UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State and Southern California both pack quite a wallop when it comes to defense.

It could make for an interesting 95th Rose Bowl matchup when the teams collide New Year's Day in Pasadena, Calif.

The Trojans have allowed an NCAA-low 11 touchdowns in 12 games, while the Nittany Lions have surrendered 17, tied for the third-fewest.

The gaudy numbers don't end there for the two 11-1 teams.

Southern Cal is No. 1 in the country in scoring defense (7.75 points per game), total defense (206.1 yards per game) and pass defense (122.8 ypg), and No. 5 in run defense (83.3 ypg).

Penn State is No. 4 in scoring defense (12.4 ppg), No. 5 in total defense (263.9 ypg) and No. 8 in run defense (95.9 ypg).

"These are two pretty darn good defenses," Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.

"You might have to go back to our game against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl [in 1987] to find a similar comparison for us."

No. 6 Penn State, which held its pre-Rose Bowl news conference yesterday, has not given up more than 24 points in a game this season.

The Lions have held five opponents to seven or less.

Four of Penn State's record 10 first-team All-Big Ten Conference picks were on defense, including outside linebacker Navorro Bowman, defensive end Aaron Maybin, defensive tackle Jared Odrick and safety Anthony Scirrotto. Maybin is tied for fourth in the country in sacks with 12.

"We're not a star-studded defense," Bradley said.

"We don't have a lot of name players that people even know. But the one thing we do is we come to work, and we do the best we can."

Southern California has surrendered seven or fewer points in eight games while pitching three shutouts.

"They have a lot of good athletes on their defense," Penn State wide receiver Derrick Williams said.

"I think it's going to be a good matchup for us to display our talent."

Five Trojans were named to the All-Pac-10 first-team defense, including middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, the conference's defensive player of the year and winner of the Bednarik Award.

Other All-Pac-10 first-teamers were defensive tackle Fili Moala, linebacker Brian Cushing and safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays.

The two offenses could give the defenses a workout. The Lions have averaged 40.2 points and the Trojans 37.5. Penn State has scored 45 or more points in seven games; Southern Cal 35 or more.

"It's going to be a great challenge for us defensively, especially in the secondary," Scirrotto said.

NOTES -- Coach Joe Paterno said he has had preliminary discussions with athletic director Tim Curley about his future. Paterno's contract expires at the end of the season. President Graham Spanier has said the university will not sign Paterno to another contract, even if he returns for his 44th season next year. Paterno, who turns 82 Dec. 21 and recently had hip-replacement surgery, is "feeling great" and said he plans to coach "for a while."

"I talked to Curley about a few possibilities without getting into it," Paterno said. "The university will be fair to me. If we can work something out and I'm comfortable with it and they're comfortable with it before the bowl, fine." ... Backup quarterback Pat Devlin's decision to transfer caught quarterback Daryll Clark and some other teammates off guard. "We were a little surprised ... we didn't know it would actually go through," Clark said. Paterno said he met with Devlin and his parents Monday.

"We talked, and it was obvious he was going to leave," Paterno said. "I said, 'Wouldn't you like to come to the Rose Bowl?', which I probably should not have said. And he said, 'Well, it's up to you, coach.' Then when I thought about it, I thought it might be a distraction. I thought it wouldn't be fair to the team." Devlin could end up at Division I-AA Delaware.