How good was Penn State’s defense on Saturday night?
Really good.
And the Nittany Lions have been really good on defense all season. When they have given up points it has been almost always followed by defensive stands to keep the game within reach. It’s hard to imagine the Nittany Lions winning 4 games if not for the efforts of Mike Hull and company.
But a struggling offense has left Penn State’s defense something of a martyr. The wins will be remembered, the losses so infrequently making the highlight reels, no matter how good the defense may have been that day.
Playing Ohio State will forever open the door for Penn State fans to compare it to a historic 17-10 victory over Ohio State in 2005. A defensive showing by both teams that was Penn State’s defensive reputation condensed down into a 60 minute game of big hits, sacks, and forced turnovers.
And in a game where nearly nobody gave the Nittany Lions a shot, Penn State’s defense came up big again, perhaps in one of the best defensive efforts in years for the program.
– 24 points, less than half of what Ohio State averaged each game.
– 293 yards, only 63 yards more than what Ohio State earned in 2005. Just over half of the 500+ Ohio State has averaged over the past four games.
A monster effort by Hull, a 19 tackle 1 interception masterclass in playing the linebacker position. An effort that probably bettered that of Dan Connor’s 12 tackle performance in 2005.
On top of it all, Penn State did it with a hodgepodge of talent. Freshman Marcus Allen making his first start would put up 10 tackles and a performance that made him look a star in the making. A forever scrutinized Deion Barnes who came up with big play after big play on Saturday night.
And Mike Hull, the now newest member of Linebacker U has played as well as any who have come before him despite expectations far less lofty.
“There are no moral victories,” Hull said. “But I think that we are heading into the right direction. I think that if we keep playing like this every week, with that same type of effort, we will be hard to beat.”
So maybe this game will be remembered, not because of the calls or the replays or even the loss. But because a defense that has played well all year held one of the nation’s best offenses back. It proved its worth despite the critics and it nearly pulled off the unthinkable in the process.
“Remember us.” As simple an order as a king can give. “Remember why we died.” For he did not wish tribute, nor song, nor monuments nor poems of war and valor. His wish was simple. “Remember us,” he said to me” — Diilios in 300
