Sept. 27, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Arguably, no player on the Penn State roster has been more consistently disruptive during the past three seasons than Austin Johnson.
And, arguably, no player has spent less time in the spotlight.
The junior defense tackle just quietly goes about his business each day at practice and plays his heart out on Saturdays. You don't hear his name called as often as he deserves because the impact he makes on defensive plays is often noticeable in the film room, but not on the stat sheet.
Johnson's role in Saturday's 37-21 win over San Diego State was different, though.
With the scoreboard reading 27-21 heading into the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions were in need of a spark. The Aztecs had held the Lions off the board in the third quarter while trimming the Penn State lead down to six on a 1-yard touchdown run.
San Diego State drove deep into Penn State territory during a drive that started in the latter stages of the third quarter and continued into the fourth. A 31-yard pass set up San Diego State with a first down at the Penn State 24. Two plays later, it was 3rd-and-11 at the 25.
Aztec quarterback Maxwell Smith dropped back to pass. The pocket collapsed almost immediately thanks to the push from the Penn State defensive line.
Defensive end Carl Nassib's push led to the senior hitting the right arm of Smith just before it came forward on a passing attempt. The ball squirted free and fell to the turf on the left side of the line.
Johnson snatched it almost immediately and took off.
After stepping away from a tackler, Johnson saw nothing but green grass in front of him along the west sideline.
"Run big bear, run. He had a little high step in there, too, didn't he," said center Angelo Mangiro.
"He was chugging down the sideline. I was like, don't get caught, don't get caught, don't get caught," wide receiver Saeed Blacknall said.
As Johnson crossed the 50, he had a convoy of Penn State blockers around him, and he knew that an opportunity to score was within his grasp.
"Halfway there, I'm thinking, 'Oh my goodness, I might score a touchdown,'" said Johnson. "I got blocks from everybody. They are the reason I scored."
Johnson never broke stride and trotted into the south end zone for the first time in his career, giving Penn State a 13-point lead at a critical time in the ballgame.
"I liked the little high step when he got away from the tackle there," said quarterback Christian Hackenberg. "That was awesome. It's always great to see big guys score like that."
"It was really cool to see AJ score his first career touchdown," said head coach James Franklin. "Nothing like seeing the big boy roll down the field."
The sideline erupted as the 323-pound defensive tackle took off down the field.
"It doesn't get any better than watching a 300-pounder run 71 yards for a touchdown," said safety Malik Golden.
For a guy his size, Johnson has always played with more athleticism and quickness than he gets credit for. His teammates were thrilled with the big play and could not have been happier because of the respect they have for Johnson's efforts each week.
"There is nobody more deserving," said linebacker Troy Reeder. "It's always fun to see a big guy run down the field. I'm glad he had a ways to go because it was awesome seeing him run into the student section."
As a unit, the defensive line was again dominant in Saturday's victory. The Nittany Lions lead the nation in sacks and third in tackles for loss. Nassib leads the country in sacks through four games. On Saturday, the Lions had five sacks and nine tackles for loss.
"We played really well. We were getting after the quarterback, getting after people in the backfield, so we definitely played like a family," Johnson said.
The Lions have tallied 18 sacks for a loss of 148 yards and on the season and 40 TFLs for a loss of 201 yards. The stats speak for themselves, and the defensive line's production has been a huge boost for the team.
"They are playing really well," Hackenberg said. "They are creating a lot of stuff for opposing quarterbacks to deal with. They are in their face constantly. In the run game, they are always in there. They are playing unbelievable. That goes to coaching. That goes to their work ethic as individuals and their studying."
Riding a three-game winning streak, the Nittany Lions close out the non-conference slate against Army West Point on Saturday. Look for No. 99 to again be at the center of Penn State's push on the D-Line.
"It was such a great feeling to score. We are having fun and playing like a family," Johnson said.