Penn State Football: 5 reasons Lions will beat Kentucky in Citrus Bowl

4. Penn State defense shows up to play

Entering the 2018 season, there were many questions with the Penn State defense. Over the course of the season, the Lions got better on that side of the ball. They appear to be playing their best entering the bowl game.

The Nittany Lions lead the nation in sacks with 43 total. Sixteen different players recorded at least one sack each, proving the Lions love to rotate players in and out to keep the defense fresh. Leading the way for the team is sophomore defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who had eight of those sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He became a wrecking ball in the second half of the season. Combined with Shareef Miller, Robert Windsor, and Kevin Givens, the Lions front four is formidable. They are sure to get after Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson and be the first line of defense against Benny Snell.

Linebacker Micah Parsons leads the Nittany Lions in tackles. Scary he is only a freshman and scarier he accomplished the feat while only earning one start on the season. In his first bowl game, he will be ready to make an impact. Fifth year senior cornerback Amani Oruwariye is the Lions best player in the secondary and he’s back in his home state of Florida for his final game. He has three interceptions on the year, 11 passes defensed, and will be looking to make a splash in his home state.

Kentucky has faced several good defenses in the SEC this season. They will face another good one in Penn State’s. The Lions will be a challenge for Kentucky’s offense that ranks 100th in the nation in total offense.