Resilience was the theme of the day for the Penn State defense in its 28-25 victory over Washington.

As has been the case for Penn State on multiple occasions this season, it was a tale of two halves for the Nittany Lions.

D’Anton Lynn’s unit got off to a rough start, giving up a 14-play, 65-yard drive. Six of those plays were rushes of longer than seven yards, as Penn State couldn’t seem to come up with an answer for Jayden Limar.

To be quite frank, and perhaps a little overdramatic looking back, it felt like the Northwestern game all over again, a contest which saw Penn State give up over 400 yards on the ground.

But when the Huskies entered the red zone, the Nittany Lions stood tall. 

A quarterback hurry by Daryus Dixson led to an incompletion, followed by two subsequent unproductive plays by the Washington offense.

Jedd Fisch’s squad had to settle for a field goal.

The defense’s ability to quickly flip the switch helped it sustain momentum for a majority of the first half. In the Huskies’ next five drives through the first two quarters, four of them resulted in three-and-outs.

Part of the reason was Penn State’s swarm mentality, something Lynn and safeties coach Deon Broomfield have instilled in the players’ minds.

Whether it was applying pressure to force Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. out of rhythm, or prioritizing winning first downs, the Nittany Lions put the Huskies in a cage.

“We’re gonna fly around, and we’re gonna meet each other at the ball,” safety Jamison Patton said. “That’s kind of the mindset of just attacking and overwhelming whoever we’re playing.”

When the teams entered their locker rooms for halftime, Washington had just 143 yards of total offense.

The third quarter told a different story, and as much as the first drive reminded us of the contest in Evanston, Illinois, the game began to feel eerily similar to Penn State’s Week 4 matchup with Wisconsin.

In case you forgot, the Nittany Lions blew a 17-point lead and essentially handed the Badgers a victory in Happy Valley.

While a sluggish offense was certainly the source of blame, the defense surrendering back-to-back touchdown drives of 75-plus yards was still inexcusable. 

In Husky Stadium, Penn State let Washington settle in and stretch the field, losing some of the ferocity it had displayed in the opening 30 minutes.

The purple and gold mustered 114 yards in the third quarter, scoring 11 points to Penn State’s zero.

What was different from the Wisconsin game, however, was how this group responded.

“Just continue to fight, you know, reset edges and reestablish them if need be, and just continue to fight on,” defensive end Yvan Kemajou said of the defensive adjustments.

Cornerback Ibn McDaniels put a much-needed dagger in the Husky momentum less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

McDaniels intercepted a Williams pass attempt on third down to put the ball back in Penn State’s hands, giving the Nittany Lion defense a vital break.

While the offense couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, a six-play drive helped eat four minutes off the clock at a key point in the game.

“When you talk about Ibn McDaniels again, what a great play he makes. Better ball security at the end, but you know, what a great play he makes. Had a really great tackle in the game,” Matt Campbell said. “I just feel like we’re growing in a lot of different areas, and it’s awesome to watch the growth happen. Obviously, everybody wants the growth to happen instantaneously, but the reality is we are starting to become a real football team, and that part’s exciting.”

Growth is not linear, either.

True freshman and rising star cornerback Josiah Zayas, the man whose name became widely known after his highlight-reel interception against Michigan three weeks ago, did not perform up to standards on Saturday afternoon.

Two of the second-half touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter, were largely his fault, as blown coverage enabled the Washington wideouts to find separation.

Luckily, a strong veteran presence continues to anchor the defense, providing a degree of leeway for error.

Linebacker Tony Rojas did his job once again, notching eight total tackles, five of them being solo. He also added a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry to his stat line.

In the secondary, redshirt senior cornerback Audavion Collins continued to make his presence known, recording three solo tackles and a pass breakup.

There’s no doubt Penn State still has work to do on defense, but today’s game was a promising sign for a unit that has fluctuated so much this season.

Self-correcting and making up for any errors it may commit is a trait that will prove worthwhile down the stretch.

“Just being resilient. Not having our heads too high or too low,” Rojas said. “Obviously, today proved that even when the momentum shifts, we’re still able to focus and, you know, just keep playing ball.”

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