PITTSBURGH — Joe Paterno is known for his "I don't knows." He was full of them Saturday.
The Penn State coach has few answers after the Nittany Lions' latest debacle, a 12-0 thrashing at the hands of intra-state rival Pittsburgh Saturday in Three River Stadium.
"I really don't know," the 73-year-old coach said. "I have to sit back. When things are as bad as they are, it's very easy to start trying to figure out oh, it's this guy, it's that guy, it's this thing or that thing."
Well, it could have been Penn State's receivers dropping passes — again. Perhaps it was been Penn State tailbacks with no place to run — again. Maybe it was Penn State's inability to protect Rashard Casey — again. Or it could be something else — this team is not very good in the first place.
We are spoiled in Lions country with a program that has a tradition for being among college football's elite teams — especially last year's team. But last year's team had something this year's team lacks: leadership. When Penn State is dejected, there is no one to lift the Lions from their downfall. No one to make the big play. No one to carry the load.
"Everyone can be that person," linebacker Ron Graham said. "It can be anybody. It could be a fifth-year senior, It could be a freshman. We are just looking for anybody right now. We need someone to step up and make the play to give us the spark that we need."
Paterno thought Larry Johnson had the potential to be that guy. But that went for naught after Johnson bashed the coach's offensive scheme the last time the Lions fell apart — a 24-6 defeat against Toledo. And then he dropped the ball — literally — with the Lions lashing into Pittsburgh territory in the third quarter.
"Everybody has that kind of potential to have a time where they can break out the game," Johnson said with his father, Paterno's defensive line coach shooting laser beams from his eyes as he glared at reporters and the tailback. "I just want to do my part."
Someone needs to his part if Penn State is to avoid what appears to be imminent: The Lions might not compete in the postseason for the first time since 1988. And last year, the few players that carried over to this season had their sights on the Sugar Bowl.
But this team looks nothing like that squad. And it is not just because its defense lost the likes of Courtney Brown, LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short. The defense has been Penn State's strength this season, yielding 53 points to its opposition.
"It's disparaging the loss when you play as hard as you possibly can and don't come out on top," defensive end Justin Kurpeikis said. "He will figure a way to salvage something out of it.
"In Joe we trust."
The players have put their trust in Paterno to study the film, change personnel combinations and perhaps change the starting lineup.
"It is one thing to ask a kid to do something if he is capable of doing it," Paterno said. "We might be asking some kids to do some things they can't do.
"We just don't execute some things consistently. Maybe, we got too much offense, maybe we have to cut back. Those are the kind of things that I have to look at it."
After all, it appears if Eddie Drummond is the lone receiver who can hold onto the football. Casey has a tendency to hold the ball too long or throw it into the wrong hands. And not that he has much help with a porous offensive line that changes its lineup as much as it changes its uniforms.
There is not much time remaining. Penn State still has its Big Ten slate ahead, and could possibly win the conference championship. But that part of the schedule begins Saturday, leaving little time to coach this team into the competitive squad Paterno promised it would be.
"How long do you go with kids dropping the football? How long do you go with kids making dumb plays? And how long do you go with a couple of offensive linemen that can't block one-on one?," Paterno asked. "If we are asking them to do some things that are too tough, then that's my fault. But, I really don't know what to tell you."
