Penn State righted the ship against Maryland Saturday afternoon with a 31-14 win to snap a three-game losing streak, and Nittany Lions’ senior safety Ji’Ayir Brown led the charge defensively.
While teammate Jahan Dotson stole the show offensively, Brown recorded nine tackles (eight solo), recovered a fumble and returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown to ice the game away in the fourth quarter.
Brown’s all-around defensive effort earned him Big 10 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Pick 6 ➡️ 𝘽1𝙂 𝘿𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠@_Tiig2 ran this 87-yard interception in for a @PennStateFball TD on his way to earning B1G honors. pic.twitter.com/sqaQ4srtnB
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) November 8, 2021
It’s been an excellent season for Brown, who’s been a force in the Lions’ secondary. He’s accumulated 48 tackles (42 solo), a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, four passes defended, four interceptions and a touchdown.
After playing sparingly in six games last season as a junior, it’s been a breakout season for Brown. He spent two seasons at Lackawanna Community College before transferring to Penn State.
Brown joins senior linebacker Brandon Smith as the Lions’ defenders to earn conference Player of the Week honors this season.
