PHOTO: Frank Singley
Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El evades Penn State linebacker Brandon Short during the third quarter of Saturday’s game.

By RYAN HOCKENSMITH
Collegian Staff Writer

The Penn State football schedule indicated there was a game against Indiana planned for Saturday.

The No. 2 Nittany Lions just didn't realize how much of a game it would be.

The possibility of the perennial-doormat Hoosiers coming to Penn State's Beaver Stadium stomping grounds and claiming a victory seemed slim at best.

Saturday almost was that "at best."

Indiana, 1-2 entering the contest, grabbed a surprising 3-0 lead less than three minutes into last weekend's game.

But after surrendering its first first-quarter points of the season, Penn State rebounded to post a 45-24 semi-rout on the opening day of Big Ten play.

"I wasn't really pleased with the way we played today," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said of his team, 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten. "We were up and down, inconsistent, sometimes really good on both sides of the football, sometimes sloppy.

"We were just making so many mistakes," he said.

Lions safety Askari Adams got the home team on the board with a nifty 37-yard interception return. That gave Penn State a 7-3 advantage after 15 minutes of play.

A one-yard dive by Lions fullback Aaron Harris increased that margin to 14-3 before Hoosiers quarterback Antwaan Randle El plunged in from one yard out to bring Indiana within four.

"When you get on the road in this league against some good football teams, you sometimes have to let the game come to you," Indiana coach Cam Cameron said. "I thought he (Randle El) played extremely well, with the exception of one play (Adams' interception). You can't turn the ball over and let them run for a touchdown."

Placekicker Travis Forney booted a 26-yard field goal at the end of the first half to help Penn State lug a 17-10 lead to the locker room.

After that, it was all blue and white as Penn State tallied two straight touchdowns to open a three-touchdown advantage.

Lions cornerback Bruce Branch, doubling on special teams for Penn State, carted Indiana's first punt of the second half 90 yards for a quick touchdown.

Branch hauled in punter Drew Hagan's 38-yard offering and scooted left, then scooted the length of the field to register a safety score.

On the next Penn State possession, quarterback Rashard Casey, still doubling with Kevin Thompson as the team's signal caller, added to the buffer zone with a crazy 31-yard scamper.

After pressure forced him out of the pocket, Casey ran right, searching for an open receiver. Finding nothing but defensive linemen in his face, Casey sprinted to the left to avoid the pass rush.

He again found nothing and turned back toward the Indiana sideline, and with a few blocks meandered into the end zone for a wild touchdown.

Casey finished as Penn State's second-leading rusher with 66 yards on eight carries, including his dazzling touchdown run. The junior went 13 of 15 passing for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the air.

"Today was a good day," Casey said. "But hopefully I have more to come that's better than today."