Penn State Football: Voting for the defensive MVP for the first half of the season
Who has been the defensive standout so far for Penn State football?
Entering the new season it was the Penn State offense that was receiving all of the attention, and rightfully so. The Nittany Lions returned several key pieces of last year’s potent offense. There were some question marks on the defensive side, but so far, the Nittany Lions have fared very well on defense.
Through six games, Penn State boasts the best scoring defense in the nation, allowing an average of just under nine points per game. The Nittany Lions have also been stout when it comes to allowing opponents to move the ball. They are ranked 12th in the nation with an average of 285 yards per game.
Defensive coordinator Brent Pry has done an excellent job of putting the right pieces in place to ensure that his defense is the best it can be.
Which Nittany Lion really stood out on defense in the first six games?
Barry Leonard, Co-Site Expert
The defense has been a nice surprise this year — not that I thought it would be terrible — but I also didn’t think it would be this good. The Nittany Lions have been excellent on the defensive side of the ball. There are several players responsible for that, but I’ll highlight one as the first half MVP.
Senior linebacker Jason Cabinda gets my vote as the best player for the Nittany Lions so far. He’s been a force in the middle of the Penn State defense and has really stepped up as a leader. He leads the team with 40 total tackles and has made plays all over the field.
Certainly more than a few players are deserving of the defensive MVP title for the Nittany Lions, but at this point in the year I’m going with Cabinda.
Marty Leap, Contributor
Defensive MVP for Penn State through six games is a tough call. There are a lot of deserving players, but I will go with cornerback Grant Haley.
Penn State’s secondary is turning into arguably the best secondary in the FBS and a big reason for this is Grant Haley turning into one of the best lockdown cornerbacks in the FBS. This season Haley has a pair of interceptions and his five pass breakups is second most on the team behind Christian Campbell.
According to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks own just a 6.7 passer rating this season when throwing at Grant Haley. This is the third lowest opposing passer rating against in the FBS. Penn State’s defense has been elite this season, and a big reason why has been Grant Haley taking away half the field from opposing quarterbacks.
Kyle Zartman, Contributor
The defensive MVP really comes down to just two players. It should be no surprise that it is a toss-up between Seniors Marcus Allen and Jason Cabinda. Both have been rock solid in leading the Nittany Lion defense the first half of the 2017 season, a defense that has not surrendered a first quarter point all year, and only 54 through six games.
I will give my vote to Marcus Allen. The reasoning behind giving the edge to Allen over Cabinda is that he has forced two fumbles and has an interception through the first six games. I feel this gives Allen a slight edge over Cabinda.
Shane Lunnen, Contributor
I’m going with Marcus Allen as the defensive MVP through the first half of the season. Allen is second on the team in tackles with 34. He has recorded 4 tackles for loss, a sack, returned an interception 50 yards against Georgia State and forced two fumbles. Against Pitt, Allen had his best game so far with 12 total tackles and recorded a safety.
Next: Nittany Lions Face Big Challenge in Coming Weeks
Allen has been all over the field this season and needs to be game planned against by opposing teams. It’s not just been his statistics. Allen provides senior leadership for Brent Pry’s defense. He’s been a huge reason behind Penn State allowing only 9 points per game. There is no doubt Allen will be a force in Penn State’s remaining games.