Penn State’s defense to face stiffer test against Ohio State

STATE COLLEGE — Enough with the dress rehearsals, Penn State’s season is about to get serious.

As expected, coach James Franklin’s Nittany Lions ran over one-win UMass, 63-0, on Saturday at Beaver Stadium in the rain.

Penn State’s defense recorded its second shutout, allowing 109 total yards on 62 UMass plays. The Minutemen (1-6) could have had a few more yards if not for the fact the visitors spent a good chunk of the contest behind the line of scrimmage.

An overmatched UMass offensive line watched the sixth-ranked Lions (6-0, 3-0) rack up 14 tackles for loss, seven of them sacks.

Penn State will tangle with unbeaten Ohio State next Saturday in Columbus, and it likely will be a game controlled by the defenses.

Penn State has allowed 48 total points, just 17 in the second half. And the Lions did handle West Virginia in their season opener, win handily at Illinois and Northwestern and shut out Iowa, 31-0, at home Sept. 23.

Ohio State, a 41-7 winner at Purdue on Saturday, has yielded just 58 points, and the Buckeyes won 17-14 at Notre Dame a couple weeks back.

It’s going to be a nasty 60 minutes at the Horseshoe, and Penn State has an array of defensive weapons to employ against an Ohio State offense built around star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr.

Franklin said his elite defense “has been able to control the game,” and he’s right. It’s been that same story in all six games.

Penn State excels at forcing three-and-outs, in large part because of an array of gifted edge rushers and corners skilled at playing man coverage.

The Lions had an interception return for touchdown against UMass called back by an illegal block, but corner Daequan Hardy, who is good in the slot, registered two pass breakups and returned a pair of punts for touchdowns, a first in a game by Penn State player.

Hardy, Kalen King and Johnny Dixon are the Lions’ top three corners, and second-year man Cam Miller has made huge strides. He had an interception against Illinois and two sacks — his first two — against UMass.

“I had a few opportunities in the past, it’s just I haven’t gotten home,” Miller said when asked about defensive coordinator Manny Diaz turning him loose on the blitz.

“It’s just a matter of time. Today was just the day.”

Penn State’s defense and Hardy’s work on special teams stood out, but don’t overlook what happened on offense and who made meaningful contributions.

Harrison Wallace III returned from an undisclosed injury and looked like the wideout who caught 10 passes in PSU’s first two games.

Wallace caught three passes for 44 yards, one of them a 21-yard reception that helped set up the Lions’ second touchdown, a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Drew Allar.

You can tell Allar and Wallace have chemistry after working together in the preseason. He also gives the Lions another viable wideout option in the pass game behind KeAndre Lambert-Smith.

And the Lions’ tight ends continue to produce touchdowns. Tyler Warren caught a 7-yard scoring pass from Allar in the first half to give him five touchdowns on the season.

The bigger deal was the play of tight end Theo Johnson, who caught four passes for 66 yards, two of them resulting in scores of 30 and 18 yards. Johnson had been kept out of the end zone in the first five games.

Finally, Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich had to be encouraged by the running of Kaytron Allen, who finished with 68 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Penn State finished with 246 yards on the ground.

Allen left the Lions’ win at Northwestern two weeks ago with an undisclosed injury. But he was frisky Saturday and Allen looks like Penn State’s most effective option on the ground at the halfway point of the regular season.

“I was pretty upset I couldn’t get back in the (Northwestern) game and do what I do,” Allen said. “Any time I’m on the field, that’s just like my happy place. … I’m glad I’m back and playing at a high level.”

He is, and so is Penn State’s defense. If the Penn State’s corners and safeties aren’t consistently causing problems for quarterbacks, the Lions’ pass rush is.

Diaz knows he has the depth to do whatever he wants, and Penn State is a tough team to match up with because of it.

Miller was asked about the impact the Lions’ pass rush can have on a quarterback. Lately, a QB has either had to get rid of the ball too soon or risk getting dumped on his backside.

Miller quickly smiled then said, “An offense has a lot to prepare for.”