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DETROIT – Penn State’s defense put an exclamation point on its performance in the regular season with a dominant effort in a 42-0 romp past Michigan State Friday night at Ford Field.
The Nittany Lions posted their third shutout, their most in a season since 1978 when they blanked Ohio State, TCU and Kentucky.
They held the Spartans to five first downs and 53 total yards, the fewest by an opponent since 1947.
“We’re one of the best ones that have come through here,” defensive end Adisa Isaac said. “The No. 1 defense (in total yards allowed), you can’t take that away from us.”
Penn State allowed 223.2 total yards per game in the regular season, 11.4 points, 69.7 rushing yards and 153.6 passing yards. The Lions rank very high in some of those categories in school history.
“There’s a difference between buying into statistics and buying into really good football,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “They’re playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.
“We’ve played really good defense since I’ve become a head coach. I think Manny (defensive coordinator Manny Diaz) and the staff have taken it to another level.”
Lions defensive players such as defensive end Chop Robinson and cornerback Kalen King might have played their final Penn State game Friday night. They could opt out of the bowl game and declare for the NFL draft.
Isaac, who leads Penn State in sacks and tackles for loss, said he hasn’t decided whether to return to the team next year or opt out of the bowl game if he declares for the draft.
Evans emerges: Penn State wide receiver Omari Evans did not see much playing time for several games before catching one pass for 25 yards last week against Rutgers and then one for 60 yards to set up a touchdown against Michigan State.
“It meant a lot because I’ve been working hard,” Evans said. “It’s finally paying off. It feels great when your hard work pays off.”
Evans has four receptions for 94 yards and one touchdown this season.
Decisions, decisions: Several Penn State players have yet to announce whether they’re declaring for the 2024 NFL draft or staying in school.
Offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, defensive end Chop Robinson and cornerback Kalen King are all expected to turn pro. If that’s the case, they’ll have to decide whether they want to play in a bowl game or not.
With offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich being fired almost two weeks ago, there has been some speculation whether quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nick Singleton will return to Penn State. Both of them said Friday night they’re coming back.
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