Freshmen give way to Robinson in Lions' backfield

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Penn State coach Joe Paterno benched freshmen running backs Austin Scott and Tony Hunt last week because he didn't feel they were responding well to the pressure of playing against Big Ten competition.

Sophomore quarterback Michael Robinson took their place at tailback in Saturday's 17-7 loss at Northwestern and likely will remain the starter for this week's home game against Indiana.

Robinson, who started the first two games of the season at tailback but then concentrated on quarterback, had 40 yards on 15 carries and five receptions for 55 yards in his first game back at running back.

"The circumstances are that we are losing," Paterno said. "And we have to find a way to break out of that losing syndrome. It's tough to ask a couple of freshmen do that for you. We decided that Michael Robinson has been with us and been in big games and has comparable abilities, as well as him being able to do some other things, that this was best. It's a combination of things for us at this stage. Scott and Hunt will be good football players. But you hate like the devil to have a kid like Robinson on the bench and you're playing a couple of freshmen."

Scott, a highly touted true freshman from Parkland High School in Allentown, earned the starting tailback position in the fourth game of the season against Kent State. That was his only 100-yard rushing game. He has 394 yards and a 4.2-yard average.

Hunt, a lesser-known prospect who showed enough to coaches that they decided not to redshirt him, has 93 yards and a 3.3-yard average. Robinson has 257 yards and a 3.2-yard average, although he has lost 105 yards because quarterbacks sacks are counted against rushing statistics.

Penn State is averaging 123.1 yards rushing a game, which ranks ninth in the 11-team Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have not rushed for 100 yards as a team in four of their past five games. The one game in that stretch when they did, they had 106 yards on 27 carries in a 28-14 loss at Purdue.

"I thought the two kids were under a lot of pressure and that we had our best arrangement if we could keep Robinson and Zack Mills in the game," Paterno said. "I just felt that we were putting an awful lot of pressure on those two kids when we were coming into certain situations. We are in a tough spot and we know that. I felt that we would probably be better off with [fullback] Sean McHugh, Robinson and Mills in there at one time rather than the two young kids."

Paterno said Robinson likely would remain at tailback against Indiana, although he cautioned that final preparations are still being put together by the coaching staff. He said he was trying to figure out a way to get Scott and Hunt involved in the game.

Robinson has given the company line when discussing his chameleon like status with the offense. He said he would rather be the starting quarterback, but will do anything he can to help the team win.

Robinson was inconsistent as a quarterback when he filled in for Mills after Mills' left knee was injured against Minnesota. Robinson threw for 379 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-23 loss to Wisconsin the next week but played poorly a week later in a 28-14 loss at Purdue, going 10 for 32 for 98 yards.

Robinson started the next week against Iowa but was pulled in favor of Mills after an ineffective first quarter. Mills has been the starter the past two games.

"I don't go up to these guys and say, 'Are you happy today, guys?'" Paterno said. "I think [Robinson] wants to play and we want him in the game. I wasn't happy that we didn't play him more [against Ohio State]. The one thing I don't want him to do is to get discouraged about being a quarterback because he can be a fine quarterback. "

NOTE -- MLB Gino Capone, whose right knee was sprained in the first half of the Northwestern game, will sit out the Indiana game. Paterno said he hopes Capone will be able to play in the final game Nov. 23 at Michigan State. Senior Andy Ryland will take Capone's place.

Ray Fittipaldo can be reached at rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1230.

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