Monday, September 08, 2003

By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

When Boston College took a commanding 24-point lead against Penn State early in the second quarter on its way to an easy 27-14 victory Saturday, Penn State fans couldn't help but have visions of the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

Did Toledo's 24-6 pasting of the Lions in 2000 come to mind? Or how about the 33-7 loss to Miami in 2001? Or the 18-6 loss to Wisconsin and the 20-0 loss to Michigan in the same year?

It was not just the loss, it was the manner in which the Lions went about losing.

That Toledo game was the second of four losses in the first five weeks of the season for a team that finished 5-7. The '01 team started 0-4 and finished 5-6.

The 2003 Lions are 1-1, but judging from some of the problems they've experienced the first two games and the schedule ahead (a road game at No. 18 Nebraska looms this week), it is evident that this team could struggle as well.

"We're better than that, anyway. At least we've got one [win]," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said after the game, able to crack a smile while hearkening to the 2001 start.

"I'm going to go home, look at the tapes and analyze the game. We're going to work our butts off to get better. I don't know how else to do it. I can't compare this club to 2001 or 2000 or 1983. I'm not that smart."

The '83 team Paterno referenced unsolicited began the season 0-3 and came back to finish 8-4-1. The fact that Paterno was able to rattle off those three years speaks to his thought process with this team.

He has said all along that this team will have to play itself into being a good team. He is playing 11 first-year starters, including five along the offensive line. That unit played poorly against Boston College, and it was a weakness during the 2000 and '01 seasons as well.

Paterno stopped short of blaming them entirely for the way the offense played, but he made it clear that their play affects the way the game is called.

"I know what we have to do," he said. "We have to shore up our pass protection, alert them to some stunts they missed, things they didn't anticipate. There's a lot we have to do. Whether we get good enough? That's the challenge of coaching. If we had a bunch of bums out there who weren't giving it a good shot, we'd start getting rid of some guys. But the guys who were struggling are good kids. There's nothing wrong with them. They just couldn't get a couple of things done."

Through the first two games, the Penn State offense has struggled. The defense has given 433 yards rushing and has allowed big plays in the passing game.

Penn State's older players didn't want to compare this team to the ones of two and three years ago, but they understand that this team is going to be a work in progress.

"Once we get rolling and get our feet wet, we'll be a good offense," senior receiver Tony Johnson said. "But I think it's going to take a little more time than we expected."

"This is good for the younger guys to see what adversity is like at this level," said junior quarterback Zack Mills, who rescued the Lions from their 0-4 start two years and led them to five wins in the final seven games. "This is what happens when you don't come out ready to play. This will be a good lesson for them. We just have to be there to bring them along. We have to go back to work and work extra hard. You can't sulk after a loss. We have to get ready for a tough football game in a tough atmosphere [at Nebraska]."

Much of what transpires with this team in the weeks to come will depend upon how well the younger players develop. But the older players will play a role as well. They must lead with a delicate balance of patience and understanding while demanding a sense of urgency.

"This mediocrity crap has got to stop, and it will stop," said fifth-year senior lineman Damone Jones. "I believe that. I'm not going to let it happen. We're not losing. We're going to get better. We're going to improve significantly between now and next week."

"Starting [today], if you're not ready, don't come to practice," Johnson said.

E-mail this story   Print this story