Turning up the heat: Penn State's DEs have been creating havoc on offenses
The following story appears in the most recent edition of Blue White Illustrated's magazine, printed and mailed to our print subscribers this week.
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Within days of the end of Penn State’s 2018 season, the composition of the defensive line changed dramatically. Two veteran players, defensive end Shareef Miller and defensive tackle Kevin Givens, both announced that they were going to forgo their final seasons of eligibility with the Nittany Lions to pursue NFL careers. The primary leaders of a group that helped amass a school-record-tying 47 sacks last season, they would not be easily replaced during games and, maybe even more important, in practices and meetings.
Shaka Toney instinctively, quickly recognized this.
Throughout Toney’s first three years with the program, the Nittany Lions’ defensive line room had always featured two or three strong personalities to take charge of the group. Garrett Sickels, Evan Schwan, Torrence Brown, Parker Cothren, Curtis Cothran, Miller and Givens all filled that space.
Understanding that Robert Windsor would naturally ascend into a bigger role as a fifth-year senior for the 2019 season, and with junior All-Big Ten candidate Yetur Gross-Matos by his side, Toney saw an opportunity to help fill the void.
Described as a fiercely loyal teammate who has earned respect not only within the defensive line room but also throughout the program, Toney has made a rapid and notable evolution.
First recruited by the Nittany Lions out of Philadelphia’s Imhotep Charter as a 195-pound linebacker, Toney turned his attention to the defensive end position and has since blossomed in that role. Now listed at 6-foot-3, 243 pounds, he appeared as a backup in each of his first two seasons, tallying 43 tackles while notching nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss to go along with three forced fumbles and a pair of pass breakups. Most notably, Toney shined in a six-tackle performance at Indiana last October, totaling four sacks and forcing a fumble.
With Toney on an upward trajectory, head coach James Franklin offered an unprompted call of attention toward the redshirt junior this past August, describing him as a player who was “not getting talked about enough.”
“[He] has got so much respect, is so explosive. He’s great for our offense, our tackles, with his get-off and his speed. He tested well this off-season,” Franklin said. “I think he’s going to have a huge year for us.”
Toney has since deflected all the praise that has come his way, insisting that the credit belongs to the defense as a whole, particularly the front line. That defensive front, dubbed the Wild Dogs by assistant coach Sean Spencer, was on fire through the first half of the season.
The foundation of a defense that was living up to, if not exceeding, its preseason expectations through eight games, the line has helped produce a pass rush that was averaging 3.75 sacks per game. That average ranked sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and the line was accountable for nearly 70 percent of the team’s sack production.
Forming a distinct identity built around first stopping the run, then making the duration of the game miserable for opposing quarterbacks and receivers, the Nittany Lion defense has executed its plan with precision.
“In our room, we take the running game very seriously this year. We weren’t satisfied with how we played the run last year and how we let people get over 100 yards,” Toney said. “We just feel like you can’t be an elite defense and let people run all over you.
“If you talk to any defensive coordinator, any defensive player, everybody’s job should be stopping the run, because if you make a team one-dimensional, it makes your life a whole lot easier. We just really pride ourselves on that, because we don’t even think about rushing the quarterback until third down. We want teams in third-and-8, third-and-9 and longer. We want to come out and be physical every single play when it comes to running the ball. We just don’t want to allow anybody to run on us. We take a lot of pride in that. That’s our number one goal, over sacks, TFL, everything. It’s being physical in the run game, doing our jobs, taking on double-teams so our linebackers and our safeties and corners can flow to the ball easily.”
Linebacker Jesse Luketa, one of the primary beneficiaries of the line's performance, framed the issue similarly, if more succinctly.
“If teams can’t run, their only option is to pass,” he said. “It’s as simple as that. It’s going to work in our favor.”
The numbers reflect the plan’s effectiveness.
Through eight games, the Nittany Lions were second nationally against the run, allowing just 68.4 yards per game on the ground. Only Buffalo and Michigan had surpassed 100 yards rushing. The Lions’ most dominant performance was against Idaho, a game in which they allowed only 4 yards on 28 carries. But they were also tough on Pitt (24 yards on 25 carries) and even tougher on Purdue (minus-19 yards on 28 carries, thanks in large part to 10 sacks).
Extending outward, Penn State has used its effectiveness against the run as a way to force opponents into frequent third-and-long situations. The result has been that the Lions were rated No. 14 in the FBS against third downs, surrendering conversions only 30.4 percent of the time through eight games. What’s more, with an average of only 9.6 points allowed per game, the team was No. 2 in the most important defensive statistic.
Credited by Franklin as being one of the team’s “most cerebral guys,” Toney has had an undeniable influence in helping to produce those numbers up front. He was responsible for 5.5 sacks for 40 yards in losses to go along with 25 tackles through eight games, using his remarkable diagnostic skills to his advantage.
“Once he gets your cadence… now he’s able to anticipate and combine his athletic ability with his mental approach to the game,” Franklin said. “I do think he set the tone [with two early sacks against Purdue]. If you can beat someone like that, it gets in their head and creates some confidence issues. We had a bunch of guys making plays, a bunch of guys doing some really great things, but Shaka’s been really good for us, and I think he’ll continue to have a big year.”
Toney, of course, credits the influences in his life for the approach. Going into his senior year at Imhotep, a season in which the Panthers won a PIAA championship, Toney gravitated toward the program’s new defensive coordinator, Mark Schmidt. Schmidt “had the biggest impact” on his approach to the game, Toney said, and the results have carried through to his career as a Nittany Lion.
“He always told me that if you really want to have a leg up on your opponent before you step on the field, know everything about the opponent you’re going against,” Toney said. “I learned that the more you know, the faster you can play, and that’s one thing about me going into college that I just took more seriously. I can see things that a lot of people won’t even take the time to see and be able to make plays based on pre-snap reads and good decisions and good judgment calls, just because I know what’s going on.”
Last spring, Antonio Shelton witnessed firsthand how Toney was able to quickly diagnose opposing offenses. The defensive tackle could only marvel at the speed with which Toney figured out what was going on around him. “Shaka has the highest football IQ I’ve ever been around,” Shelton said. “Throughout the spring, he would look at me, and he would look at the formation, and then tell me what was about to happen before it happened.”
The tell?
“He would say, ‘Because the receiver’s feet were this way.’ I’m like, ‘How do you even know that?’ ”
No matter how he’s doing it, the Nittany Lions couldn’t be more pleased with Toney’s performance to this point in the season and his influence on a defensive line and defense as a whole that has been elite. Franklin has described his leverage and intelligence as “off the charts,” and his influence in the room has helped the Nittany Lions follow his lead.
“I think with Shaka, he knows who he is,” Franklin said. “He knows the type of player that he is. He knows his strengths. He knows his weaknesses and he plays a style of game that allows him to be successful.”
What else is in the latest issue of Blue White Illustrated's magazine? Let's take a closer look at some of the feature stories, news and notes, here!
THE RUNDOWN:
FOOTBALL - We've got you covered as the Nittany Lions have jumped out to a No. 5-ranking nationally and an 8-0 start to the 2019 season. In this issue, we have features like Shaka Toney and the defensive line, Penn State's linebacker depth, the Nittany Lions' corners, and punter Blake Gillikin, who has helped pace the program's special teams improvements this year.
PHIL'S CORNER - What has gone into Penn State's excellent start to the 2019 season? There are 10 reasons in particular that have helped push the program ahead of schedule. BWI publisher Phil Grosz has more in this Phil's Corner that you won't want to miss!
RECRUITING - As always, BWI recruiting analyst Ryan Snyder has your Penn State football recruiting fix. In this issue, there is an update on Penn State's recruiting focus coming down the home stretch for the Class of 2020, a look at the five commitments to add their names to the class, a White Out game recap from a recruiting perspective, and an exclusive interview with commitment Nick Elksnis!
HOOPS - BWI men's basketball beat writer Nate Bauer has an exclusive sit-down interview with head coach Patrick Chambers ahead of the Nittany Lions' 2019-20 campaign.
'THE DRIVE' - Penn State football historian Lou Prato offers up a look back at the Nittany Lions' season-defining, game-winning drive at Illinois to remain perfect during the 1994 season.
HOCKEY - BWI hockey reporter Dave Eckert has all of the preseason coverage you could need as the Nittany Lions get their 2019-20 season underway.
And these are just a few of the many stories and features that come with every edition of Blue White Illustrated's magazine, including Varsity Views notebook, Scorecard, The Last Word, and more!