It is one of those plays that the fans in the stadium can sense, a moment palpable by the collective gasp of anticipation.

Closing in on Kent State quarterback Darryl Polk from the blind side of the field, Penn State linebacker Deryck Toles crushed the Golden Flashes' signal-caller, forcing a fumble in the process.

While Kent State managed to corral the loose football on that play at the start of the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions pressure defense had already dealt the day's biggest blows in a 32-10 win on Saturday.

Focusing more on the blitz and putting pressure on Kent State's agile quarterbacks, the Lions managed to contain much of the Flashes' offensive threat and held them to just 184 yards of total offense. After having trouble containing Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord a week before -- he rushed for 100 yards and touchdown -- Penn State managed three sacks for minus-20 yards rushing and constantly forced Kent State out of its rhythm.

"I think one of our big assets is team speed and that was a big thing," Toles said. "It was like, 'Let's line up and lets go.' You know, 'Everybody, let's man up and let's go.' Everybody just pretty much stuck to their assignments and our D-Bs manned everybody up. That enabled us to go and have time to put pressure on them."

The defensive line managed to keep blockers off of the linebackers for a good portion of the day, an advantage that had been sorely missing in the team's first three games.

With the added mobility, the linebackers teed off on the under-sized Golden Flashes, had one sack and confused the offensive line. Toles said the win validated what he's been seeing in practice and gave the team the shot in the arm it needed.

"Each week, we've just been trying to get better," Toles said. "The first thing is to stop the run, and I think defensively we really stepped up."

Day to Remember:

Offense: Austin Scott -- The true freshman had his first 100-yard day, reaching the century mark on 21 carries. Scott showed his true grit by rushing for three touchdowns, all inside the 15 yard-line. While the day wasn't an unequivocal turning point in his career, it should signal the end to Penn State's running back-by-committee.

Defense: Alan Zemaitis -- The Golden Flashes managed just 105 yards passing and Zemaitis can take a lot of the credit. The sophomore cornerback knocked down four passes and snared his team-leading second interception of the season. While the subsequent fumble on the return was a glaring error, it was virtually the only one Zemaitis made all day.

Day to Forget:

Offense: Tony Johnson -- Things just don't seem to be getting any better for the senior wideout. It's hard to know exactly what the problem is, but he says he's putting too much pressure on himself to make big plays. After three drops on Saturday, it must be hard for him not to get antsy. With Maurice Humphrey and Donnie Johnson now playing alongside him, Johnson shouldn't have to worry about the lack of a supporting cast.

Defense: Calvin Lowry -- Played a mostly solid game, but the gaffe on the punt return could have been the decisive play in the game. It's easy to forget that Lowry returned eight other punts successfully, but the fact that Kent State scored first Saturday is arguably the game's most memorable moment.

Did you notice?

The problems with the scoreboard? How can Vic Surma and Ed Johnson expect to get any respect when their names are spelled incorrectly (Vick Surma and Ed Johnston) in their home stadium?...The fans wearing the "Penn State Basketball is serious" t-shirts? It was serious last season, too -- seriously funny.

Extra point

Is Saturday's win over Kent State the turning point for the Penn State football team, or just a "flash" in the pan?