Lions' defensive gaffes must stop in '09

◊ ZN's 2009 Penn State Football Preview - My wishlist for 2009

It was too easy.

I saw Damien Williams glide through the Penn State's defensive secondary to score the Rose Bowl Game's first touchdown.

It was too easy.

I saw two consecutive 26-yard completions by Mark Sanchez on the following drive, followed by a six-yard scamper for another touchdown.

It was too easy.

But before the Rose Bowl, I saw Derrell Johnson-Koulianos center under a pass, all by himself in the end zone.

Even then, it was too easy.

I saw Ricky Stanzi complete pass after pass against soft coverage, on a 15-play drive to win the game.

It was too... damn... easy.

Now with all those fine memories fresh in your mind, and probably a little nausea building in your stomach, let's tackle this issue.

Penn State, for what seemed like the first time in a century, played freakishly well all year on offense. The Lions scored more than 23 points in all but one game, a 13-6 win at Ohio State.

Last season even included 24 points against the "Greatest Defense Ever" in USC.

That's what makes it so much more disgusting that unforgivable, preventable defensive breakdowns were the cause for both of Penn State's losses in 2009.

In Iowa City, Penn State's offense wasn't crisp, but it stretched a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter. Now, I'll be the first one to say Daryll Clark's interception was the single most important mistake of that game. However, wasn't it the defense that gave up 24 points to a pretty mediocre Iowa offense, specifically the 10 fourth-quarter points that doom the Lions?

What about that incredible USC defense Penn State was going up against in the Rose Bowl? I don't care how much USC let off the gas in the end, the final score showed 24 points for Penn State. The offense did more than fine. Yet, every time the Lions would score, USC would score a few more. Worse yet, didn't the biggest mishap of the game come when Aaron Maybin lined up in the neutral zone, negating a USC sack and fumble in their own territory early in the game?

Try to blame the losses on the offense, and you're not looking at the same team I am. If Penn State lost the Ohio State game with 13 points, we could have blamed the offense for not scoring more. But in that game, the defense did its job, particularly forcing turnovers at key moments in the game.

That all important element was absent during the Iowa and USC games. Sure, Tyrell Sales intercepted Stanzi, only to see the offense settle for a field goal. But that's all Penn State should have needed. It put the Lions up by nine--the first of two nine-point leads. Remember that it was after that touchdown that J-Koulianos scored his wide-open touchdown from Stanzi.

In the Rose Bowl, it all comes down to the negated fumble, and lack of any sort of play-making by the secondary. One interception could have turned the tide of that game, or at least gotten Sanchez off his game.

Tom Bradley is partly to blame, along with most of the other coaches, right up to Joe Paterno. Bad plays are bound to happen here and there, but it's becoming a trend at Penn State.

Year after year, the Lions field one of the best defenses in college football. Yes, that is due to Bradley and his staff. But when things go wrong, they also deserve the heat.

In 2009, Penn State will have to replace four starters in the secondary and two defensive ends. This wasn't as much of a problem as we though the last time this happened, in 2005. The 2006 secondary, along with the defense as a whole, was a pleasant surprise. That year, it was the offense that let Penn State down in big games.

This season, there's no excuse. The Nittany Lions return a superior group in the offensive backfield, two top-notch offensive linemen and talented receivers. The defense is just as talented, if not more in terms of quality of depth.

Penn State has to start using that talent to the best of its abilities, regardless how uncomfortable it makes the staff. They did it in 2005, and it worked.

So this off season, I'll remain optimistic. I know this team can do great things. It just has to do them more often.