LINK: PSU defensive snap counts vs. Pitt: Farmer, Scott see rise
Complete snap counts for Penn State’s defensive players against Pitt as charted from the press box. Brief analyses of each position group also provided. Penalties not included.
Of note: Pitt’s two-point conversion, not recorded as an official offensive play, is counted below as a snap.
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Torrence Brown — 42 of 87
Shareef Miller — 39 of 87
Ryan Buchholz — 35 of 87
Colin Castagna — 17 of 87
Shane Simmons — 17 of 87
Shaka Toney — 17 of 87
Yetur Gross-Matos — 11 of 87
Analysis: A couple time stoppages amid Pitt’s lengthy first-half drives allowed Buchholz, Miller and Brown to each play nine snaps on a single possession; a rarity in Penn State’s rotational system. Similarly, 11 of Toney’s 17 snaps came during one series. Gross-Matos didn’t see the field until Pitt’s final drive. Castagna took a couple reps at defensive tackle.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Curtis Cothran — 39 of 87
Kevin Givens — 34 of 87
Tyrell Chavis — 31 of 87
Parker Cothren — 28 of 87
Robert Windsor — 28 of 87
Antonio Shelton — 6 of 87
Analysis: Cothren saw essentially half of his playing time within Penn State’s first four defensive series. Chavis played at least seven snaps on each of Pitt’s 15-play drives. Cothran sits No. 3 among defensive linemen in total snaps through two games behind Brown and Buchholz.
LINEBACKERS
Manny Bowen — 66 of 87
Koa Farmer — 63 of 87
Jason Cabinda — 62 of 87
Brandon Smith — 25 of 87
Cam Brown — 21 of 87
Jarvis Miller — 4 of 87
Analysis: With Pitt often employing multiple running backs and/or tight ends, the Lions frequently remained in their base 4-3 deense. This led to an increase in snaps for Farmer and Smith off the bench. Following his reckless unnecessary roughness penalty, Brown sat out the next three defensive possessions and played only one series through the final gun.
SECONDARY
Christian Campbell — 73 of 87
Marcus Allen — 71 of 87
Troy Apke — 65 of 87
Grant Haley — 60 of 87
Nick Scott — 32 of 87
Amani Oruwariye — 22 of 87
Tariq Castro-Fields — 15 of 87
Lamont Wade —13 of 87
Analysis: While Farmer experienced an increase in snaps thanks to the Panthers’ use of base personnel, Oruwariye simultaneously saw his playing time dip. And since he left the final drive with an apparent right ankle injury, Campbell now becomes an even more valuable part of this secondary. Scott’s rise ahead of Ayron Monroe, who played on special teams, is notable.
Author
Andrew Callahan @ACallahan_247
Complete snap counts for Penn State’s defensive players against Pitt as charted from the press box. Brief analyses of each position group also provided. Penalties not included.
Of note: Pitt’s two-point conversion, not recorded as an official offensive play, is counted below as a snap.
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Torrence Brown — 42 of 87
Shareef Miller — 39 of 87
Ryan Buchholz — 35 of 87
Colin Castagna — 17 of 87
Shane Simmons — 17 of 87
Shaka Toney — 17 of 87
Yetur Gross-Matos — 11 of 87
Analysis: A couple time stoppages amid Pitt’s lengthy first-half drives allowed Buchholz, Miller and Brown to each play nine snaps on a single possession; a rarity in Penn State’s rotational system. Similarly, 11 of Toney’s 17 snaps came during one series. Gross-Matos didn’t see the field until Pitt’s final drive. Castagna took a couple reps at defensive tackle.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Curtis Cothran — 39 of 87
Kevin Givens — 34 of 87
Tyrell Chavis — 31 of 87
Parker Cothren — 28 of 87
Robert Windsor — 28 of 87
Antonio Shelton — 6 of 87
Analysis: Cothren saw essentially half of his playing time within Penn State’s first four defensive series. Chavis played at least seven snaps on each of Pitt’s 15-play drives. Cothran sits No. 3 among defensive linemen in total snaps through two games behind Brown and Buchholz.
LINEBACKERS
Manny Bowen — 66 of 87
Koa Farmer — 63 of 87
Jason Cabinda — 62 of 87
Brandon Smith — 25 of 87
Cam Brown — 21 of 87
Jarvis Miller — 4 of 87
Analysis: With Pitt often employing multiple running backs and/or tight ends, the Lions frequently remained in their base 4-3 deense. This led to an increase in snaps for Farmer and Smith off the bench. Following his reckless unnecessary roughness penalty, Brown sat out the next three defensive possessions and played only one series through the final gun.
SECONDARY
Christian Campbell — 73 of 87
Marcus Allen — 71 of 87
Troy Apke — 65 of 87
Grant Haley — 60 of 87
Nick Scott — 32 of 87
Amani Oruwariye — 22 of 87
Tariq Castro-Fields — 15 of 87
Lamont Wade —13 of 87
Analysis: While Farmer experienced an increase in snaps thanks to the Panthers’ use of base personnel, Oruwariye simultaneously saw his playing time dip. And since he left the final drive with an apparent right ankle injury, Campbell now becomes an even more valuable part of this secondary. Scott’s rise ahead of Ayron Monroe, who played on special teams, is notable.
Author
Andrew Callahan @ACallahan_247
