Penn State Football: 2017 position grades vs Nebraska
Defensive Line
The D-Line made it known that their bark can be as bad as the bite. This defensive line got built up a little too much at the start of the season. It shutdown every team and offense until Ohio State. Then, the pass rush faded and running games had field days. Now, the stacked defensive line returned to form against Nebraska.
Tyrell Chavis, Robert Windsor, Kevin Givens and Shareef Miller all helped contribute to the sack production on Tanner Lee. Nebraska’s QB still managed to throw for almost 400 yards, but he had zero rhythm in the first half. The D-Line kept him contained enough time to get the offense out in front.
Against the run game, this defense held the Huskers to just 67 rushing yards. There was zero running room and a lot of that had to do with a dominant front. This defensive line is vastly underrated. Through 11 games this year, 10 different defensive linemen have compiled at least double-digit tackles. This defense has done a great job of playing together as a unit. Brent Pry’s constant subs up front make for a complex, deep front.