PITTSBURGH — For Antonio Bryant, it was as obvious as the Cathedral of Learning on the skyline of Pittsburgh's Oakland section.

The Pittsburgh wide receiver said he knew why Penn State fell to the Panthers 12-0 and squandered several scoring opportunities.

And Bryant, who usually says the first thing to enter his mind, made it clear to everyone in his presence. He said he knew that he and his teammates wanted the victory more than the Nittany Lions.

"When we got on the field, I could sense that," Bryant said. "It was real quiet on the other sideline. I don't really think they came to play."

Of course, a team's noise level is not a guaranteed indicator of intensity. The Penn State players from the Western Pennsylvania area spent last week relaying the importance of the rivalry to their teammates, hoping it would translate into a victory.

Lions defensive end Justin Kurpeikis was perhaps the most enthusiastic ambassador and doesn't believe that the Panthers wanted a victory more than Penn State.

For he and other Pittsburgh area natives, it was a simple equation. They thought the fact that the two schools will no longer play each other, coupled with the fact that it was held in tradition-laden Three Rivers Stadium, was all the motivation that was needed.

"It is another football game," Kurpeikis said. "That's how I get fired up. I have too much pride. I am angry and I am ready to take it out on someone else. And I know a lot of my teammates feel the same way."

And Penn State had its times of aggression and momentum.

The defensive line, led by tackle Jimmy Kennedy and Kurpeikis, flattened Panthers quarterback John Turman five times. Kennedy also recovered a Turman fumble, which was forced by Deryck Toles, in the third quarter.

Linebacker Shamar Finney intercepted a Turman pass in the third quarter to end a crucial drive. Cornerback Bruce Branch prevented a two-point conversion in the third after intercepting holder Tim Stein.

Still, the defensive displays did not win Pittsburgh's respect. Penn State players knew how badly Pittsburgh wanted a victory.

"It is what we expected," Penn State linebacker Ron Graham said. "They were fired up. We know it was a big game.

"That is why they scheduled it for their homecoming. They came in here with every intention to win it, and they played a great game."

Pittsburgh also played an intense game. Players didn't hesitate to make offhand comments as they lined up or take some cheap shots, both physical and verbal.

Although none of the cheap shots ended in personal fouls, yellow flags were frequently tossed at both teams. The difference was, the penalties ended Penn State scoring drives that were close to reaching the end zone.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno emphasized the need to rebound better from such penalties and poor offensive showing. He also said the team needed more leaders to step up.

But for Bryant, he said years of Penn State superiority don't mean an automatic victory.

"They definitely wrote a check they couldn't cash," Bryant said.

"There were a lot of words exchanged, like 'Good block, man.' When people start coming to you like that, it shows they lack confidence in themselves."