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Penn State Football: Returns of Bell, Cabinda Fuel Victory Over Ohio State
Penn State used the return of two key linebackers to help pull off an upset of No. 2 Ohio State Saturday.
There was talk that the two starters could return after the bye week. Then, that talk became more real as they participated in practice over the past week. Finally, when the White Out contest between Penn State and Ohio State began, starting linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell were back out on the field.
Cabinda and Bell combined to help stop a very potent Ohio State offense Saturday night. They were both all over the field and combined for 31 tackles and two sacks. Bell led the team with 19 total tackles, while Cabinda added 12. Both players registered a sack.
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Just to have both players back on the field was big boost for the defense. Now, after both having a strong performance against the Buckeyes, the defense should be good to go for the rest of the year.
Sure, Ohio State still managed 413 total yards on offense, including 168 on the ground, but the impact of having Cabinda and Bell back goes beyond the stats. The youth and inexperience of the Penn State defense definitely hurt the Nittany Lions more than a few times this season. On Saturday, Cabinda and Bell served as leaders for a defense that was certainly ready to play.
Rewind to Week 2 against Pittsburgh when the Penn State defense was completely decimated by injuries. Already missing Nyeem Wartman-White, Jason Cabinda entered the game at Pitt out of the lineup with an injury. Then, things got way worse when Brandon Bell left the game in the first half.
Those circumstances put the Nittany Lions into dire straits on defense.
However, after a rough game in Ann Arbor, the young defense turned a corner and started playing much better.
The unit got even better with the return of Cabinda and Bell on Saturday night.
Several players on defense played a big role in the win over the Buckeyes. Guys like Garrett Sickels, manny Bowen, Marcus Allen, and Malik Golden all had great games. However, it was the return of Cabind and Bell that helped fuel the huge upset victory over Ohio State.
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