the win. “Now we just calmed down, we caught a rhythm and we just go with our fastball. Don’t think about it too much, we’re all talented. We don’t have to do much [extra], just flow with the game, play within the system and the plays will come to you.”
“We’re starting to make plays,” added Dennis-Sutton. “At the beginning of the season, we were getting back there but the teams were just getting rid of it or something would happen. Now we’re starting to make plays, starting to get confidence and with that confidence, you’re just going to make more plays. When you know your job, know what you’re going to do and how you’re going to beat somebody, it’s just about going out there and doing it.”
A confident group, which also saw Fisher and Amin Vanover get to the quarterback on Saturday, is a promising sign as the Nittany Lions approach the meat of their schedule.
“We’re very confident,” said Isaac. “We still have stuff to build off of, but we’re in a good spot and we just want to keep building.
The post Penn State defensive ends power way to another strong performance appeared first on On3.
