STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- After practice one day in October, Penn State's Brandon Short called a five-minute meeting.

The fifth-year senior linebacker and co-captain -- some players only half-jokingly call him the "Daddy" of the defense -- had given up a year in the NFL with the hope of winning a national title. And he wasn't happy.

Sure, the Nittany Lions were unbeaten and No. 2, but their defense was not the terrifying monster advertised back in August. They had given up 320-plus yards per game, middle-of-the-pack statistically. Worse, they were not always putting away teams teetering on the brink.

Whatever Short said that afternoon, the dressing down worked: October turned downright frightening for opposing offenses.

They went out and pummeled Ohio State that weekend, scored two defensive TDs against Purdue the next week and silenced Illinois on Saturday -- putting the Lions three victories from the national title game.

"We kind of got together and said, `Listen, we've got to stop trying to make the big plays and go out there and play like we're capable of,' " linebacker Mac Morrison said Tuesday as Penn State (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) prepared for Minnesota's visit Saturday.

Funny thing was, once they stopped trying to make it onto ESPN, SportsCenter-caliber highlights started.

Against Purdue, LaVar Arrington turned a sack into a fumble and a touchdown and Courtney Brown had a 25-yard interception return for a TD, saving the Lions in their toughest contest to date.

Penn State had 24 sacks in the four October games, more than twice the 11 they had in the first five. LaVar Arrington had seven of the sacks.

The Lions held Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue and Illinois to 269 yards and 12 points per game, after giving up 343 yards and 19 points on average through the first five victories. Ohio State and Purdue rushed for 65 yards each, and Iowa for just 48 yards.

Last week, Illinois had just five yards in the second quarter, and 130 yards, no points and six first downs in the second half.

Over the October stretch, the defense mounted two goal-line stands, stopping Iowa at the 2-yard line and Purdue at the 12 -- each time with the game on the line.

And then there were those game-turning plays, the ones coach Joe Paterno said this group would need to make if it wanted to be mentioned with the best of Jerry Sandusky's units.

Even Paterno is now willing to say this defense is making its case.

"Over the last three-four games, they have been outstanding," he said.

What a relief for offensive coordinator Fran Ganter. The defense turned suffocating just as his offense turned spotty. The Lions keep piling up yardage -- 441 yards per game -- but they've developed a nasty habit: squandering scoring chances.

They'll want to change their ways against the Gophers, who give up 286 yards a game, fewest in the Big Ten, and 13 points a game, eighth nationally.

"We can't wait until the second half to start playing," tight end John Gilmore said. "They're ranked No. 1 in the conference, and I know what our defense is like."