Penn State list of defensive play destroyers starts with Edge Rusher Abdul Carter and safety Jaylen Reed. Undefeated Oregon must account for both on every offensive play in tonight’s Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, produced 19.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, three assists and two forced fumbles during the regular season.

Reed, the Nittany Lions’ leading tackler, does a little bit of everything for coordinator Tom Allen. He has a team-high 75 stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

And when it comes to impacting the game in a variety of ways, one young Lions defender has made strides in that area as No. 3 Penn State’s season has unfolded.

Second-year linebacker Tony Rojas, a first-year starter, is fast and aggressive. His quickness shows in run support and pass coverage.

The 6-foot-2, 236-pound Rojas has 43 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, three quarterback hurries and two assists.

Carter, Reed and Rojas were part of a State of Pennsylvania defensive game plan that stifled Maryland wideout Tai Felton in the Lions’ 44-7 victory last Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

Felton led the Big Ten in receptions (96) and yards (1,124) while scoring nine touchdowns. But he was almost invisible against a Penn State defense ranked No. 4 in fewest yards allowed per game (266.8) and No. 6 in fewest points (14.0).

The 11-1 Lions held Felton to four catches and 27 yards, both season lows.

“It started at the beginning of the week,” Rojas said when asked about Felton’s closure.

“Obviously we named (Felton) as someone to look for. It was just that our corners weren’t panicking. We know we have the best corners; we think we have the best in the Big Ten, and just in college.

“We’re not really afraid of anyone.”

“We had to stop all his yards after the catch; just attack him well and get your hands on him,” Reed said of limiting Felton to 6-2, 181 pounds.

“We don’t flinch,” Carter said.

“We don’t let adversity overwhelm us, we welcome it.”

Rojas, who finished with three saves against Maryland, thwarted a promising Terps drive by intercepting an MJ Morris pass at the PSU 9 late in the second quarter.

Rojas credited defensive analyst Dan Connor, a former PSU standout linebacker who is the program’s all-time leading tackler, for helping it adapt and grow in 2024.

“Just a six-second mentality for me, no inhaling and no exhaling,” Rojas said of his approach for 2024.

“If I play bad, I can’t let that affect me. It affected me a little at the start of the season.

“Coach (Dan) Connor was great as well as the vets in the room; it’s just about focusing on the next piece.