Paterno on Penn State's Homecoming loss: "We stunk"

FROM THE MORNING CALL

STATE COLLEGE – — Joe Paterno entered the interview room already pining to leave. As he sat, Paterno leaned deep into the chair, his shoulders tired and limp, grabbed a knee and slouched far from the microphone. His body language shouted defeat.

"Let's just get this over with," he pleaded.

The Penn State coach wanted to talk about Saturday's 33-13 loss to Illinois even less than he wanted to watch it. But once he got going, Paterno summarized a team that has completely lost its way.


"We stunk," Paterno said. "I did a lousy job. I thought we were ready, we just didn't play very well. I could make a million excuses. We didn't stay on our blocks, we didn't have a good day throwing the ball, we didn't go a great job play-calling. We did a lousy job."

A whirlwind of exasperating and indifferent play, incomplete coaching and oppressive injuries led the Lions to their worst Homecoming since a 34-14 loss to Navy in 1955. It also marked Illinois' first victory in seven trips to Beaver Stadium.

"I think we talked about it all week that Illinois has never won here," Illinois coach Ron Zook said.

Illinois entered the game last in the Big Ten in total offense, averaging 332 yards per game. Against Penn State's ravaged and forlorn defense, the Illini totaled a season-high 437 yards, 30 more than they managed against Southern Illinois.

Illinois rushed for 289 of those, the most Penn State has allowed since Minnesota gained 288 in 2004. But the Illini certainly didn't have that Gophers' backfield tandem of Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III.

Meanwhile. Penn State's offense actually hindered the injured defense, managing just seven first downs, the second-least for a Paterno-coached team. Only the 2004 offense, which had six first downs in the infamous 6-4 loss to Iowa, has made fewer. That game also was on Homecoming.

Further, Penn State scored only six points when given possession at the Illinois 23- and 9-yard lines following fumbled punts. Add to that a nearly 17-minute differential in time of possession, and the sum is Penn State's most disappointing home game since the 24-6 loss to Toledo in 2000.

"I saw people leaving," offensive guard Stefen Wisniewski said. "I don't blame them for it. We certainly didn't give them anything worth watching."

Afterward, the splintering began to appear. Wisniewski said the players need to "stop pointing fingers" and "have to take a good look at ourselves, find out who wants it and who doesn't." He added that the Lions played like they practiced.

"We have to practice better," he said. "We have to practice every day with great intensity and a desire to get better. I think if we start practicing like that, it will show up on gameday."

Running back Evan Royster, whose drive to the career-rushing record has stalled, added that players "need to stop complaining about long practices," which he said has happened with some frequency.

"Everybody complains," Royster said, "even teams that are winning. We've got to stop with all that and get out there and work hard and try to get better."

The team at least had some sense that happened last week, according to several players and coaches. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said the team "had a pretty good week of practice," despite the number of injuries it withstood. A players' only meeting Monday and an inspirational video (featuring historic Penn State plays and movie-scene motivational speeches) on Friday seemed to have a positive effect.

"No more secret meetings or this and that," defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu said. "Enough is enough."

Paterno and his son Jay, the quarterbacks coach, promised personnel assessments during the upcoming bye week. They can start on the offensive line, which produced enough room for only 65 yards rushing, the second consecutive week Penn State has gone under 100.

They can continue in the red zone, where Penn State has scored just six touchdowns on 20 trips. On Saturday, Illinois gifted the Lions a first-and-goal at the 9-yard line following a fumbled punt. Royster picked up 5 yards on the next two plays, then no one picked up Illinois linebacker Nate Bussey, who batted down a pass on a third-down blitz.

And they also can try to reset freshman quarterback Rob Bolden, who has struggled the past two weeks. Take away his 80-yard touchdown pass to Derek Moye (which came via Bolden's best play-action move of the season), and the quarterback was 7-for-20 for 62 yards against Illinois.

"This was one of those days that, if you're Tiger Woods, you missed the cut," Jay Paterno said. "I think the natural tendency is to want to overreact, and that's human nature. But we've got to be careful we don't underreact, either. We have to honestly assess what we're doing, scheme-wise and technique-wise. We've got to evaluate who wants to compete, who wants to be tough – and that includes us [the coaches]."

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