PITTSBURGH — In the waning moments of Saturday's game against Pittsburgh, Penn State quarterback Rashard Casey found nothing.

It must have been a strange dose of symbolism for the fifth-year quarterback.

His inability to hit anyone across the middle on this one particular play summarized exactly what not only he, but his team, had found all day against the Panthers.

And so, for just the second time since Joe Paterno took over as Penn State's head coach 35 years ago, Pittsburgh shut out the Nittany Lions, 12-0, in front of about 61,000 fans in a sold-out Three Rivers Stadium.

"I thought we would play well, and I thought we started well," Paterno said.

"But then it just got away from us. Everyone was looking around, waiting for something to happen."

In fact, on the game's first drive Casey, twice in a row, completed passes across the middle for first downs.

By using a quick drop that left him in the pocket for barely two seconds, he was able to first find Pittsburgh native Eddie Drummond streaking for 10 yards, then true freshman Tony Johnson on a similar play for another 15.

Another pass to Drummond and a handoff to tailback Eric McCoo left Penn State at Pittsburgh's 35, well within striking distance for a touchdown, or at least a field goal.

Kenny Watson then caught an over-the-shoulder pass on the next play, putting him at Pittsburgh's 13-yard line.

But referee Bill LeMonnier flagged Watson for offensive pass interference, which negated the catch and sent Penn State back to midfield.

The Lions clearly had something brewing, but the 37-yard turnaround reduced it to nothing.

Four plays later, the Lions would punt — something they would get used to all day long.

Watson caught another pass later in the same quarter that put him at the Panthers' 22, but another offensive interference penalty nixed that.

And, as a result, the 35 would be as close as the Lions would get until the third quarter, when tailback Larry Johnson bulldozed his way to the 29.

Ironically, or perhaps fittingly, Johnson coughed up the ball at the end of the run, and Pittsburgh recovered it.

The Panthers didn't score on that drive, but they didn't need to.

The game had ended in the second quarter, when Pittsburgh used its first drive to march to Penn State's 29-yard line, where Nick Lotz split the uprights for a 3-0 lead.

And on the Panthers' first drive of the second half, quarterback John Turman found Rod Rutherford (normally a backup quarterback, but set in motion on this play) across the middle.

Rutherford turned the 10-yard pass into a 62-yard touchdown, for Turman's longest career play from scrimmage.

"Rod slipped into a free zone, and then he made a great run," Turman said.

"Last year we were so close, and this time, we did it."

Turman finished the day with 272 yards on 11-of-19 passing, while Casey struggled with just 159 yards on 17-of-34 passing.

Pittsburgh defensive end Bryan Knight was hesitant to put all the blame on Casey, though.

"I would say it was the linemen," said Knight, who sacked Casey three times. "

I think we were frustrating them, and that's what you want to do."

Penn State's offensive line, which has been criticized incessantly since the season began, did little to ward it off Saturday. Casey was sacked five times, and the offense rarely had any time to establish a play of any significant gain.

Penn State's longest play from scrimmage was a 19-yard pass play from Casey to tight end Tony Stewart.

It was on a drive that ended in a way much as Penn State's day did — with nothing to show for it.