Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win at Northwestern

3. Defense is the catalyst for Penn State as they try to repeat in Big Ten

Ultimately, the reason why Penn State posted another convincing win was thanks to one of the most dominant defenses in the country. In the first half, Northwestern put together several strong drives that looked capable of threatening the Nittany Lions. But each time, the defense came up with huge turnovers and big stops that kept the Wildcats off the scoreboard for over 58 minutes.

The game was still just 10-0 in favor of the visitors when the two teams came out of the locker rooms after the intermission. Penn State’s offense opened things up in the second half, but the blowout was possible largely because of a stout defensive effort by one of the best units in the entire country.

Entering the game, Penn State had already racked up 14 turnovers in five games. Against Northwestern, the defense piled up another two interceptions and a fumble to eliminate any hope of an upset for the hosts. Standout running back Justin Jackson was held to 89 total yards on 22 touches, and most importantly he was held out of the endzone.

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Already among the top five defenses in the country, Penn State lowered its season averages even further on that side of the ball. In upcoming showdowns against the Wolverines and Buckeyes, the defense will once again be the critical cog that determines whether the Nittany Lions head back to Indianapolis and remain in the College Football Playoff hunt.