Penn State football notebook: Michigan's rushing attack, DT depth, Zuriah Fisher's growth

Penn State football’s defensive line will have to be at its best on Saturday, facing a stern test from the Big Ten’s top rushing attack in the Michigan Wolverines.

Defensive line coach John Scott Jr. met the media on Thursday to preview that clash and discuss the unit in general.

Prepping for the Wolverines

Michigan brings its rushing attack, averaging over 230 yards per game on the season, to Happy Valley this Saturday.

Few teams have had an answer for it in 2021, with Michigan compiling over 100 rushing yards in each of its nine games. Wisconsin and Rutgers did limit its efficiency, however, holding the Wolverines to under three yards per carry.

“Michigan’s got a really, really good rushing attack,” Scott said. “They are committed to running the football…We know it’s going to be a tremendous challenge for our group. We’re going to have to do a great job of playing physical, striking our keys and getting off blocks.”

Scott said he thinks Michigan running back Hassan Haskins is a future NFL back. He’s rushed 165 times this season for 829 yards and 11 touchdowns. His production has been rivaled by Blake Corum, who has 778 yards and 10 scores.

Corum’s status remains in doubt for Saturday’s game, with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh declining to give an update at his press conference this week.

Penn State’s rush defense appeared vulnerable against Illinois, which used a jumbo package to grind out 357 yards on the ground in Penn State’s first full game without star defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, who is out for the season.

The Nittany Lions rebounded well thereafter, though. They limited star Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson two weeks ago and kept Maryland to 48 yards rushing last week.

Penn State head coach James Franklin said he expects to see some of the same jumbo look from Michigan. Scott says they’ll be prepared.

“We’ve looked at that and the kids have looked at that on tape,” he said. “We have prepared accordingly. I think with who they are and what they’re trying to be, they’re committed to running the football. It would be no surprise at all to see them line up and try to do that.”

Penn State’s DT dynamic

Mustipher’s injury necessitated a change for the Nittany Lions at the defensive tackle position. They’re asking far more of redshirt freshman Coziah Izzard.

Izzard played sparingly in a reserve role for the Nittany Lions through the first half of the season.

Since Mustipher went down, he’s played 64,43 and 56 snaps.

Dvon Ellies, who had played relatively consistently through the first six weeks of the season, is now being counted on more.

Collectively, the interior of Penn State’s defensive line rebounded well from the disastrous Illinois game. Scott offered some praise for Ellies and Izzard in particular.

“First of all, the both of those young men I think have done a nice job of stepping up and having bigger roles within our unit,” he said. “From day one, the thing that we preached is a next man up mentality. You don’t replace a PJ Mustipher, but what you try to do is get guys to step up and guys all do their one-eleventh as we say all the time.

“Both of those guys have raised their game. I think you continue to see with Coziah Izzard, he’s gotten better and better with the reps he was given. The young man does a good job and he just doesn’t seem fazed. It’s been nice to see Dvon Ellies grow throughout the season, his maturity and mastering the defense. It’s been nice to have him in there. He’s done a nice job for us as well.”

An emerging contributor at DE

Defensive end Zuriah Fisher stepped up in the absence of Jesse Luketa last week to play 28 snaps against Maryland — his first big chunk of meaningful action as a Nittany Lion.

Fisher, a linebacker in high school, is making the transition to defensive end at the college level. Now a redshirt freshman, he’s in a position to crack the rotation when needed as he did last Saturday.

“I think even going into this season one of the things I felt like as the season played out and got going, you were going to see guy like Zuriah Fisher just continue to rise,” Scott said.

“You saw all the things you wanted to see to have a really good end. Over the summer it kind of evolved and now as Zuriah has continued to master the defense, it slows down for him, so now that athletic ability can take over.

“I’ve been very happy and pleased with the way he’s progressing.”