Temple-Penn State could come down to Owls' offense vs. Lions' defense

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Perhaps more than most, offensive-minded Temple coach Steve Addazio is in a good position to judge Penn State's defense.

As Florida's offensive coordinator, he coached against the Nittany Lions in the Gators' 37-24 Outback Bowl victory on Jan 1. And during the early part of this week, the first-year Owls head coach made it a priority to scout his next opponent's defense in preparation for Saturday's game.

His conclusion?

"I see a more mature [team], and I see a tough and an accelerated defense from one year ago," Addazio said. "They're not the same. They're very, very much improved and I think they are elite. I think they are one of the very top ones in the country."

The Nittany Lions defense hasn't gotten as much attention as maybe it deserves, mostly because the focus outside the team has centered on the shuffling of the quarterbacks. But Penn State has improved defensively from 2010, when it allowed an average of 23.7 points and 346.8 yards of total offense.

Through games against an overmatched Indiana State squad and No. 2 Alabama, Penn State has allowed 17 points per game and 264.5 of total offense per game.

Some of the improvement can be credited to more experience. All four members of Penn State's starting secondary are seniors, as are defensive ends Jack Crawford and Eric Latimore and defensive tackle Devon Still, who has the talent of a first-round NFL draft pick, in Addazio's eyes. Addazio also called junior defensive tackle Jordan Hill "outstanding."

Then there are the linebackers, the position held in the highest regard historically at Penn State. Strong-side linebacker Michael Mauti, a junior, leads that group and earned multiple preseason accolades. Mauti and Gerald Hodges, a Paulsboro, N.J., native, lead the team with 14 tackles each.

Though the Nittany Lions (1-1) lost at home to Alabama on Saturday, the defense wasn't the problem. It allowed 27 points to one of the best teams in the nation and often was put in bad positions as a result of a Penn State turnover. The defense was also on the field for more than 34 minutes of game time because of the offense's three turnovers, its failure to consistently move the ball and an inability to capitalize on opportunities.

"I think we came out [on Saturday] to play. I was proud of our defense," Mauti said after the 27-11 loss. "We forced a lot of three and outs and were flying around making tackles."

But a criticism of Penn State's defense has been its lack of success in forcing turnovers. One week after Kent State forced five Alabama turnovers, Penn State came up with none. It had two interceptions and a fumble recovery in its opener, but that was against Indiana State, a Football Championship Subdivision program.

"When we get the opportunity, we have to make those plays," Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.

How the Owls offense, led by running back Bernard Pierce, fares against the Nittany Lions defense could be a key to Saturday's game at Lincoln Financial Field. Temple (2-0) has outscored its first two opponents, 83-10, but Addazio knows Saturday is going to be a big test for his offense.

Penn State leads the all-time series 35-3-1 and has not lost to Temple since 1941.

"They've got experience in the front end, at the linebackers and in the back end," Addazio said. "So we're challenged against, arguably, one of the very finest defenses in America."