The Nittany Lions' corners are taught to play several yards off the wideouts and the safeties generally don't crowd the box, the better to prevent giving up big plays in the passing game. That the scheme has worked so well for so long mostly is a testament to the faith the coaching staff has in the defensive line and linebackers to put enough heat on the quarterback to generate sacks and hurried throws.
Until a couple of weeks ago, the system, for the most part, had worked well. Even though Penn State gave up 318 passing yards at Indiana, the Lions sacked quarterback Kellen Lewis six times and forced four turnovers to eke out a 36-31 victory.
Against No. 1 Ohio State last week, however, the plan came a cropper in a 37-17 drubbing. Perhaps that's because of a slew of injuries to key players; defensive end Jerome Hayes (knee), defensive tackle Jared Odrick (ankle) and safety Tony Davis (appendectomy) all were unavailable, and remain so.
Perhaps it's because the Buckeyes max-protected quarterback Todd Boeckman, who was sacked only once, and had a good enough running game to force a lot of second- and third-and-shorts, giving receivers time and room to exploit the soft underneath coverage.
So, with criticism suddenly coming down on Penn State defensive backs like a quick, chain-moving slant on third-and-3, the focus will be on how they react in tomorrow's final home game against the Big Ten Conference's passingest team, the Purdue Boilermakers.
