Why Penn State's defense is a nightmare for FIU QB Keyone Jenkins

Both Penn State and Florida International are entering Saturday's game with a 1-0 record thanks to impressive wins by more than 30 points. That's where their similarities end, however, as the Nittany Lions favored by FanDuel with a -41.5 point spread.

The blue and white dominated in Week 1 with both offensive and defensive units clicking seamlessly and playing without any offseason rust.

With over 300 team receiving yards and 135 team rushing yards on offense, Penn State's defense completed the dominance with three turnovers and three sacks to cruise to a Week 1 win.

Again, the blue and white are expected to have a similar performance in this next contest against the Panthers. The defense, especially, is again expected to thrive against FIU QB Keyone Jenkins, whose play in Week 1 was mixed.

Jenkins thrived in 2024 with 2,557 yards and 22 touchdowns to eight interceptions, but against Bethune-Cookman, he only averaged 6.2 yards per pass. Meanwhile, backup QB Joe Pesansky threw the longest pass of the game in only five attempts.

Despite the passing numbers not necessarily thriving on all metrics for Jenkins, he also rushed for two of FIU's total six rushing touchdowns, displaying his dual-threat ability.

Jenkins's ability to scramble makes this an incredibly crucial game for the Nittany Lions' defensive line and linebacker play, but even so, there are no questions as to whether the defense will show out. Penn State can easily rattle the Panthers' quarterback.

Notably leading those units is star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, who stepped up on the outside in the absence of now-New York Giant Abdul Carter.

Dennis-Sutton practically played every aspect of his game in top-of-the-line fashion. He recorded five total tackles, 2.5 of which were for loss, along with a sack and pass deflection.

PFF lauded the star and placed him in the National Team of the week and inside the Big Ten's team with the national "Run Defender of the Week" honors.

While Dennis-Sutton was the lone Penn State player included in the national list and is expected to continue his play into Week 2, he isn't alone.

With FIU's backfield approach being exceptional alongside Jenkins', it'll have to compete with the speed and tackling ability of transfer linebacker Amare Campbell, who made an immediate impact in Week 1 with a team high in tackles with six.

Campbell and Dennis-Sutton will be essential in taking away the ability to maneuver outside the pocket for FIU's offense and pressuring the passer. It doesn't end with the two of them either.

With this excellent defensive pass rush and rush defense, Penn State also boasts a strong secondary that held its Week 1 opponent to a measly 52.3 completion percentage.

Since the Panthers are another weaker, unranked opponent for the Nittany Lions, there is an expectation that this point of the season serves as a trial period before conference play begins. Head coach James Franklin is analyzing the depth at this side of the ball to see how freshmen and those who have been overlooked perform.

In that precedent, there is a reason to expect that five-star freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson will get more reps as he has already been permitted to burn his redshirt and see game time.

The Perris, Calif., native tallied two tackles and impressed Franklin in his debut collegiate appearance. He was one of four players to receive additional praise at the midweek press conference.

While stars will always burn bright on the Nittany Lions' defense, this matchup against FIU serves perfectly into the blue and white's strengths. The weak passing game of the Panthers is another platform for one of Penn State's strengths in shutting down the run

As the Nittany Lions prepare to continue its four-game home stand, fans in Happy Valley can expect a total defensive smothering, especially for FIU's highly touted passer, Jenkins.