UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State wide receiver Derek Moye had been waiting for this day to come.

But he surprised himself by turning in a breakout performance in his first career start.

Moye caught a career-high six passes for 138 yards and one touchdown as No. 9 Penn State pounded Akron, 31-7, in its non-conference opener yesterday at Beaver Stadium. The 6-foot-5, 198-pound redshirt sophomore from Rochester High School had four catches of 20 yards or more, the longest of which covered 42.

"I've been waiting for this day for a while," said Moye, who entered the game with just three career catches for 71 yards and one touchdown. "On the bus ride over [to the stadium], it was a lot different because I knew I was going to play. I felt like I played pretty well."

Moye's numbers could have been heftier if quarterback Daryll Clark had not overthrown him in the left corner of the end zone or if another potential 44-yard touchdown catch had not been broken up at the goal line by Akron cornerback Miguel Graham after Clark underthrew Moye.

"Those two plays, I definitely feel like I should have made them," Moye said. "The one in the end zone barely hit my fingertips and a guy got his hand on the one near the goal line."

Moye snagged his touchdown reception late in the second quarter, going up over Akron free safety Wayne Cobham to pull in the 22-yard touchdown reception.

"It was a great play by Derek," Clark said.

Clark, who passed for a career-high 353 yards and three first-half touchdowns, played pitch-and-catch with the new crop of receivers.

He threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Powell in the first quarter and two more in the second -- the one to Moye and another 19-yarder to a leaping Graham Zug.

Powell had a team-leading seven catches for 65 yards. Zug managed five receptions for 62 yards and true freshman Devon Smith added two receptions for 25 yards.

"We have a chance to be an outstanding group," Powell said. "We've just got to keep working hard."

Clark completed 29 of 40 passes, was sacked once and tossed an interception. He also passed for 254 of his yards in the opening half as the Lions built a 31-0 lead.

Tailback Evan Royster scored Penn State's first touchdown on a 5-yard run and Collin Wagner kicked a 29-yard field goal, helping make coach Joe Paterno's return to the sideline a triumphant one.

Penn State's defense welcomed back fifth-year senior outside linebacker Sean Lee, who sat out last season after sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Lee finished with seven tackles.

The other outside linebacker, redshirt junior Navorro Bowman, left the game in the first quarter after aggravating his groin and did not return.

He is the team's top returning tackler and was a first-team All-Big Ten pick last season.

"On the second series, he said he was hurting and wanted to come out," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.

"I'm not sure what happened. But I know we need him. He's a heck of a football player."

Penn State held Akron's anemic offense to only eight first downs and 186 yards.

The Zips had just 8 yards in the first half and no first downs.

Akron's lone score came in the third quarter after a fumble by Penn State receiver Brett Brackett when Zips quarterback Chris Jacquemain tossed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Deryn Bowser.

Penn State's offense rolled up 515 yards, but managed just 171 while failing to score in the second half.

"We had a terrible second half," Paterno said.

"We got soft. We thought the game was over. We weren't very sharp."

NOTES -- Linebacker Michael Zordich, charged with DUI Friday, dressed for the game, but did not play. He is expected to serve a two-game suspension. ... Tight end Andrew Quarless left the game in the second half with cramps. ... Six true freshmen played for Penn State. ... Linebacker Nathan Stupar, who replaced Bowman, had a team-high 12 tackles and one sack. ... Defensive ends Eric Latimore and Jack Crawford had one sack each, and defensive tackle Jared Odrick and defensive end Kevion Latham shared another. ... Safety/nickel back Andrew Dailey had his first career interception and scampered 37 yards following a run off a fake punt.