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STATE COLLEGE — Here on the home sideline at Beaver Stadium was a small pile of crutches. Take one, take two. Whatever you need.

And the Nittany Lions have needed them, almost to the point of farce.

All three of Penn State’s starting linebackers found themselves together on the sideline Saturday afternoon, watching a patched-together defense try to hang on without them.

That much happened. A 34-27 win over Temple that was more impressive just from a standpoint of survival.

Jason Cabinda missed his second straight game with a cast on his hand and wrist. Brandon Bell, who appeared to hurt his knee a week ago against Pitt but returned to the game, arrived at the field on crutches.

Nyeem Wartman-White, the last man standing, must have feared the worse when one of his knees cruelly buckled once again, leaving him writhing in pain for the second straight year against the Owls.

Unlike last year, the Lions held on.

True sophomores Manny Bowen and Jake Cooper teamed with little-used walk-on Brandon Smith to save the day.

“It’s pretty special, when you get in a situation when you’re thin at linebacker,” Lions coach James Franklin said. “And then you don’t have Nyeem Wartman-White, and you don’t have Brandon Bell, and you don’t have Jason Cabinda, who are three of the better linebackers in the Big Ten in my opinion.

“Then you have guys that go in there and step up.”

Cooper had five tackles. Bowen had three plus a sack. Smith, who had played just three defensive snaps in four years on the team, finished with eight tackles and a third-down pass break-up.

Temple finished the day with just 38 rushing yards. The Owls had 149 to knock out the Lions in 2015.

Despite the personnel losses, defensive coordinator Brent Pry kept up the pressure.

“We were never really able to get the running game going like we wanted,” Temple coach Matt Rhule said. “They were blitzing us and giving us the throws.”

If there was any reprieve for the Lions, it was that Wartman-White wasn’t immediately ruled out for the season as he was a year ago against the Owls when he suffered a torn left ACL.

In both instances, the senior from Valley View went down on a Temple punt. In the play on Saturday, Penn State kept its base defense on the field on a fourth-and-1 play in which the Owls ended up kicking it away.

But after the game, Wartman-White had still joined Bell on crutches and had his right leg in a brace.

“I’ll have a better idea on Tuesday,” Franklin said. “It would not be appropriate for me to talk right now before the doctors have had the opportunity to visit with me and (I have) the opportunity to visit with them. As you can imagine there are a lot of different tests that have to be done.

“You see guys the next day and think they’re going to be fine and then they’re not well. And vice versa. So we’ll see how this thing play out.”

Penn State defenders didn’t have the most positive outlook after the game when it came to Wartman-White’s immediate health. As it is, the Lions are facing some long odds heading to the Big House next week for the Big Ten opener against No. 4 Michigan.

But they do head out to Ann Arbor with a 2-1 record instead of a much more concerning 1-2 mark.

Penn State players said they tried to build off of last week’s rally that fell short out at Pitt.

When the tables turned on Saturday and it was the Owls battling back — cutting a 14-point deficit to three in the fourth quarter — Saquon Barkley pulled the Lions away from the brink with an impressive 55-yard touchdown run. John Reid sealed it with an interception in the final minute.

“I’m telling you, this team here, this 2016 team, is a completely different team,” said safety Marcus Allen, who took on a more vocal role with the linebackers all injured. “We’re way more energetic and competitive. We’re having fun out there with each other.

“So even when it’s close out there like that, that’s what we came to Penn State to play in.”

Penn State’s Garrett Sickels (90) reacts after sacking Temple quarterback Phillip Walker (8) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. Penn State won the game 34-27. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_psu-tu-d201691720324412.jpg.optimal.jpgPenn State’s Garrett Sickels (90) reacts after sacking Temple quarterback Phillip Walker (8) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. Penn State won the game 34-27. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)Chris Knight | AP photo
Unheralded players step up, make big plays

By Derek Levarse

[email protected]

VIDEO

To see video of Penn State head coach James Franklin talk about the Nittany Lions’ win over Temple, visit the online version of this story at timesleader.com.

Reach Derek Levarse at 570-991-6396 or on Twitter @TLdlevarse

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