UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- It has been quite a journey for Penn State middle linebacker Josh Hull, who has gone from walk-on to leading tackler.

Quarterback Daryll Clark attended Kiski School for a year to improve his academics, then sat behind Anthony Morelli for two seasons before earning the starting job as well as two degrees.

Outside linebacker Sean Lee has overcome injuries to each knee in the past two years to crack the top-5 list for career tackles.

That trio is among 18 seniors who will play their final home game Saturday when No. 19 Penn State (8-2, 4-2 Big Ten) faces Indiana (4-6, 1-5) at Beaver Stadium.

"My road was a little harder than some of the guys at Penn State," Hull said, "but, with all that said, I haven't worked any harder than any of my other teammates."

Other headliners among the seniors are offensive left tackle Dennis Landolt, who has made 36 career starts; defensive tackle Jared Odrick, who has made 31; tight end Andrew Quarless, who has made 28; and punter Jeremy Boone, who has been the best in the Big Ten the past two years.

Others who could be playing their final home game are tailback Evan Royster and outside linebacker Navorro Bowman. Both redshirt juniors likely will bypass their final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Hull, who grew up in nearby Millheim, Pa., has been the man in the middle for the Nittany Lions the past two seasons.

Despite being heavily criticized a year ago, Hull persevered. He has a team-high 95 tackles this season to go along with two sacks and two interceptions.

A fifth-year senior, Hull will make his 24th consecutive start against the Hoosiers after running through the tunnel for the last time.

"Coming to Penn State even as a walk-on, I knew that I would be starter one day," he said.

Clark, Lee, Odrick and Boone have earned All-Big Ten recognition in the past while helping lead the Lions to a 37-12 record, a Big Ten championship and a 2-1 bowl mark since 2006.

The group has its sights set on another January bowl, which could possibly include an at-large spot in the Orange Bowl if the Lions win their final two games and finish in the top 14 in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

Clark, who has accounted for 58 touchdowns in his career (37 passing, 21 rushing), said yesterday that anything less than a 10-2 record would be unacceptable.

"We'll be extremely disappointed if we're not able to do that," he said.

Lee, a fifth-year senior from Upper St. Clair High School who has 302 career tackles, said Senior Day would be an emotional one for him.

"It's going to be tough for me and tough for a lot of the older guys," he said.

Lee has started 31 games in his career, but has made just five this season. He missed last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and sat out three games this year with a sprained left knee.

"In some ways, [this season] hasn't fulfilled what I wanted because I was injured," Lee said.

Quarless has been in and out of coach Joe Paterno's doghouse throughout his four-year career, mainly for off-field issues. But he is the team's fourth-leading receiver with 26 receptions for 347 yards and a touchdown after managing a combined 25 catches the past two years.

Quarless said the 24-7 loss Saturday to Ohio State has been "pretty tough to shake."

But fifth-year senior defensive end Jerome Hayes said the Lions need to forget that game and look ahead.

"The worst thing we can do is let Ohio State beat us twice," Hayes said.

"With Senior Day coming up, last game at Beaver Stadium, there's no way the seniors on this team are going to allow Ohio State to beat us twice."

NOTES -- Hayes said he would decide after the regular season whether to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. He played in seven games in 2007 before tearing the ACL in his right knee and in two games last season before suffering the same injury to his left knee.

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