Penn State’s defense thrives under Manny Diaz’s guidance [opinion]

Penn State linebacker Tyler Elsdon admitted he had reservations after Brent Pry resigned because the Nittany Lions defensive coordinator to turn into the pinnacle coach at Virginia Tech final December.

He didn’t know a lot about Manny Diaz, who Penn State head coach James Franklin had employed to switch Pry, so he carried a whole lot of uncertainty.

“When a brand new coach is available in, all people’s gonna be skeptical,” Elsdon mentioned, “(as a result of) you get recruited by the earlier coach. However he revered all of us straight away. And it was a kind of issues the place that respect was mutual.”

Diaz, the previous Miami (Fla.) head coach and longtime defensive coordinator, has slot in properly thus far with the unbeaten Nittany Lions. The protection ranks within the high 15 nationally in factors allowed, dashing yards allowed, go effectivity, purple zone protection and takeaways.

They obtained off to a bumpy begin at Purdue earlier than limiting Ohio, Auburn, Central Michigan and Northwestern to a mean of 10.8 factors per sport. The protection was clearly the distinction in Penn State’s 17-7 victory over the Wildcats on Saturday at water-logged Beaver Stadium.

The Lions dedicated 5 turnovers, together with three at midfield or inside their very own territory. The protection responded after these sudden modifications by holding Northwestern to a mixed 8 yards, an incredible quantity.

Franklin described the protection’s efficiency as “phenomenal.”

“The entire thing is about having your brother’s again,” mentioned defensive finish Nick Tarburton, who had a strip sack and a fumble restoration Saturday.  “Working on the market, strapping it the hell up and going to struggle, man, in your brothers. That’s one thing we preach day by day, enjoying with relentless effort. Doing that’s going to create good issues for us.”

The Lions have already got made nice strides of their dashing protection. Final season, they allowed 152.7 yards per sport, rating a mediocre 67th nationally. After holding Northwestern to 31 yards on 28 dashing makes an attempt, they’ve improved their common this season to 79.6 per sport, which ranks fifth.

A lot of that has to do with the return of two tackles who missed all or a lot of final season: PJ Mustipher, who suffered a knee damage within the sixth sport at Iowa, and Hakeem Beamon, who didn’t play in any respect for an undisclosed cause.

Mustipher tied a profession excessive with eight tackles Saturday, together with the sport’s largest cease on Ryan Hilinski’s quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 1 within the fourth quarter.

“I’m getting shut,” Mustipher mentioned. “That is one in every of my higher video games. I’m persevering with to get higher and it’s beginning to present up on the sphere on Saturdays.”

Beamon broke up consecutive passes on third and fourth down on a Northwestern possession within the fourth quarter. He practiced with the scout staff final 12 months, however didn’t play in a sport.

“He’s so disruptive,” Mustipher mentioned. “He makes a whole lot of performs within the backfield. Simply to have him subsequent to me actually helps as a result of they’ll’t double staff me. They need to give attention to him, too, or he’ll get within the backfield in a rush.”

With Diaz’s aggressive play-calling, his defenses have had a knack for creating sacks, tackles for loss and turnovers. Penn State has 11 takeaways in its final three video games, its most in such a stretch since 1996.

Penn State gamers have given Diaz optimistic evaluations, stating how a lot they benefit from the freedom he permits them.

“His protection general may be very spectacular,” Tarburton mentioned. “We’re lastly all beginning to jell. I believe you guys as outsiders are getting to grasp what this protection is all about, simply creating havoc and having enjoyable.”

Whether or not their enjoyable will proceed of their subsequent three video games towards Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State stays to be seen. But when they navigate their manner efficiently via that stretch, the protection shall be crucial issue.

“That is what we’re imagined to do,” Mustipher mentioned. “It’s not flashy. It’s not one thing we haven’t executed earlier than. Now we have to go on the market and execute. It’s been a giant emphasis because the offseason, doing our job at a excessive stage.”

Together with Diaz, who was one other excellent rent by Franklin. Former All-American linebacker Dan Connor, Penn State’s all-time main tackler, is in his first season on the employees as a defensive analyst. He’s been impressed.

“He’s top-of-the-line defensive coordinators I’ve been round,” mentioned Connor, who performed six seasons within the NFL. “While you see how he thinks and the way he approaches the sport, it’s completely different. He’s as sensible as there may be. He finds a approach to take a reasonably complicated sport and simplify it for the gamers to allow them to play quick and actually belief their instincts.

“It’s a system I’d have beloved to play in.”