UNIVERSITY PARK— Boy, that escalated quickly.
It was a dull first quarter for Penn State against Wisconsin.
PSU ended the second 15 minutes up 3-0, having failed to score a touchdown on a drive where it had second and goal from the 2-yard line.
Then, Josiah Zayas happened. The true freshman picked off a pass from Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph and returned it 50 yards to put Penn State up by two scores, giving him his first college pick, first college touchdown and first signature moment in Beaver Stadium. Zayas made enough of a name for himself during his first fall camp to start Week 1 against Marshall.
Since then, he’s become one of Penn State’s most active players, having logged 96 snaps through the first three games, per Pro Football Focus, good for fifth on the team and just 12 behind veteran Tony Rojas for the team lead.
Days after the Marshall game, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn explained the decision to start Zayas Week 1.
“You just saw him, thinking less, playing quicker, talking a lot more out there,” Lynn told reporters. “The biggest thing is like moving on from bad plays, not letting the play before affect the next play, and he felt like he earned the right to play.”
Zayas debut also got rave reviews from his teammates,
“I think he did a good job. I feel like, as a freshman going into that stadium, it could be nerve-wracking, and you really didn’t see too much alter as far as his preparation and his energy in the game,” safety Jamison Patton said after a practice earlier this month via Onward State. “He obviously has some things to grow, which all of us do, but as long as he does that, I think he’s going to be great.”
