Penn State vs. Illinois Position Grades

Oct 31, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Rich Barnes- USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line:

The Penn State defensive line woke up on Saturday and showed why the unit is one of the best in the nation. The trio of Austin Johnson, Anthony Zettel and Carl Nassib has proven difficult for most offenses to stop.

Penn State recorded four sacks against the Illini, all of which came from the defensive line. Johnson, Zettel and Nassib each recorded a sack while backup linemen Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran combined to make a sack late in the game.

Nassib is in the middle of one of the best seasons by a Penn State lineman in recent years. He’s now recorded a sack in nine-straight games and is easily one of the best linemen in the nation.

The Illinois offense, particularly quarterback Wes Lunt, really struggled against the Nittany Loins and a big reason for that was the defensive line. It was a great game by the big guys up front.

Grade: A+

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