Penn State’s 45-0 win over Marshall didn’t hand the defensive tackles a headline-friendly stat line, but the Nittany Lions’ interior front still did plenty of heavy lifting in University Park.
Siale Taupaki, Keanu Williams, Dallas Vakalahi, De’Andre Cook and Ty Blanding weren’t piling up sacks or filling the box score with tackles for loss. Still, Marshall spent the afternoon fighting uphill. The Thundering Herd managed only 44 rushing yards on 26 carries, finished with 147 total yards and went 1-for-12 on third down.
That kind of result rarely happens by accident.
Taupaki ended with one assisted tackle and a half tackle for loss. Williams, Vakalahi and Cook each had one tackle, while Blanding added a tackle and a tackle for loss.
On paper, that looks modest. In practice, Penn State’s interior line was helping set the table for everyone else.
Tony Rojas led the defense with seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Caleb Bacon turned in a disruptive afternoon with six tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack, while Cael Brezina added five tackles. The picture that emerged was simple: Penn State kept forcing Marshall’s runners sideways, into congestion and away from clean lanes.
That’s the job description for a good defensive tackle group. Eat blocks.
Stay disciplined. Keep linebackers free.
Make the offense work around you.
Taupaki said there is still room for the group to sharpen up.
“There’s still a lot more left on the plate,” Taupaki said. “There are a couple things that we left out there technique-wise as a group.”
He also pointed to the bigger defensive picture.
“As a whole defense, we did a good job hauling to the ball.”
Penn State’s interior linemen also didn’t post individual pressure numbers in PFF’s charting, even though the group combined for 51 pass-rushing snaps. But the defense as a whole still produced 17 pressures by PFF’s count, with the work coming from elsewhere as much as from the middle.
Ike Ezeogu had two hurries in just 15 pass-rush opportunities, Yvan Kemajou generated three pressures, and both Rojas and Bacon finished with sacks. Penn State was credited with two sacks overall, while Marshall averaged just 3.7 yards per passing attempt.
It was less about one dominant tackle wrecking the game and more about Penn State squeezing Marshall from all sides.
Taupaki’s comfort in D’Anton Lynn’s system helps explain some of that. A UCLA transfer who previously played for defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, Taupaki has been helping teammates adjust to a defense that demands a different way of seeing the game.
“These were guys who played straight, go-get-it football,” Taupaki said. “With Malloe coming over and D’Anton Lynn coming over and expanding their horizons with the type of defense and the type of schemes that we want, I had to sit back a little bit and realize what type of players we had.”
That showed up in how Penn State defended Marshall’s run game. The Nittany Lions weren’t just reacting; they were controlling where the Thundering Herd could go.
Bacon’s first-quarter sequence was a good example. He blew up Khalil Wilkins for a five-yard loss on one run, then helped force Carlos Del Rio-Wilson into a two-yard loss on the next snap. Soon after, Rojas finished off the sequence with a sack on third-and-17.
Penn State also appears to have real depth developing inside. PFF charted Blanding for 24 defensive snaps, Williams for 22, Vakalahi for 19, Cook for 16 and Taupaki for 15, which meant the rotation stayed fresh and no one had to carry an overwhelming workload in the opener.
Taupaki singled out Cook in particular.
“I love that man,” Taupaki said. “I always made sure guys felt accepted and needed within our group.
No one gets left behind. That’s not just a football thing.
That’s a family thing.”
He praised Cook’s ability to help against both the run and the pass, and said he has seen real growth from him.
The next step is turning that steady interior play into more splash plays. Penn State won’t want its defensive tackles to go through full games without generating pressure. Taupaki admitted there were technique issues to clean up, and the PFF grades reflected a group that was solid rather than spectacular.
But the baseline matters. Marshall ran for 44 yards.
Its backs managed only 14 yards on 10 carries. The Thundering Herd didn’t score.
Penn State’s tackles may not have owned the stat sheet. They still helped own the game.
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