Penn State Football: Position Grades at Pitt

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PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 08: Ellis Brooks #13 of the Penn State Nittany Lions tackles Qadree Ollison #30 of the Pittsburgh Panthers on September 8, 2018 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Defensive Line

It was a tale of two halves for the defensive line. In the first half, Pitt had 214 rushing yards, as the Nittany Lions’ defensive line was getting man-handled by Pitt’s offensive line. It was truly a disaster. If Pitt’s play calling was smart, then Penn State could have found themselves down at halftime.

The miraculous recovery for the defensive line in the second half however, deserves a lot of respect. Pitt only ran for 31 yards in the second half, and Penn State’s defensive line looked completely different.

Defensive tackle Kevin Givens, who missed the first game due to a suspension, made his presence felt up front with seven tackles, two of them coming for a loss. Defensive end Shaka Toney had five tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Yetur Gross-Matos, Shareef Miller, and Daniel Joseph also shined at defensive end, combining for two-and-a-half sacks and three and a half tackles for loss.

A more consistent game would be preferred from the Nittany Lions defensive line going forward, but that second half was great.

Grade: B-

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