UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Manny Diaz has been selected as a nominee for the Broyles Award, announced on Tuesday. Diaz is one of 51 candidates for the award, which recognizes the top assistant coach in college football.
Manny Diaz · Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
- Diaz is in first season as Penn State's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
- Penn State leads the Big Ten with 73 tackles for loss and ranks second averaging 3.0 sacks per game.
- The Nittany Lions hold sixth in the nation in passing efficiency defense (106.50).
- Penn State has held opponents to a 53.4 completion percentage (191-of-358), good for seventh in the country and fourth among Power Five teams.
- Penn State sits eighth in the country and leads the Big Ten in red zone defense, allowing a 71.4 conversion rate. The Nittany Lions have made 10 red zone stops this season.
- Penn State leads the country with 69 pass breakups, 16 more than any other FBS team. The 69 PBUs are Penn State's most since 74 in 1998.
- The Nittany Lions have three players who rank among the Top 45 in the pass breakups per game.
- The Nittany Lions hold 25th in the country with 18 takeaways this season (eight fumble recoveries, 10 interceptions).
- Penn State has limited seven opponents to less than 100 rushing yards this season (Purdue, 61; Ohio, 99; Central Michigan, 88; Northwestern, 31; Ohio State, 98; Indiana, 65; Maryland, 60).
- PSU has held eight of its last nine opponents under their season rushing average entering the game and, in the season opener, held Purdue under its 2021 season average (84.2).
- PSU has held four teams under a 50 completion percentage this season (Ohio, 42.5; Northwestern, 40.5; Minnesota 40.9; Maryland, 47.8).
- Penn State has recorded at least seven tackles for loss in each of the last five games (Michigan, 7; Minnesota, 7; Ohio State, 7; Indiana, 16; Maryland, 9) and had 11 against Auburn.
- The Nittany Lions have recorded at least six sacks in three games this year (Auburn, 7; Indiana, 6; Maryland, 7).
- The Nittany Lions have 14 players who have recorded at least one sack this season, tied third-most in the nation and tied-most among Power Five teams.
- Twenty-three different Nittany Lions have at least a full tackle for loss.
- CB Kalen King is tied second in the nation with 13 pass breakups. He also has one interception. Porter Jr. is tied 11th with 11 pass breakups.
- Penn State tallied a school-record 16 pass breakups at Purdue, including six by CB Joey Porter Jr. Porter's six pass breakups are a school record and tied a Big Ten single-game record.
- Penn State's school-record 16 pass breakups at Purdue are the most by an FBS team in a game since Tulane had 20 vs. East Carolina in 2018.
- At Auburn, Penn State recorded 11 tackles for loss and six sacks. The Nittany Lions forced four takeaways (two fumbles, two interceptions).
- The Nittany Lions recorded four takeaways against Central Michigan. Penn State registered 9 pass breakups in the first half and 13 in the CMU game.
- The Nittany Lions held Northwestern to just 31 yards rushing on 28 carries. Penn State held Northwestern without a first down in the first quarter and forced five three-and-outs to start the game. The Nittany Lions forced three turnovers against the Wildcats.
- At Michigan, LB Curtis Jacobs recorded a 47-yard pick-six in the second quarter.
- The Nittany Lions held Michigan to 145 passing yards and limited Minnesota to 175 passing yards.
- Penn State held Minnesota to 2-of-13 (15.3 percent) on third down. The Gophers began the game 0-of-6 after entering the game with an FBS-leading 66.2 conversion percentage.
- The Nittany Lions held Ohio State to 98 rushing yards. PSU also forced a red-zone stop against the Buckeyes, after OSU entered the game with a perfect red-zone conversion rate.
- Penn State finished the Indiana game with 16 tackles for loss and six sacks. The 16 tackles for loss are tied for the most in program history.
- The Nittany Lions recorded eight tackles for loss and three sacks in the first quarter of the Indiana game. Penn State finished the first half with 13 tackles for loss.
- The Nittany Lions had 11 players record at least one tackle for loss. The 11 players with a full tackle for loss are the most in a game for Penn State since the tackle for loss became an official stat.
- Against Maryland, Penn State recorded a shutout, its eighth since 2014, and limited Maryland 134 total yards (74 pass; 60 rush), the fewest since giving up 104 to Purdue in 2019.
- The 134 yards are the fourth-fewest given up in a Big Ten game for Penn State and also the fourth-lowest by any opponent in the James Franklin era.
- The Nittany Lions limited Maryland to 11 first downs, tied for the eighth-lowest by an opponent since 2014.
- Maryland was limited to 3 total yards in the first quarter and 27 total yards in the first half.
- Penn State had six or more sacks in back-to-back games (6, at Indiana; 7, Maryland) for the first time since 2007 when it had two consecutive games with six or more sacks (7, Florida International, 9/1; 6, Notre Dame, 9/8).
The Broyles Award will name its semifinalists on November 22 and its finalists on November 29.
The Broyles Award was created in 1996, recognizing Coach Frank Broyles' legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his hall of fame career as head coach at Arkansas.
No. 11/12 Penn State travels to Rutgers on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at SHI Stadium with a broadcast on Big ten Network.
The Nittany Lions return to Beaver Stadium next Saturday, November 26, to host Michigan State on Senior Day. Kickoff time and broadcast details are to be determined.
The 2022 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.