Penn State vs. Maryland Position Grades

Oct 3, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Army Black Knights running back John Trainor (6) runs with the ball in front of Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Jason Cabinda (40) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers:

As mentioned on the previous slide, the Penn State defense did not fare very well against the Terps. The linebackers were the second line of defense against the run and struggled to stop it. There were several missed tackles that allowed the Terps to gain important extra yards.

On the positive side, Troy Reeder continued to show that he’s going to be a key piece of the linebacker unit for years to come. He finished with a team-high 10 tackles, including nine solo. Right behind Reeder was Jason Cabinda with eight total tackles.

Brandon Bell, who’s been banged up this season, had a great game against the Terps, spending a lot of time in the backfield. He finished the contest with six total tackles and was given credit for three-and-a-half tackles for loss.

Again, the defense struggled in this one, giving up 30 points to a bad Maryland offense. For that reason, any defensive grades can’t be very high.

Grade: C

Next: Secondary