He nearly pulled a Thurman Thomas.

His number was being called in his first-ever collegiate game, and all Zack Mills was worried about was trying to find his helmet.

"I can't really describe it because I wasn't ready for it," said Mills of his debut. "I'm running around trying to find my helmet."

When Penn State starting quarterback Matt Senneca went down in the first quarter with an elbow injury that left his throwing hand numb, Mills stepped into the breech. The redshirt freshman was able to find his hat and fill in admirably, finishing the evening 12-24 for 240 yards and one touchdown in Saturday's 33-7 loss to Miami.

"I thought Zack did well," Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said. "For his first ball game against a club that good, I thought he did very well."

Mills' first real-game experience undoubtedly came a lot sooner than he or anyone on the Penn State sideline had in mind. He entered the game faced with a 3rd-and-11 at his own 19-yard-line, and wound up running for minus-1 yard.

He was able to shake off the butterflies, though, and to make a few big plays against a very good Hurricane squad.

"Just to go out there against them, it meant a lot to me," Mills said.

The gamey Senneca returned to the game midway through the second quarter, but could not escape the relentless Miami pass rush. He finished 1-7 for just 1 yard. The extent of his injury has yet to be determined.

"I'm not quite sure what happened to him," Paterno said. "Early in the ball game his hand went dead on him. He tried to go again, but he had no feeling in his hand."

Senneca, who made his first career start, expressed his disappointment after the game, his arm wrapped in a thick bandage.

"I couldn't feel my hand — that's never happened to me before," he said. "They got me back in there the best they could, it just didn't hold up."

Although Mills displayed good touch and a steady hand at the controls, there doesn't appear to be a quarterback controversy in the works.

"I think Matt didn't do anything not to get the job," Paterno said. "I mean, poor Matt was running for his life."

The Hurricanes chased both quarterbacks around the Beaver Stadium turf, sacking them four times.

Senneca will likely be the starter against Virginia — if he is able to recover from his injury in time. The Lions are idle this week, but travel to Charlottesville on Sept 13.

"I would think he's OK (to start)," Paterno said. "If he can't practice until two or three days before the game, that would be a different story."

Mills shrugged off the possibility that he might take over the starting job in just his second college game, but said he'd be ready if called upon.

"That's not up to me, that's up to the coaches," Mills said. "I assumed Matt would keep going, as long as he doesn't get hurt, but who knows?"

Whether his role for the remainder of the season is that of reserve or starter, you can be sure that Mills will know where his helmet is next time.