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At long last, this Penn State edition is getting healthier, deeper, more confident.
And not coincidentally, better.
The Nittany Lions improved to 6-1 overall, 2-1 in the Big Ten Saturday with a 20-0 defeat of Minnesota at rainy, snowy, freezing Beaver Stadium.
It was far from perfect, but Penn State's best overall performance. It was seen by a paid crowd announced at 107,981.
The Beav was actually only about three-quarters full, mostly because of a nasty winter-esque storm that dumped about eight inches of snow on State College this weekend.
The weather created a logistical mess. All grass parking lots around the stadium were closed. Thousands of fans stayed home, and thousands of others parked in lots at local businesses and schools and were bused in.
Coach Joe Paterno said some of his family members drove to town for the game, stopped to pick up something at Wal-Mart and "they said people were tailgating at the Wal-Mart."
"It's a tribute to our fans. I thought the crowd was good. It's a great feeling for the kids who played and for me."
The weather had actually settled down by kickoff, and wasn't a factor in the game.
Penn State's defense, on the other hand, poured all over the Gophers, holding them to 138 net yards and just 37 yards rushing.
Minnesota's record (4-2, 2-1 coming in) might have been a little deceptive. The Gophers have been out-gained by every opponent but one, and are utterly one-dimensional on offense.
The dimension is wide receiver Eric Decker, who's caught 46 balls coming in. He caught just one Saturday.
The defensive game plan was to get pressure on Minny QB Adam Weber with as few people as possible, so no Lion has to deal with Decker one-on-one. And also to start A.J. Wallace, over slightly-injured starter Knowledge Timmons, and match him with Decker.
"We basically challenged A.J. Wallace," Paterno said. "Most of the time he had help."
Wallace put it more colorfully, if cryptically.
"I had some big stuff on my plate and I was ready to eat," he said.
Penn State's front seven got brilliant games from predictable sources like tackle Jared Odrick (Lebanon High School) and linebacker Navorro Bowman (eight tackles).
It also got the return of LB and co-captain Sean Lee, who'd missed the past three weeks with a knee sprain. Lee played about 20 snaps, mostly in nickel situations.
"I like it a lot better when he's in front of me than beside me," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said of Lee.
Minnesota did put together one drive late in the game, but were stopped on a fourth-and-inches from inside the Penn State 1 on a terrific play by Wallace and Bowman, who ran down Minnesota RB Kevin Whaley on a sweep and stopped him in his tracks.
The Penn State offensive story was slightly less glowing. The Lions moved the ball — 464 total yards, 21 first downs — and had the ball for 42 of the game's 60 minutes.
But there were nine penalties for 76 yards, and there was trouble converting yardage into touchdowns.
"There were situations where we should have scored some touchdowns and didn't," said quarterback Daryll Clark. "But you have to stay patient. The defense was lights-out again, and we finally put it together."
The touchdown finally came just before halftime, and took a spectacular play and some help from replay officials.
Wide receiver Derek Moye made a brilliant, diving catch of a Clark pass while dragging a foot in the end zone from 12 yards out. It took a replay official overruling the original incomplete call to make the play stick.
Four plays earlier the replay booth had overruled a similar call, allowing a first-down catch by Manheim Central grad Graham Zug.
That drive, which made it 13-0, totaled 13 plays, 85 yards, nearly eight minutes of game time and a half-hour of real time.
The offense was balanced — 177 yards on the ground and 287 in the air. Clark was 21 of 32. Tailback Evan Royster ran up 137 yards in 23 runs.
But Saturday was Moye's breakthrough. The 6-5 sophomore had six catches for 120 yards, and is looking more and more like the Lions' go-to threat.
"He was a heck of a high school player," Paterno said. "We've had high hopes for him, and he's gotten better every week. He has the makings of a real good one."
Now it gets serious. Penn State travels to Michigan Saturday.
Mike Gross is assistant sports editor of the Sunday News. E-mail him at
mgross@lnpnews.com.
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