"Always go for the interception!" Nelson screams.

Over the last two games, during which the Penn State secondary seemingly has allowed receivers more cushion than an overstuffed sofa, not to mention 571 passing yards, it's been pretty obvious that Nelson is not issuing the directives. Those duties fall to defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who tutors the cornerbacks, and Brian Norwood, who works with the safeties.

The Nittany Lions' corners are taught to play several yards off the wideouts and the safeties generally don't crowd the box, the better to prevent giving up big plays in the passing game. That the scheme has worked so well for so long mostly is a testament to the faith the coaching staff has in the defensive line and linebackers to put enough heat on the quarterback to generate sacks and hurried throws.

Until a couple of weeks ago, the system, for the most part, had worked well. Even though Penn State gave up 318 passing yards at Indiana, the Lions sacked quarterback Kellen Lewis six times and forced four turnovers to eke out a 36-31 victory.

Against No. 1 Ohio State last week, however, the plan came a cropper in a 37-17 drubbing. Perhaps that's because of a slew of injuries to key players; defensive end Jerome Hayes (knee), defensive tackle Jared Odrick (ankle) and safety Tony Davis (appendectomy) all were unavailable, and remain so.

Perhaps it's because the Buckeyes max-protected quarterback Todd Boeckman, who was sacked only once, and had a good enough running game to force a lot of second- and third-and-shorts, giving receivers time and room to exploit the soft underneath coverage.

So, with criticism suddenly coming down on Penn State defensive backs like a quick, chain-moving slant on third-and-3, the focus will be on how they react in tomorrow's final home game against the Big Ten Conference's passingest team, the Purdue Boilermakers.

Although Purdue has gotten off 402 passes in nine games, an average of 44.7 per game, it has allowed only 12 sacks. Quarterback Curtis Painter mostly takes three-step drops and unloads the ball fast. But the Boilermakers send out a lot of receivers, making Painter susceptible, at least in theory, to a pass rush that gets there in a hurry.

And the more heat put on Painter, the less heat on frazzled Penn State defensive backs who feel they have been unfairly singled out for most of the team's recent defensive ills.

"A lot of people who know the kind of defense we run understand what's going on out there," cornerback Lydell Sargeant said.

And those who don't understand?

"Look, people are going to say what they're going to say and think what they're going to think," Sargeant said. "We're on an island. If we get beat deep and it's a Cover 2, it's, 'Where's the corner at?' "

Knee-jerk reaction

Matt Hahn had reconstructive surgery on his right knee Wednesday, but he insists a little thing like a torn anterior cruciate ligament won't prevent him from going through the tunnel with his fellow seniors at Beaver Stadium for the last time in tomorrow's home finale against Purdue.

"I'm sure I'll be able to come out of the tunnel, whether it's on crutches or on some kind of scooter," the 6-foot, 236-pound senior from Dix Hills, N.Y., said earlier this week.

Hahn suffered the first serious injury of his career in a 36-31 victory at Indiana on Oct. 20. Primarily a lead blocker and safety-valve receiver, Hahn blew out the knee in the fourth quarter on one of his rare opportunities to carry the ball.

"I got the ball up the middle and broke into the clear," Hahn recalled of the run on which he was injured. "I was going a little bit toward the right. From the corner of my eye, I saw the safety kind of flying up the middle of the field. I tried to cut off my right foot and back to the left, hoping he would overrun the plan. But when I cut, my foot got stuck in the turf. I didn't get touched by anybody."

The prognosis for a full recovery is at least 6 months, although Hahn intends to be most of the way back in time for Penn State's Pro Day in March. Hey, the NFL always can use an old-fashioned fullback who doesn't mind doing the dirty work for not much glory.

"Injuries are a part of football," Hahn said. "There's never really a good time to get hurt. But if I don't get into the right mind frame and I don't approach my rehab positively, I won't get better as fast as I can."

Passing Poz

With 18 tackles against Ohio State last week, All-America senior linebacker Dan Connor now has 368 in his career, only four shy of the Penn State record set last season by two-time Bednarik Award winner Paul Posluszny, now a rookie with the Buffalo Bills.

Barring injury, Connor is a lock to pass his good friend, maybe even before the end of the first quarter of tomorrow's game against Purdue. The guy Posluszny passed, linebacker Greg Buttle, had held the previous record of 343 since 1975.

"On my official [recruiting] visit, I talked to Paul about trying to change how the Penn State defense was looked at," said Connor, who played his high school ball at Strath Haven. "They were in a little bit of a lull then. We were excited about getting the chance to come in as young guys and trying to make a difference."

Prediction

Penn State 28, Purdue 17.

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AGENDA

Who: Purdue at Penn State

When: Tomorrow, noon

Where: Beaver Stadium, State College

TV: ESPNU

Radio: WNTP (990-AM), WNPV (1440-AM).

Purdue 7-2, 3-2 Big Ten; Penn State 6-3, 3-3

History: Penn State leads, 8-3-1, including last year's windswept, 12-0 victory in West Lafayette, Ind., the only time the Boilermakers have been shut out during Joe Tiller's Purdue coaching tenure.

Coaches: Joe Tiller (11th year at school, 82-51; 17th year overall, 121-81-1); Joe Paterno (42nd year, 369-123-3).

About Purdue: Senior wide receiver Dorien Bryant, from Swedesboro, N.J., has 64 receptions for 735 yards and eight touchdowns. He's pulled in 260 passes in his illustrious career. "He gets in and out of his cuts very fast, he always catches the ball with his hands and doesn't let it get into his body, where it can be bobbled," noted Penn State safety Mark Rubin ... For a pass-first team, the Boilermakers have a decent 1-2 rushing punch in tailbacks Kory Sheets (663 yards, 5.0-yard average) and Jaycen Taylor (421 yards, 6.3), who collectively have scored nine touchdowns ... Fifth-year senior defensive end Eugene Bright has four sacks in the past two games.

About Penn State: Injuries have limited him to three starts this season, but fifth-year senior guard John Shaw said the tendinitis in his knee has eased to a point where he's 100 percent, or close to it. "I feel like I've got my fire back," Shaw said ... It's not just sophomore defensive end Maurice Evans' 10 1/2 sacks, the second most in the Big Ten, that endears him to coach Joe Paterno. There's also that Brooklyn, N.Y., connection. "I knew he was from Brooklyn," Evans said of his 80-year-old coach. "We joke about it every once in a while. He grew up not too far from where I live" ... Talk about your late bloomers: Fifth-year senior tailback Rodney Kinlaw didn't make his first start for the Lions until Sept. 29, against Illinois, 53 games into his college career. After having rushed for only 326 yards before this season, he has 809 in 2007, sixth-most in the Big Ten.