Joe Paterno feels better — about his offensive line, that is.

Unfortunately for that front four, few of them can say the same.

All season long, the line, which has been ridiculed first by injury and then by the public, has kicked itself for not performing up to its own standards, despite trying to ignore the criticism.

"It doesn't bother me," offensive guard Jordan Caruso said. "Regardless of what anybody thinks, we have to get the job done, good or bad. What you guys write, what the fans say, has no bearing on me at all. I've got to play for my teammates."

One lineman, Frank Spano, quit the team. Another, Joe Iorio, has yet to play because of mononucleosis. Minor injuries have plagued several others, including Caruso, who missed several games after fainting in practice; Gus Felder, who sprained his medial cruciate ligament; and Joe Hartings and Kareem McKenzie, who both have missed time.

Minnesota, on the other hand, doesn't have those worries. When the Nittany Lions travel to Minneapolis to face the Golden Gophers tomorrow, not only will their offensive line face the Big Ten's premier defensive end in Karon Riley, but the defensive front will have to deal with whom many consider the conference's finest center in Ben Hamilton.

"That's a dangerous word, to say we were playing with the best offensive line since I've been here," Gophers coach Glen Mason said. "But I think they are doing good."

And suddenly, Penn State's front four can say the same.

Last Saturday against Purdue, the line started executing — getting off the snap quicker, finishing blocks, otherwise giving Rashard Casey enough time to think.

"The offensive line, the area I hoped we would stay healthy, has been banged up all over the place," Paterno said. "We lose Kareem McKenzie for two games and he is just starting to get back in shape. Gus Felder is out. Joe Hartings is out. Francis Spano gives it up.

We are not where I would hope we would be before the season started. Everything considered, we have a bunch of kids that are really fighting like dogs to get better. I thought, overall, that offensive line hung in there on Saturday against a very fine defensive football team."

True, Casey was sacked five times for a 31-yard loss, but two of those, Paterno said, were Casey's own fault.

"If there is one criticism I would have of Rashard Casey on Saturday, it was that he took a couple of sacks he didn't have to take," Paterno said. "Where we could have been 2nd and 10, we ended up being 2nd and 19. Those kinds of things really put too much pressure on this offensive football team. They are not that good."

They were, however, good enough to overcome Purdue on Saturday. They were also good enough to open enough holes for tailback Eric McCoo to gain more than 100 yards — something he had done just once before this season. In both those games — first against Louisiana Tech and then against Purdue — the Nittany Lions won.

"It's a big issue being able to come off the ball and make plays," Caruso said. "Personally, I felt a little bit fresher, and I think that might have been a part of it, but we're just trying to do our best."