Nittany Lions defensive line has roots in Maryland
Dvon Ellies will honor his father and others Saturday by carrying the American flag on Military Appreciation Day on Saturday at Penn State.
Ellies’ father, Sean Thomas, served in the U.S. Army for 25 years and retired as a sergeant, first class.
“Military families go through a lot every year,” said Ellies, a defensive tackle who sees regular playing time. “My father sacrificed so much for us. It’ll be a really cool thing to carry the flag and show our appreciation for him.”
Ellies and 12 others from Maryland will wave the banner for Penn State (4-2 Big Ten, 7-2) against the Terrapins (3-3, 6-3) at 3:30 at Beaver Stadium (TV-FOX).
The 14th-ranked Nittany Lions have several former Maryland high school players in leading roles, especially on the defensive line. Ellies, PJ Mustipher, Coziah Izzard and Chop Robinson will square off against their home-state university.
Robinson, an end, played for the Terps last year as a freshman before he transferred to Penn State earlier this year. He has two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two pass break-ups for the Lions. He was not available for interviews this week.
“I think this will be a big game for him, facing off against some of his old teammates,” Ellies said. “Just being with his new teammates, I think it will be a special moment for him. He can go out and showcase his talents some more.”
Penn State’s defensive linemen showed off their talent last week at Indiana, where they had nine of the record-tying 16 tackles for loss and five of the six sacks. Starting ends Nick Tarburton and Adisa Isaac each had two tackles for loss.
The Lions limited Indiana to 196 total yards, including just 65 on the ground.
“I believe that performance was a culmination of all the efforts that we’ve put forth,” Ellies said. “Just the little frustrations we had from the week before (in a loss to Ohio State), they all came out.
“We performed and we executed well. It was really good for us. We’re building on a lot of our skills, refining them to the point where they do show up on the field.”
Penn State’s defensive line will be vital against Maryland and veteran quarterback Taulia Tagov
ailoa, younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
In a 31-14 win last year at Maryland, the Lions sacked Tagovailoa three times, forced two turnovers and held the Terps to 48 rushing yards. He completed 31-of-57 passes for 371 yards and one touchdown.
“He’s a great player,” Isaac said. “He’s very smooth in the pocket. He’s very fast. I definitely experienced the speed in-game, so I know that he’s very quick. You definitely have to do a good job on defense to contain him. He’s a hell of a player.”
Maryland might be without wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, who suffered a lower leg injury last week in a loss at Wisconsin. His status was uncertain.
Penn State will be without left guard Landon Tengwall, who had season-ending surgery for an upperbody injury, and left tackle Olu Fashanu, who sustained a leg injury two weeks ago against Ohio State.
In addition, it was unclear whether linebackers Curtis Jacobs and Tyler Elsdon will be available after they left last week’s win over Indiana with undisclosed injuries. If Jacobs and Elsdon don’t play, the defensive linemen will carry a heavier burden.
“We’re a tight group,” Isaac said, “so any time one of my brothers makes a play you know that just tells the rest of us to go get it. It definitely helps when we have one person who sets it off up front. It helps the rest of everybody else feed off of it, especially with our scheme.”
Ellies hopes to feed off carrying the flag in tribute to his father and leading his teammates onto the field.
“He lived alone in Death Valley, Calif., for two or three years when I was in high school,” Ellies said, “because he didn’t want us to move just because of the opportunities at home. When I say sacrifice, that’s one of the bigger things.
“I will forever appreciate my father because I don’t know if I’d be here if I had to make that change. This is a testament to all the work he has done for us.”
RICH SCARCELLA’S PICK
Penn State 38, Maryland 21: Pressuring the Terps’ Taulia Tagovailoa and disrupting the rhythm of their passing game will be important. Wisconsin had success with outside runs last week against Maryland, so that could mean room for the explosive Nick Singleton.