UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State tailback Evan Royster has found the yards a little tougher this season because of an ever-changing offensive line.

Although three linemen have started every game, the Nittany Lions have used three right tackles and three left guards, including DeOn'tae Pannell, who has started at both spots.

Royster's frustration was obvious in the second quarter Saturday against Indiana, when he came up 2 yards short of a first down on a third-down screen pass with the Nittany Lions trailing, 10-0. As he walked off the field, Royster said he and an offensive lineman, whom he refused to name, exchanged heated words.

"He thought I should have taken that screen back inside," Royster said. "A lot of pursuit was coming from the inside. We disagreed on the point. It kind of set me off. I think in the long run it helped us out. It got us a little bit more fired up. It got us to play better."

Royster and the Lions definitely picked it up. He finished with 95 yards rushing and 134 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns (one receiving, one rushing) as Penn State rallied for a 31-20 victory.

Royster, a 6-foot-1, 213-pound redshirt junior, needs only 10 yards rushing in the regular-season finale Saturday at Michigan State to reach 1,000 and become just the seventh Penn State running back to accomplish the feat in multiple seasons.

He has 990 yards on 175 carries and six touchdowns. His average per carry of 5.7 yards is best among Big Ten running backs with at least 90 carries. He also has 16 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns and six punt returns for 8 yards.

A year ago, Royster ran for 1,236 yards on 191 carries (6.5 avg.) and 12 touchdowns behind a veteran offensive line that included three first-team All-Big Ten picks.

"Royster's definitely a very patient running back," quarterback Daryll Clark said yesterday. "He's never been a guy to complain about anything. He just came in, worked every day, and when he got the call to run the rock, he ran it as hard as he could and made plays for us.

"He'll definitely reach the 1,000 mark. We expect a big game out of him this coming Saturday."

Royster, who had 79 yards rushing and 34 receiving in a 49-18 victory against the Spartans last year at Beaver Stadium, will face a Michigan State run defense that ranks fourth in the Big Ten, allowing 105.9 yards a game.

"With the experience, you kind of learn that you can slow things down and be patient and still make your reads," Royster said. "That's the biggest thing I've improved on. Just patience and not panicking."

Royster's 2,739 career rushing yards are good for 10th place in school history. He has five 100-yard games this season and 11 for his career -- the Lions are 11-0 in those games. His best rushing total is a 137-yard effort last month against Minnesota. A year ago, Royster had four games of 139 yards or more.

"I got on Royster a little bit either last week or two weeks ago," coach Joe Paterno said. "I said, `Hey, you're not playing with a lot of enthusiasm like you have.' I thought he played well last week.

"He's a good, solid, all-around back. He's not flashy. He's consistent. He knows what's going on. He can do everything you want him to do. He blocks well enough. He's a really good receiver and he's intelligent."

Royster is No. 2 in the Big Ten in rushing and sixth in all-purpose yards. He will graduate next month and then will decide whether he is going to bypass his senior year of eligibility to enter April's NFL draft.

Royster will not make his decision until talking to his family and hearing from the NFL draft advisory board about where he might be picked.

"A lot of things are going to play into it," he said. "I really haven't thought about it too much."

2 x 1000

Players in Penn State history who have run for 1,000 yards in more than one season:

Player, seasons Best

John Cappelletti, 1972-73 1,522

Curt Warner, 1981-82 1,044

Blair Thomas, 1987, '89 1,414

Ki-Jana Carter, 1993-94 1,539

Curtis Enis, 1996-97 1,363

Tony Hunt, 2005-06 1,386

Next

• Game: No. 13 Penn State (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten) at Michigan State (6-5, 4-3).

• When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

• Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.

• TV: WTAE.

Ron Musselman's Penn State blog and videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.