ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A desperate Penn State football defense hopes to have reinforcement help for its critical recovery test here in Michigan Stadium.
Will it be enough to break their three-game losing streak?
Starting defensive end Yvan Kemajou and premium backups Cam Smith (linebacker) and Armstrong Nnodim (defensive tackle) are "game-time decisions" for the Nittany Lions when they meet the equally-struggling Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, according to the pregame Big Ten availability report.
Standout receiver Chase Sowell also is a game-time decision, according to the report.
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Both the Lions (3-2, 0-3 Big Ten) and Wolverines (3-2, 0-2) will, stunningly enough, be searching for their first league victory of the season.
While the Lions will miss more than a dozen players for this game, including star receiver Koby Howard yet again the return of Smith would provide a much-needed depth boost at linebacker. PSU was down to only three primary linebackers after the recent injury to promising sophomore Alex Tatsch, who will miss the rest of the season.
The thin group, led by starters Tony Rojas and Kooper Ebel and backup Cael Brezina, will now add Smith and possibly former Iowa State standout Marcus Neal Jr., who could move from safety, head coach Matt Campbell said this week.
Smith made four tackles in the Lions' first two games before suffering an undisclosed injury.
Kemajou and Nnodim also are crucial for a defense that's one of the worst nationally in rushing the passer. The Lions only have two sacks from linemen through six games.
Penn State's list of unavailable players for the Michigan game includes Howard, Tatsch, starting defensive end Max Granville and kickoff specialist Cristiano Rosa.
The others: defensive ends LaVar Arrington II, Mason Robinson and Dayshaun Burnett, offensive lineman Will Thompkins, cornerbacks Tyler Armstead, Josh Johnson and Christian Askew, defensive tackle Liam Andrews and tight end Cooper Alexander.
Granville is out for the season with an undisclosed injury for the second straight year. Arrington is expected to return after the off-week, possibly against Purdue on Halloween, Campbell said.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Will a struggling Penn State football defense get a boost vs Michigan?