Penn State Football: Positional report card for win over Northwestern

When a secondary holds an opposing quarterback under 150 yards passing, allows zero touchdowns, and records two interceptions, it is doing something right. That is the kind of performance the Lions delivered Saturday afternoon.

Quarterback Clayton Thorson struggled all day against the Penn State defense. He went 19 for 36 for 142 yards. He was picked off twice, with cornerbacks Christian Campbell and Amani Oruwariye doing the honors. Penn State also came close on several other occasions of intercepting the ball.

The secondary is always in good position to make a play and they play aggressive. Safety Marcus Allen may not have had his best game, but he certainly was a factor in not allowing a Wildcat receiver behind him. He also played aggressive on some tackles up near the line of scrimmage.

As with the rest of the Penn State defense, the secondary is a big reason for why the Lions are 6-0. They play smart, fast and aggressive. Opposing defenses have had a hard time this season doing much in the passing game against this group.