Penn State DL Smith Vilbert ties Outback Bowl record with huge first half

Penn State is clinging to a slim lead at halftime, but the Nittany Lions defense has been great so far vs. Arkansas. At the break, it is a 10-7 lead with Penn State’s defense keeping the Razorbacks bottled up.

Penn State has already recorded 2 interceptions by Ji’Ayir Brown, including 1 in the red zone. That snuffed out an Arkansas drive that was well inside field goal range.

A big reason for the success of the defense has been the amount of pressure dialed up by the front line. Smith Vilbert has been a huge part of that early pressure.

At the break, Vilbert has already tied the Outback Bowl record for sacks in a game. Vilbert is up to 3, which ties a mark held by multiple players. The most recent occurrence was in 2005 when David Pollack recorded 3 as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Smith Vilbert’s (@Smithvilbert2) 3 sacks tie the @outbackbowl record. He is tied with David Pollack (@davidpollack47), Georgia in 2005; Kalimba Edwards, South Carolina in 2001; Srecko Zizakovic, Ohio State in 1990; and Craig Ogletree, Auburn in 1990.

— Penn State Football Communications (@PennStFBComms) January 1, 2022