Penn State’s ‘leader of the defense’ Jason Cabinda dominates in 14-tackle game

Earlier this week, Penn State cornerback Christian Campbell said defensive end Shareef Miller had a “killer instinct” — and after Saturday’s game, he lumped another Nittany Lion in that category: Senior linebacker Jason Cabinda.

It may be repetitive, but it sure is applicable.

Cabinda turned in his first dominating display of 2017 in Penn State’s 45-14 win over Indiana. The 6-foot-1, 234-pounder used every ounce to stuff the Hoosiers, racking up 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a recovered fumble.

Cabinda was heartbeat of Penn State’s defense, something the Nittany Lions are accustomed to by now.

“I’m not surprised Jason is doing that,” Campbell said. “He’s always around the ball and always making plays. He’s the leader of the defense, and I’m proud of him.”

Added senior safety Marcus Allen: “He was doing his thing. That’s the Jason that we know.”

For the most part, that’s the Cabinda whom fans and media know, too.

In 2016, the linebacker had more than a few memorable performances. Remember his 14-tackle showing against Ohio State, 11-tackle Rose Bowl and 11-stop tone-setter in the opener? The New Jersey native was third on the team in tackles with 81 despite missing five games due to injury.

But 2017’s been a little strange for Cabinda. He had eight tackles against Pitt but made only six stops at Iowa and combined for seven against Akron and Georgia State because he wasn’t needed to step up.

Saturday was different. Indiana totaled 47 running plays. Cabinda was relied upon, and he answered the call.

“He was awesome,” senior defensive tackle Parker Cothren said. “It felt like he was in on just about every tackle, especially on plays inside the box.”

Cabinda didn’t take credit for his 14-tackle performance. When asked about his play, he deflected and heaped praise on Penn State’s front-four. “I just think more plays came to me,” he said. “The D-line played their butts off. They’re the unsung heroes. They were in the right gaps, taking on double-teams, making sure the offensive linemen weren’t climbing to the second level.”

But Cothren wouldn’t let him shy away. He knew the important role Cabinda played.

“It’s a big relief for the D-line knowing that he’s going to come up, protect his gaps and even move around and make plays outside of his gaps,” the interior lineman said.

Yep, Cabinda was all over the place.

The linebacker recorded six more stops than Penn State’s No. 2 tackler (Manny Bowen), and he did so without too much help. Cabinda tallied six solo stops and assisted on eight more. He recovered a forced fumble that led to a touchdown and sacked Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow in the first quarter alone. Meanwhile, nine of his 14 tackles held Indiana to a two-yard gain or less.

It was by far Cabinda’s best game of 2017 — and his teammates knew it was coming.

“Jason’s always playing to his best ability,” Allen said. “He’s always doing something extra after practice or before practice. I’m just happy that you guys got to see what we already know.”

Added Campbell: “He gets the defense going.”

That much was clear against the Hoosiers.

This story was originally published September 30, 2017 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Penn State’s ‘leader of the defense’ Jason Cabinda dominates in 14-tackle game."