Defense
Grade: C
The key matchup of this game was the Penn State secondary against Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell picked Penn State apart for 356 yards but completed just 29 of 58 pass attempts, so the yards were bound to be there for the Boilermakers. And the secondary went through its share of highs and lows.
The defensive pass pressure was seldom there, and the defense didn’t record a sack until the fourth quarter when Jonathan Sutherland brought down O’Connell. Penn State ended with two sacks; one came on Purdue’s final drive of the game.
There were a good number of issues that popped up against a competent Purdue team, and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz now knows what he needs to work on moving forward.
Joey Porter Jr. nearly had an interception in the first half, but he found himself in the right place at the right time for a fumble recovery late in the first half.