COLUMBUS, Ohio — With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, an eerie silence befell Ohio Stadium.

The once-raucous Ohio State fans stopped heckling overmatched Penn State and directed their eyes to the knot of people gathered near the Nittany Lions sideline.

Penn State's Adam Taliaferro lay motionless after what seemed like a routine tackle.

Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, Penn State's director of athletic medicine, said in a Penn State Sports Information press release yesterday that the freshman defensive back sustained a cervical spine injury. Taliaferro was immediately taken to Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus, where Sebastianelli is staying with him.

The release said that Taliaferro has complete feeling throughout his body. There is also incomplete paralysis and neurological involvement.

Sebastianelli said in the release that Taliaferro's head has been stabilized and will undergo cervical fusion surgery today. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Gary Rea.

Taliaferro's condition is much improved, but the situation looked extremely bleak at the time.

Players removed their helmets and linked arms as they knelt on one knee. Many bowed their heads, silently imploring a higher power to help their hurting teammate.

"We were just hoping and praying he was all right," Lions offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie said.

The play was simple enough. Gino Capone and Taliaferro had just stopped tailback Jerry Westbrooks for no gain at the Penn State 16-yard line.

Capone and Westbrooks were able to pick themselves off the soggy field.

Taliaferro lay prone on his back, unmoving.

"He went to make a tackle and I guess he didn't keep his head up," said McKenzie, who saw the play from the sidelines. "He took a shot to the top of his head."

Some of his teammates witnessed the hit. Others did not. All, however, experienced several minutes of a pounding heartbeat and a feeling of dread.

"It's terrible," Penn State defensive end Justin Kurpeikis said. "That's why it's sometimes best not to have seen it. It's real scary."

Penn State coach Joe Paterno also spent those stomach-churning minutes helplessly waiting by his fallen player. As trainers tried to move Taliaferro's limbs, Paterno stood over his injured player with a worried look on his face.

He spoke briefly to the medics, turned away from the dismal scene and angrily kicked at the grass.

"They told me it was a neck injury and he had no feelings," Paterno said. "When they worked with him, he started to get some feelings back."

Taliaferro was lifted on to a stretcher and wheeled past his wide-eyed teammates to an ambulance.

The game had to go on, and it did. In the remaining 1:39, Ohio State punched in a touchdown, adding to Penn State's misery.

Paterno and his squad didn't seem to care.

"Taliaferro was all I was worried about," Paterno said.

What developed into a hopeless situation for Lions quarterback Rashard Casey became even bleaker after Taliaferro's hit. The situation magnified the feeling of hopelessness that he and his teammates shared.

"When something like that happens, you forget about the game," Casey said. "It's like, 'who cares?' I could care less what happened in the game after that. It's scary and there's nothing you can do to help.

"We'll be praying for him and hope he makes a recovery."

Taliaferro is expected to make that recovery in a spinal rehabilitation center near Philadelphia., which is closer to his New Jersey home.