Should we be concerned with the Penn State football run defense?

Before the West Virginia game, many believed that the Penn State football team’s defense would be a strength. It’s too early to tell if there are any long-term issues, but the first quarter was a little concerning when West Virginia ran the ball. Now, credit is due to the Mountaineer offensive line. They have a few players that have All-American potential. But as the game went on, the defense tightened up and only allowed 8 points when the second string unit was on the field. James Franklin gave credit to the adjustments made in the locker room ahead of the second half.

Should we be concerned with the Penn State run defense?

As a team the Penn State defense allowed 146 total rushing yards to West Virginia. QB Garrett Greene put a long of pressure on the Nittany Lions all night long. The Mountaineers averaged 3.7 yards per carry on 40 rushing attempts Saturday night. Roughly 60 of those yards came in the first quarter alone. Was it first-game jitters or something else plaguing the Nittany Lions?

James Franklin spoke on the matter after the game. He said, “I think the biggest thing in the second half was we were able to get off the field on either third or fourth down. I think they’ve got a good offensive line. They were touting their offensive line coming into the season and I think their offensive line is good. I think their quarterback does a phenomenal job. When you are rushing that type of quarterback, you’ve got to keep in your rush lanes and you can’t get above the level of the quarterback. …And they were smart, it wasn’t too many times where they were dropping back and holding onto the ball. The ball was coming out quick, either in quick game or RPO-type throws which was smart.”

Garrett Greene did a great job of keeping the Nittany Lions on their toes all night. West Virginia went so quickly that Chop Robinson was unable to make a major impact on Saturday night. Abdul Carter was in a similar position. Look for those two players to bounce back in a big way against Deleware on Saturday.

Most importantly, remember that the Penn State 1st-string defensive unit only allowed 7 points all night.

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