Through its first three games, Penn State’s defense has surrendered just 271 passing yards. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging an abysmal 56% completion percentage against the Nittany Lions, and while Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Jaxon Smolik, and Jason Wright aren’t elite gunslingers, the blue and white’s consistent efforts at blanketing receivers have been impressive.

Saturday’s 55-13 stomping of Buffalo marked another small, yet notable achievement for Penn State’s defensive backs. The Bulls’ leading receiver, Chance Morrow, rode into Beaver Stadium off of an 11-catch, 170-yard, two-touchdown performance against FIU in Week 2. He also logged seven catches for 48 yards and three touchdowns against Albany in Week 1.

Matt Campbell and his players identified Morrow as a legitimate threat during the week leading up to the game, calling him an “elite talent.” Campbell identified length, catch radius, and long speed as traits that would threaten Penn State on Saturday.

Fast forward to after the game, Morrow caught just two of his seven targets for 31 yards, a strong indication that Penn State’s secondary defenders are not fooling around.

“That group is really talented, and they’ve played a lot of football,” Campbell said during postgame media availability on Saturday.

Zion Tracy, Audavion Collins, Jeremiah Cooper, Marcus Neal Jr., and Jamison Patton have all played legitimate snaps in their careers. But truthfully, Campbell knows it’s not just his guys at the top of the depth chart doing all of the heavy lifting. A room full of young bucks who can still contribute on gamedays is the secret to sustaining a suffocating secondary.

“Those guys have some really talented young guys behind them,” Campbell said. “It gives you the ability to rotate fresh bodies in and not expect those [starters] to play 60 snaps in a game.”

Freshman Josiah Zayas, redshirt freshman Jahmir Joseph, and redshirt sophomore Vabou Toure have seen respectable snap counts early in the season. While the talent is undeniable on the back end of the blue and white, the coaching of D’Anton Lynn and Terry Smith, among others, ties it all together through confidence and communication.

“They are lock down. Coach T[erry] has them coached up very well,” linebacker Alex Tatsch said after the Buffalo game. “Their process, the way they attack practice, every rep means something to them, and you can see that showing up on gameday.”

Neal, who logged two tackles and a forced fumble against Buffalo, expressed comfort in Penn State’s defensive system after the game.

“[D’Anton] Lynn does a great job at coaching us on everything. We only got room to keep growing,” Neal said.

Neal said that confidence starts at practice, where Lynn deploys an effort-first, communication-based teaching style and builds a foundation rooted in technique. That approach allows Neal and the rest of the defensive backs to play freely and focus on being an “assignment-sound” defense.

“One thing he preaches all the time is constant communication, verbal communication,” Tatsch said. “That’s the biggest key on Saturdays.”

Tatsch hasn’t logged many reps on the practice field, as the sophomore has been recovering from an injury since the end of last season. He missed the season opener against Marshall and played just 17 snaps against Temple in Week 2.

Tatsch finally saw extended work against Buffalo and immediately looked comfortable with the system, logging four tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one quarterback hurry, and a forced fumble.

“It makes it so easy. The verbal communication we have now, and being connected, it makes it a lot easier to know you have guys behind you backing you up,” Tatsch said. “Even if you get beat, you know you’ve got your safety over the top. He’s gonna be there for you, so it makes it a lot easier to fly around and not play as tense.”

Lynn was a three-time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention with the Nittany Lions from 2008-2011. Now, he pulls from his experience as a defensive back and pours it into his players.

“[He knows] how we look at things or how certain route concepts can mess with the DB’s eyes,” cornerback Daryus Dixson said Wednesday during weekly media availability. “He gives us little tips and reminders on what to look for and how to play certain routes when they come at us.”

It’s only been a few months, but the praise for Lynn’s coaching has echoed throughout the program nonstop. With Big Ten play just around the corner, opposing physicality and talent will only elevate from here on out.

However, Lynn is an experienced Big Ten coordinator, having had stops at USC and UCLA. He understands the effort required, and his defenders are clearly bought-in. Now it’s simply time to keep proving it through, as Campbell describes them, Penn State’s next nine “guaranteed opportunities”.