LOOKING AHEAD
*No. 8 Ohio State (7-1, 3-1) at Penn State (2-6, 0-4), 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Beaver Stadium. The Buckeyes defeated the Lions, 45-6, in the 2000 season, the biggest margin of defeat in Joe Paterno's career.
NOTEBOOK
*Penn State's quarterback situation remains unresolved. Michael Robinson started but was pulled after three ineffective series in the first quarter. Zack Mills, who had missed most of the previous three games with a sprained knee, played the final three quarters. Mills was 14 for 25 for 138 yards and completed his first touchdown pass since the season opener against Temple. Robinson was 0 for 2 and failed to lead the Lions to a first down while he was in the game. "I didn't have any idea what I was going to do," coach Joe Paterno said. "And if you ask me what I'm going to do next week, I don't have the slightest idea, so you can save yourself the question." Robinson said he found out he was going to start when he listened to Paterno on his weekly radio show Thursday night. Robinson was asked if he thought it would be better if he knew who was going to start earlier in the week. "Usually it is," he said. "We thought it was going to be a rotation." Paterno said he was not down on Robinson, who had his second rough game in a row. Against Purdue, he was 10 for 32 for 98 yards. "I really didn't have much reason to take Mike out except that I thought Zack might settle us down a little bit," Paterno said.
RB Austin Scott played in the second half and had a 24-yard touchdown catch, plus three carries for 14 yards. He looked fresh and made four Iowa players miss on the nifty touchdown run. He did not start because he did not practice until Wednesday of last week after sitting out the Purdue game two weeks ago with mononucleosis. "He wasn't healthy until Wednesday or Thursday," Paterno said. "We started out doing a couple of things he really hadn't practiced."
Paterno expressed doubt about some of his recent personnel moves. He seemed to acknowledge that moving Maurice Humphrey from cornerback to receiver in the middle of the season was a bit ambitious. Humphrey started at receiver in place of Tony Johnson, who was suspended. "I have to take a good look at the whole situation, the organization, how I have people doing things," he said. "Kids doing things, right kids in the right spots. Whether we think we're kidding ourselves if we think we can take a kid who's been a defensive back and make him a wideout in three weeks, I really don't know. I wish I could tell you."
Paterno said the blocked punt might have been the result of his players wanting to get down and cover the kick too early, a reaction to allowing two punt returns for touchdowns the previous two games against Purdue and Wisconsin. "We work so hard on coverage, maybe we got a little careless," he said.
Paterno was upset with the officials when Iowa ran its punt team onto the field late in the third quarter in an attempt to catch the Lions with too many men on the field. After receiving an explanation from referee David Witvoet, he said his players made a mistake by calling a timeout. "They used a speed punt, which is illegal," Paterno said. "We called a timeout. The official was good about it. He said, 'you didn't give me time to call it. You can't call an illegal play before it becomes illegal.' He was right. You can't call it until they kick it."
Iowa RB Fred Russell had 151 yards rushing and became the eighth opposing player in eight games to rush for 100 yards or more against Penn State.
S Yaacov Yisrael's 83-yard interception return was the sixth-longest in Penn State history and the first for a touchdown since Rich Gardner returned one against Indiana last season. It was Yisrael's second interception of the game, his third of the season and his first career touchdown.
Penn State recorded its initial first down with 7:35 remaining in the second quarter.
Jerime Roberts' 26-yard punt return was the third special teams touchdown allowed by Penn State in the past three games. The Lions allowed punt returns to Wisconsin and Purdue. It was the fourth special teams touchdown allowed for the season.
WR Josh Hannum had his first career reception, an 8-yarder in the first quarter. LB Paul Posluszny had his first career fumble recovery in the third quarter.
Reserve OT Damone Jones and FB BranDon Snow did not make the trip. Paterno said he would explain their absences at his weekly news conference Tuesday.
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