STATE COLLEGE — Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry is one of 59 nominees for the 2021 Broyles Award, which is presented annually to college football’s top assistant.
Pry has presided over a Nittany Lions defense that has been stingy across the 2021 season and ranks among the best in the nation in a number of categories.
Penn State ranks No. 9 nationally in scoring defense (17.1 points per game) and No. 5 nationally in red zone defense (63.89%). The Nittany Lions slide up to No. 3 nationally when it comes to opponents scoring touchdowns in the red zone (30.56%).
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Pry’s unit plays a bend-but-don’t break style, which puts them outside of the nation’s best in rush defense (No. 54, 137.8 yards per game), pass defense (No. 45, 213.9 yards per game) and total defense (No. 42, 351.7 yards per game). But when opponents get near the Penn State end zone, the Nittany Lions raise their game.
Pry, an Altoona native, is in his eighth season at Penn State, and prior to that, he was with coach James Franklin at Vanderbilt for three seasons. He was previously a nominee for the Broyles Award in 2017.
Penn State hosts Rutgers in its home finale at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights will kick off at noon, and the game will be televised on Big Ten Network.
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Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for PennLive. He can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow PennLive’s Penn State coverage on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.