Multiple losses in the secondary, including three separate safeties to the NFL over the last two seasons left Penn State football without an experienced leader in the secondary. Converted senior safety Nick Scott quickly made a name for himself in his first year as a starter and became that much-needed leader.
It took some time for the defense and Scott to find their footing. In the early to midway portions of the season, the Nittany Lions’ defense surrendered nearly 400 or more yards of offense in five of its first seven games: Appalachian State, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State and Indiana.