Quarterbacks

The unfortunate thing about Saturday is that Sunday always follows. And for Zack Mills -- alternately a punching bag for opposing defenses and for Penn State's rooting legion of second-guessers -- Sunday always brings forth some variation of pain, either physical or verbal. Mills throws four interceptions in a game? Next day, fans demand a replacement. Mills stands in the pocket while taking hit after hit? Next day, the fifth-year senior can barely walk. "Sundays are pretty bad," Mills allowed. That said, Mills has been pretty reliable, especially following a shaky first three games. Despite the injuries, despite the criticism, Mills remains an able leader of the offense.

Grade: B-

Running backs

Call Tony Hunt the MAC Daddy. Give him a team from the Mid-American Conference -- say, Akron or UCF -- and the sophomore looks strong enough to get his own chunky soup commercial. Throw him in there against any other team -- any, uh, good team -- and Hunt is stymied. Because Penn State plays in the Big Ten, that's worrisome. When Hunt's stats against MAC teams are projected over a full season, he's on target for 1,441 yards and 22 touchdowns. Do the same for his stats against every other team, and he's on target for 459 yards and no touchdowns. Until Hunt and his supporting cast produce when needed most, the Nittany Lions are in trouble.

Grade: C+

Wide receivers/tight ends

Maybe you're surprised we're grading the wide receivers. Sometimes, it's hard to tell Penn State has them. Just last week, coach Joe Paterno traced the struggles of the entire offense to this unit. And he made a solid point. Until teams respect the Nittany Lions' passing game, nothing else will open up. Senior Gerald Smith, the team's rumored No. 1 wideout, averages 23 yards per game against Big Ten teams. Some hope lingers here, mostly because freshman Mark Rubin looks promising and the talented but injured Michael Robinson soon will return to the lineup. But throw in a nondescript tandem of tight ends, and right now, Penn State barely gets a passing grade for its passing game.

Grade: D

Offensive line

This unit returns every starter next year, which is good news if you like continuity, bad news if you prefer the continuity of something worth continuing. Through six games, Penn State's linemen have played with inconsistency, failing to open holes for Hunt and struggling to keep the quarterbacks behind them healthy. Penn State hasn't managed more than 21 yards rushing in either of its past two games, and Paterno seems to place most of the blame for that on his line. He recently promised to look closely at possible lineup changes, perhaps for struggling right tackle Andrew Richardson. So much for continuity.

Grade: C-

Defensive line

If possible, namelessness defines this group. Tamba Hali, Scott Paxson, Jay Alford and Matt Rice aren't the glossy-photo cover boys of Penn State's defense, but that doesn't diminish their importance. Hali has, at times, looked like one of the top linemen in the conference. Alford plays with the ferocity of a tiger -- notable only because he adulates the tiger species on his personal, university-given Web site. Together, this unit has accounted for only five sacks, but opponents average just 3.2 yards per rush -- and last season, run defense was a weakness. This is more like it.

Grade: B+

Linebackers

Linebacker U. has all the peach-fuzzed youth of a middle school, but even with a young threesome getting much of the playing time this season, the traditional strength remains. Dan Connor puts the man in freshman. Sophomore Paul Posluszny seemingly covers the whole field from his outside linebacker spot. Another sophomore, Tim Shaw -- recently displaced by Connor -- played well enough in the first half of the season to maintain a role in the second half. Derek Wake, who has both the body and the lateral mobility of a Greek statue -- is the senior starter here, but also the least impressive.

Grade: A-

Cornerbacks/safeties

Street-famed rap artist AZ once said, "We got this locked now, pure official," which is relevant only because Penn State's own AZ -- Alan Zemaitis -- seemingly has taken that as a personal directive for his own defensive backfield. The Nittany Lions' secondary has made a habit of locking down passing games, exhibited most recently when the group limited luminous Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton to his poorest game of the season. Penn State allows just 180 yards per game; opposing wideouts average less than 10 yards per catch. Andrew Guman, Calvin Lowry and Anwar Phillips have enjoyed solid seasons, but Zemaitis is the leader. He's the real deal. Pure and official.

Grade: A-

Special teams

Nothing special here. Lowry is the punt returner, but he'd more aptly be titled the "punt fair catcher." Moreover, the Nittany Lions have not uncovered a dangerous kick returner. Kicker Robbie Gould has struggled when his rare chances come about, converting just three of six field-goal tries. Truth is, Penn State's best special-teams player is a 275-pound defensive lineman, Scott Paxson, who has blocked five field goals and extra points during his career. The Nittany Lions likely would benefit if they found that same productivity elsewhere -- as in, anywhere.

Grade: C

Coaching

If Paterno is Penn State football, and Penn State football is struggling, let's recall the transitive property from second grade -- "if A=B and B=C, then A=C" -- to conclude that Paterno, too, is struggling. At least, that's the simple way of looking at it. In truth, Paterno's toughest test is still to come. Last year, after losing a heartbreaker to Ohio State, the Lions never recaptured their intensity. This year, the heartbreaking loss came last weekend to Purdue. Players cried in the locker room afterward. Days later, the Lions were still reeling. How they overcome this hurdle will determine the final mark for Paterno and his assistants.

Grade: C+

Overall Grade Point Average: 2.52 (on a 4.0 scale)