Call it amorphous. Call it amoebic. After Saturday, you can certainly call it effective.

Just don't call it rigid or stagnant.

Penn State's defense showed a multitude of looks in Saturday's 34-16 win over Akron.

Depending on how Tim Shaw's stand-up rusher role is classified, the Nittany Lions used a 3-4 for much of the day with a four-man front sprinkled in every now and then. The most creative defensive package, however, might have come when Penn State went with two down linemen, four linebackers - if you still count Shaw as a linebacker - and five defensive backs for obvious passing downs.

"2-4-5," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley asked, puzzled, amid the questions about the new defensive alignment. "We're gonna be like the amoeba defense..."

Bradley was quick to say that this is a variation of a similar defense he has used in years past, and what Penn State showed on Saturday was nothing revolutionary.

With an abundance of talented linebackers and a shortage of proven defensive linemen (especially now, with a high ankle sprain to starting defensive end Jim Shaw), Bradley is playing the role of college football's Eli Whitney, demonstrating the value of interchangeable parts.

"There are a lot of guys that come in these packages and we can bring a lot of different people because we have those moving parts and there are a lot of things we can do," Bradley said.

To start the game, the Lions had Jim Shaw and the now quasi-linebacker Tim Shaw on the ends with Jay Alford and Ed Johnson in the middle of the line. Tim Shaw had the same duties as a defensive end for much of the game, but stayed in the stand-up position the entire time, making him something of a cross between a linebacker -- his position for the previous two seasons -- and a lineman.

"Timmy's smart, tough against the run," Bradley said. "He's played 'backer so he knows how to set against formations and knows how to get lined up and he gives us a lot of different options. He allows us to do things that we can't do with some other players."

Dan Connor, Paul Posluszny and sophomore Sean Lee were the "true linebackers" to start - making Penn State's defense look like something in between a 3-4 and a 4-3 with Shaw rushing on the outside from an upright stance.

For the passing downs, one of the defensive tackles and a "true end" would line up in a three-point stance, with Shaw coming from the opposite end.

The Lions saw success in all formats, limiting the Zips to 225 yards of total offense, which included just 33 net yards on the ground. The Lions also held Akron quarterback Luke Getsy to less than four yards per passing attempt.

Shaw said the Lions will probably show more of these amoebic formations throughout the season, and that he will continue to spend much of his time as a stand-up defensive end.

"You want to get your best 11 on the field, and, defensively, they feel that this is the best way to do that," the three-year starter said.

Lee, who saw his first significant action as Posluszny's replacement in last season's Orange Bowl, got the feeling early on in preseason that his playing time would increase manifold this year.

"Throughout camp we saw the personnel and the coaches wanted to utilize all the linebackers we had," Lee said. "We've known for a while."

With that said, Bradley anticipates having to change his defensive schemes and packages every week, as new opponents present new challenges. Notre Dame, on slate for this Saturday, will pose more than its share of threats in quarterback Brady Quinn, versatile tailback Darius Walker and receivers Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardzija.

"We knew Getsy could throw the rock around but he didn't have great receivers," Shaw said. "We'll see if Notre Dame has those great receivers, the great team around [Quinn] to make him that much better."

Success for either team may very well lie in the interchangeable parts.