Penn State’s defense is eager to keep up ‘the standard’ heading into Big Ten play vs. No. 19 Illinois

The Nittany Lions defense held Kent State to just 67 yards of offense. Members of the defense hope to make that the norm.

by Avery Hill

Updated Sept. 24, 2024, 11:03 a.m. ET

Published Sept. 24, 2024, 10:43 a.m. ET

Ever since Penn State was challenged by Bowling Green in Week 2, its defense has made making “the standard” the main topic of conversation.

On Saturday, No. 9 Penn State held Kent State to just 66 yards in its 56-0 rout of the Golden Flashes. Impressive, especially in the eyes of senior defensive tackle Coziah Izzard, who laid out expectations that the Nittany Lions defense would not allow more than 50 yards on the ground to the Golden Flashes — or to any offense for that matter.

Kent State’s total rushing yards? 48.

When asked if that game resembled “the standard,” senior safety Jaylen Reed gave just one word.

“Yes,” Reed said emphatically.

Even with the shutout, Penn State (3-0) had just two sacks and lost the turnover battle. Despite those totals, the dominant defense James Franklin expected was there.

Defensive ends Dani Dennis-Sutton and Glenside native Abdul Carter recorded their first sacks of the season. Both were factors throughout the game. So was defensive tackle Zane Durant, even though he finished with just one tackle.

“Zane Durant has been as impactful on the quarterback as anybody,” Franklin said following his press conference on Monday. “If you’re just strictly looking at a stat sheet, you wouldn’t know.”

Durant pressured Kent State’s quarterback the entire game. He even hit the guard with a quick swim move and got a hit on backup quarterback JD Sherrod, which forced an incompletion in the first quarter.

And then there’s Max Granville, the freshman defensive end who reclassified from the class of 2025 and joined Penn State at the beginning of camp. Granville nearly recorded a forced fumble, but it later was ruled an incomplete pass.

With 15½ sacks in 2015, former NFL defensive end Carl Nassib is the last Nittany Lion with more than 10 in a season. Penn State’s pass rush has remained dominant, however, and Franklin has applauded the impact his players have that don’t find the stat sheets.

In terms of shutting down the run game, Penn State dominated the Golden Flashes’ offensive line by executing in between the gaps — something Izzard pointed out as an issue against Bowling Green.

The defense needed to adjust to former Indiana head coach Tom Allen as the new coordinator in the offseason, Carter moving from linebacker to defensive end, and the late arrival of Granville, among other wrinkles.

Penn State begins its Big Ten slate against No. 19 Illinois (4-0) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).

Dennis-Sutton said defensive line coach Deion Barnes has set a standard, and, despite finishing with two tackles, Dennis-Sutton is upholding it.

“If you look on the stat sheet, it might not be the biggest stats,” Dennis-Sutton said. “If you turn on the film, I’ve been winning my one-on-ones, been pretty good in the run game.”