Penn State Football: 5 overreactions from win over Iowa

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5. Penn State’s defense is way underrated

Whenever Penn State is mentioned in the national media, it’s always in regards to their explosive, high-powered offense.

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Whether it’s Heisman-hopeful Saquon Barkley, scrappy starting quarterback Trace McSorley, or their plethora of young, talented receivers, the Nittany Lions are absolutely stacked on the offensive side of the ball, but the unsung heroes of Happy Valley may in fact be the team’s defenders.

Over the first four games of the college football season, the Nittany Lions’ defense is ranked 20th in the nation, and has only given up 33 points, less than nine points per game.

In addition to their ability to keep opposing offenses out of the endzone, they’re also constantly delivering pressure at the line of scrimmage.

The Nittany Lions currently rank 18th in the nation in sacks with 12, and lead the country with an astounding 41 tackles for loss over only four games.

Not only has defensive coordinator Bret Pry’s unit been statistically impressive, but they’ve played with a confident swagger that’s absolutely infectious across the board.

Whether it’s been the team’s two shutout victories against Gerogia State and Akron, or Penn State holding Iowa’s NFL-bound running back Akrum Wadley to an outstanding 10 carries for zero yards in the first half, the defense has been impressive in 2017 and should continue to get better as the season progresses.

Going forward, the Nittany Lions’ defense will be facing off against high-powered offenses like Ohio State, as long as the Nittany Lions have players like Marcus Allen, Shareef Miller and Jason Cabinda manning their defense they will always have a chance.

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