STATE COLLEGE, Pa.
(AP) Zakee Wheatley already feels like Penn States defense has generated a stadium full of swagger.
The junior safety experienced it in last weeks season-opening win and again when the gathered to study their .
I look at the d-line, I look at the linebackers, I look to the left and right, the other safety, theres nothing but confidence right there, Wheatley said.
The Nittany Lions (1-0) have plenty of reasons to be confident and hope to sharpen their reputation as one of the nations fiercest defenses with a four-game home stretch starting with Bowling Green (1-0) on Saturday.
In that span, Penn State will also welcome Kent State, Illinois and UCLA to Beaver Stadium, where Wheatley and the rest of the Nittany Lions have forced 31 turnovers and held opponents to 13 points per game over the last three seasons.
The three turnovers Penn State forced at West Virginia last week give them 53 and counting over the last three years.
It is a small amount of data, coach James Franklin said.
But its a really good starting point.
And its a good start for a handful of new faces in new roles, including coordinator Tom Allen, linebacker-turned-defensive end Abdul Carter and a re-tooled secondary with transfer cornerbacks A.J.
Harris and Jalen Kimber.
The standards the standard, Wheatley said.
What I see on film is 11 guys sprinting to the ball.
Backside corners, everybody sprinting to the ball, showing theyve got that will and hunger for the ball.
Thats how you create turnovers, havoc and thats how you have a good defense.
Having 282-pound defensive end Smith Vilbert healthy has also boosted Allens defense.
The defensive end missed nearly two full seasons due to injuries before plugging into the Nittany Lions rotation where he chipped in a sack and forced a fumble at West Virginia.
Although Penn State lost two of its best pass rushers in Adisa Isaac and Chop Robinson to the NFL draft, Franklin believes Vilbert will help Penn State maintain its feared pass rush.
Youre talking about a guy who was a high-level basketball player when we recruited him, Franklin said.
He is 66, 280 pounds.
He can run, he can bend, hes aggressive and hes mature.
Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler knows all about playing in hostile venues.
His Falcons visited Michigans massive facility a year ago, losing 31-6 in The Big House.
Not only does he see similarities in Penn States sprawling Beaver Stadium, he thinks the Nittany Lions are perhaps as talented as last seasons NCAA championship squad.
Its as good as Penn State team as Ive seen in a long time, Loeffler said.
Theyll make a run, in my opinion for the Big Ten championship.
I think thats the type of caliber of team that were facing this weekend.
Bowling Green visits Texas A&M on Sept.
21.
Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak is 103 completions away from 1,000 in his career.
Only Washingtons Will Rogers and Oregons Dillon Gabriel have completed more career passes than Bazelak, who enters the game playing some of his best football yet according to Loeffler.
Bazelak threw for 168 yards on 15-for-22 passing and ran for a touchdown in the Falcons 41-17 win over Fordham.
He looked like a big-time quarterback.
He was on rhythm the entire game, Loeffler said.
There was zero indecisiveness.
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