Penn State’s defense opens to curtain call
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James Franklin didn't have the stat sheet when he arrived at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday afternoon to meet the media.
So he'd have to wait a few more minutes to make sense of some of these numbers:
Wisconsin ran 95 plays to Penn State's 51, racked up 30 first downs to the Nittany Lions' 11 and kept the ball for more than 42 of the game's 60 minutes.
And yet, the Lions won, 16-10.
Sometimes, the numbers don't add up, and Franklin knew it.
"We're fortunate to get out of here with a win,'' he said.
The numbers were balanced by Penn State's tenacious defense, which forced three turnovers -- the Lions didn't commit any, a bugaboo last year -- and some impressive halftime adjustments that allowed the offense to show what it's supposed to be.
Of the Lions' 297 yards, 254 came after the first half, which ended in a 0-0 tie.'
"We talked about all week long -- about (being the team) that's going to will it to happen,'' Franklin said. "The defense had the offense's back early in the game.''
After getting nothing going on offense early, new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich began probing the perimeter of the Badgers' defense, which opened up the middle for Jahan Dotson.
Quarterback Sean Clifford started going over the top to Dotson (five catches, 102 yards, one touchdown) and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who caught four for 71. The two combined for three receptions over 40 yards, and suddenly the running game had some room.
The Nits managed a mere 2 yards rushing in the first half, but freed hard-running Noah Cain in the second. He finished with 48 yards -- 34 on one burst -- and scored the game-winning touchdown.
"Once we got Jahan involved, everything opened up from there,'' Franklin said.
"We've got to give credit to coach Yurcich,'' Dotson said. "He recognized they were in Cover 4 and Sean did a great job laying it up for me. I was just trying to do everything possible to put my team in position. We just kept our head. We have a veteran squad with a lot of leaders and we were able to put some drives together. Tempo is a weapon for us, and the world can see that. When we're using that, we're pretty much unstoppable.''
That said, the defense must get the game ball.
The Badgers drove to or inside the Penn State 25 six times and managed just 10 points. Three of those advances to the Lions' 15 or deeper produced zero points.
Jaquan Brisker's effort typified Penn State's grit. Four times he was removed from the game for a shoulder injury, and four times he returned. His interception on fourth down with 2:16 left at the Lions' 2 (and return of 41 yards) wiped out Wisconsin's best opportunity down 16-10.
"I couldn't let my teammates down,'' Brisker said. "You know they depended on me, especially being a leader and a captain of this team. I couldn't go down.''
Brisker's Lackawanna Junior College teammate and fellow safety Ji'Ayir Brown made a game-sealing interception after the Lion offense didn't "end the game on our terms,'' Franklin said, giving Wisconsin one more minute to cover 80 yards.
In addition to the Lions' great safety play, which Franklin noted "we haven't had,'' new defensive end Arnold Ebikiete was a monster with seven tackles and a blocked field goal. Ditto middle linebacker Ellis Brooks, who made a team-high 11 tackles before he was ejected for targeting.
"Our defense played extremely well, gutsy,'' Franklin said.
Though Wisconsin obviously moved the ball, the Badgers surely lost sleep over their two red-zone fumbles (one lost), a blocked field goal and their inability to defend Dotson.
But they also ran into a team with renewed perseverance, something clearly missing last year.
Franklin knows this victory could be a building block.
"To come on the road, against a Top 20 opponent, not too many people do that (at Camp Randall),'' he said. "I'm happy for our guys. It's a big win.''
Easily one of the best of his eight-year Penn State tenure.
Regardless of what the stat sheet said.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.