Daequan Hardy, Penn State defense shine in win over Illinois
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On a Penn State defense brimming with physical specimens, slot corner Daequan Hardy, all 5-foot-9, 178 pounds of him, is not the guy you notice first.
But Hardy’s teammates know how valuable he is.
“Very important,” said Penn State corner Johnny Dixon, asked about the return of Hardy, who was unavailable against West Virginia and Delaware.
“We missed him. You see what it’s like when we have him back.”
The Nittany Lions’ defense tormented Illinois from the start in No. 7 Penn State’s 30-13 Big Ten victory in front of 49,099 at Memorial Stadium.
Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer had issues with Penn State playmakers at every level, throwing four interceptions as James Franklin’s 3-0 team forced five turnovers.
The Illini (1-2) scored just one touchdown when it mattered, adding another with 4:21 left against PSU’s backups.
Penn State (3-0), winners of eight consecutive games dating back to 2022, has allowed 35 points in three games.
The Lions’ front four and linebacker group buzzed Altmyer’s tower at every opportunity, getting home more frequently as the game unfolded.
Defensive end Adisa Issaac delivered a pair of punishing hits to Altmyer after he released the ball. Tackle Coziah Izzard, making his first appearance of 2023, had two sacks — drilling Altmyer and backup John Paddock.
Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter snagged the Lions’ first interception, the first of his career, in the first quarter. His running mate outside, Curtis Jacobs, was credited with a quarterback hurry.
“When you keep everybody fresh, everybody’s 100% all the time,” Penn State defensive tackle Hakeem Beamon said when asked about getting after Altmyer.
“Because it’s heavy pressure the whole way. We can rotate ends … and we can do the same thing inside. It’s a lot of pressure.”
On the back end, Hardy, a Penn Hills grad, grabbed a first-half interception — on a deep Altymer pass down the left side intended for wideout Casey Washington — and two other corners, Johnny Dixon and Cam Miller, also had picks.
Altmyer, a dual-threat who led the Illini in rushing coming into the game with 139 yards, was credited with 6 rushing yards on four attempts. The punishment inflicted by Penn State’s ‘D’ appeared to take its toll on the quarterback, a transfer from Ole Miss.
“After you get hit by one end and then the other end comes and does the same thing, you gotta feel it,” Beamon said.
Hardy, a fifth-year Lion who has played the slot corner spot for three seasons, was a big part of PSU’s defensive game plan. Franklin said afterward that Hardy’s coverage skills were ideal for defending Illinois’ best wideout, Isaiah Williams.
Williams, an 82-catch player in 2022, had 150 receiving yards in the Illinis’s first two games.
He finished with five catches for 63 yards, one of them coming when Penn State turned to its reserves after taking a 30-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
“It just made sense to play a little more nickel in this game,” Franklin said.
“We liked the matchup with (Hardy), especially on the guy, No. 1 (Williams), that they’re going to try to get the ball (to). He’s been playing here a long time, as a playmaker for them.”
“I was just trying to disrupt their timing, just contain (Williams),” Hardy said.
“Sometimes he’s going to make a play, sometimes I’ll make a play.”
Penn State’s defense continues to come at offenses with difference-makers who come in all sizes.
And few are more versatile than Hardy when it comes to defending the pass.
“He is our Swiss Army knife,” Beamon said of Hardy.
“He can play inside, he can play outside, he can do anything for us. He was a big missing piece.”