Luketa doing it all for Lions
Picks up interception against Ball State
STATE COLLEGE >> Jesse Luketa wasn’t sure what his role would be on the 2021 Penn State football team.
After the coaches shuffled some positions, he was a man without a job going into preseason camp. They decided to try him at defensive end, especially after an injury to projected starter Adisa Isaac.
Two games into the season, it’s been a revelation.
Luketa made a one-handed interception and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown in the Nittany Lions’ 44-13 victory over Ball State Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
It was the first one of his career after several near-misses.
“It meant everything,” he said. “I’ve left a lot of opportunities on the field, especially at Maryland (in 2019). I had an opportunity to get a pick six. I dropped one against Idaho (in 2019) and I dropped another one.
“I lost sleep over those plays. Making a big play like that at home with all my brothers here was big.”
Luketa made five tackles and pressured quarterback Graham Mertz once last week in the opener at Wisconsin. Saturday, he played middle linebacker in the first half in place of Ellis Brooks, who was ejected for targeting last week, and finished with four tackles.
He lined up at defensive end and dropped into pass coverage when he made his pick.
“Just being able to be a hybrid,” Luketa said. “It just presents so much versatility to our defense.”
When the Penn State coaches moved Brandon Smith to weakside linebacker in the spring and Curtis Jacobs to the strong side,
Luketa seemed like the odd man out. With Brooks returning at middle linebacker, Luketa was a man without a position.
“I’m super proud of Jesse Luketa,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “He didn’t really know what his role was going to be coming into the season. He just trusted the coaches and trusted the program.
“Right now, he’s making an impact at defensive end and making an impact at linebacker.”
Luketa said he worked with former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher in the offseason to improve his technique. He said he enjoys playing end more than linebacker.
“The coaches brought it up to me,” he said. “I didn’t shy away from it. I was comfortable. When it’s time to compete, that’s when my truest stuff comes out.
“The opportunity was there for me to do it. I knew I could do it at a high level and be disruptive.” ROBERSON APPEARS >> Penn State backup quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson made only the third appearance of his career Saturday and made it memorable.
Roberson, a redshirt sophomore, tossed a 23yard touchdown pass to tight end Theo Johnson in the fourth quarter. It was the first completion of his career after two previous attempts, one earlier Saturday.
“I wish we had gotten a stop a little bit earlier,” Franklin said. “We had decided to put him in the game. It was important to get him in the game and for him to throw a touchdown pass. There’s a lot of value in it. It creates a healthy locker room as well.”
REST FOR WEARY >> Penn State rested many of its regulars on defense throughout the game Saturday after it was on the field for 95 plays last week at Wisconsin.
Safety Jaquan Brisker, who was nicked last week, did not see a lot of playing time against Ball State.
“Our rep (repetition) count was way too high on defense last week,” Franklin said. “To be able to play well and get some of those guys off the field and out of the game early (was important).”
The Lions used reserves almost exclusively in the fourth quarter. VERSATILE PLAYER >> Marquis Wilson became the first Penn State player since 2005 to play on offense and defense in the same game.
Wilson caught a pass for 3 yards as a wide receiver and made two tackles, including one for a loss, as a cornerback.
Justin King was the last Penn State player to play on offense and defense in the same game, doing that as a freshman in 2005.