Penn State’s defense got mixed news on Friday, and the picture is still far from clean heading into Saturday night’s White Out showdown with No. 19 USC at Beaver Stadium.
The bad news came first: linebacker Alex Tatsch has been ruled out. The better news is that defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim moved from questionable to probable on the updated availability report. Both players had been listed as questionable earlier in the week, but their paths split late as kickoff neared for the 7:30 p.m. start.
Tatsch’s absence matters because Penn State’s linebacker group is already stretched thin. The sophomore has played in four games this season and put up 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble. He had become useful depth behind Tony Rojas, and with Cam Smith also unavailable, the Nittany Lions have fewer bodies to lean on at the position against the Trojans.
Nnodim’s upgrade gives Penn State a little relief up front. He missed the first two games of the season, then worked his way back into the rotation and has produced eight tackles and one tackle for loss. His status takes on even more weight after Northwestern rolled up 413 rushing yards in Penn State’s 34-13 loss last Friday.
That defensive front has already taken hits, including the season-ending loss of Max Granville. So while the update on Nnodim helps, the larger reality hasn’t changed much for Matt Campbell’s Nittany Lions: they still head into a major Big Ten matchup needing a sharper defensive effort, and they’ll have to chase it without Tatsch.
In Other News...
Penn State White Out Just Got Bigger Than Anyone Wanted
Penn States White Out game has taken on an even sharper edge this week, with No. 19 USC set to come to town Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The matchup would already carry plenty of weight under the lights, but the Nittany Lions are also trying to steady themselves after back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern, a skid that has only added to the unease around the program.
USC arrives with a 5-1 record and the kind of offensive firepower Lincoln Rileys teams usually bring, even if the Trojans have had their own issues on defense. For Penn State, the stakes are bigger than one ranked opponent on a national stage, because this is the sort of game that can either calm the noise around Matt Campbells tenure or turn the volume up another notch. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States White Out Puts One USC Advantage Under Pressure
Lincoln Riley and DAnton Lynn are set for an intriguing reunion when USC visits Penn State, with the two coaches now standing on opposite sidelines after spending time together at USC. Lynns arrival on Rileys staff helped stabilize and improve the Trojans defense in 2024, and the respect between the two has carried over even as the matchup has become a far bigger issue for both programs. In a White Out setting, Penn States defensive coordinator knows the USC offense as well as almost anyone does, and that familiarity adds another layer to an already high-stakes Big Ten showdown.
For Penn State, the challenge is balancing what Lynn learned in Los Angeles with the need to keep Riley guessing on a night when the atmosphere should be as imposing as the opponent. Riley, meanwhile, has to navigate a defense led by someone who understands his approach and helped shape USCs recent progress on that side of the ball. It is the kind of chess match that can swing a game in subtle ways, and it gives Penn State another reason to expect this White Out to come down to more than just talent on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Now Catches USC At A Brutal Time
USC is heading into a crucial stretch with another blow to its receiving corps, as Terrell Anderson is expected to undergo season-ending surgery because of an undisclosed injury. The transfer from NC State had been part of the Trojans plans at wide receiver, and his absence now leaves Corey Simms as another season-long loss in a unit that has already taken hits.
For Penn State, the timing matters because the Trojans are trying to get ready for a key upcoming meeting while sorting through the latest injury setback. It adds another layer of uncertainty to USCs offense and gives the Nittany Lions one more reason to monitor how much depth the Trojans really have left at a position that can change a game in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]