Tony Rojas stuck around at Penn State because he believed the Nittany Lions could compete for a conference championship.
uncertain
Lions → stick → championship
The team’s star linebacker now knows a Big Ten title is out of reach, but he still believes the Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) can win.
asserted
Lions → know → reach
They’ll need to win three of their final five to salvage a bowl appearance.
asserted
They → need → appearance
“I just want to win out,” Rojas said.
asserted
Rojas → want → ?
“I think winning is my biggest thing and all those accolades and whatever, it doesn’t really do anything good for me.
asserted
it → think → me
I just want to win.”
asserted
I → want → ?
Mired in a four-game losing streak, Penn State will try for its first conference win of the Matt Campbell era when Purdue (3-4, 2-2) visits Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
asserted
Purdue → mire → Saturday
Rojas has played inspired football since returning from a knee injury that cost him nearly all of last season.
asserted
that → play → season
He’s anchored a defense that has often been hung out to dry by an offense averaging just 18.5 points per conference game with just three second-half touchdowns.
asserted
that → anchor → touchdowns
The junior leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks.
asserted
junior → lead → loss
He also leads all active FBS linebackers with six career interceptions, two of them coming this season.
asserted
two → lead → them
“Tony’s a great player all around the field,” defensive end Yvan Kemajou said.
asserted
Kemajou → ’ → field
On the field, we just have that confidence knowing he’s there.”
asserted
he → have → confidence
Rojas’ confidence isn’t shaken.
asserted
confidence → shake → ?
He experienced last year’s midseason disaster when the Nittany Lions lost six straight to start Big Ten play before winning out and earning a bowl trip and another win against Clemson.
asserted
Lions → experience → Clemson
The stark difference for Rojas was that he watched all of that transpire from the sideline.
asserted
all → watch → sideline
Rojas suffered a season-ending knee injury after Penn State’s Week 5 loss to Oregon.
asserted
Rojas → suffer → Oregon
Losing their defensive captain drained whatever life the team had left following the overtime loss to the Ducks.
asserted
team → lose → Ducks
The Nittany Lions fell to UCLA and Northwestern immediately thereafter, leading to James Franklin’s firing.
asserted
Lions → fall → firing
For Rojas, the team’s current four-game skid doesn’t really compare.
asserted
skid → compare → Rojas
He’s not helpless to do anything on the field this time around.
asserted
He → ’ → field
“I think the biggest thing is just having fun,” Rojas said.
asserted
Rojas → think → fun
“A lot of people kind of take away the fun and the joy from this just because we have some losses, but I think just being able to still have fun, lean on each other and play for each other and at the end of the day, no one’s gonna feel sorry for us and we just gotta play for each other.”
asserted
we → take → other
Campbell kept Rojas on a snap count over the first two games.
asserted
Campbell → keep → games
As his confidence in his surgically repaired knee grew, so did his playing time.
asserted
time → repair → knee
Mostly playing alongside Iowa State transfer Kooper Ebel in coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s 4-2-5 base defense, Rojas has regularly showed off his blitzing skills, sideline-to-sideline speed and coverage abilities.
asserted
Rojas → play → sideline
“Tony has done some great things,” Campbell said.
asserted
Campbell → do → things
As we know, statistically, there’s a great catalyst when he’s at his best.
asserted
he → know → best
There’s some areas where he can continue to improve.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
He knows that.
asserted
He → know → that
What I love about Tony is he’s one of the guys that has spearheaded last week of coming out with purpose and intent and really having a great week of practice.”
asserted
that → love → practice
Rojas is trying to take on more to try to help his team win out.
asserted
team → try → more
For a program that prides itself on wrecking opposing quarterbacks, Rojas is looking to add more violence from the edge.
asserted
Rojas → pride → edge
Most of his pressures have come when he’s beat interior linemen.
asserted
he → come → linemen
The Nittany Lions have nine sacks so far — only two from defensive ends — and are on pace for just 15 on the season.
asserted
Lions → have → season
They had 32 a year ago, 44 in 2024 and led FBS with 49 in 2023.
asserted
They → have → 2023
“I’m kind of hard on myself, so I know I have a lot of things to improve on,” Rojas said.
asserted
Rojas → ’m → things
“I just continue to sharpen my pencil and get better at all those things.”
asserted
I → continue → things
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