A bye week is usually looked forward to, especially for a team that has struggled in the first few weeks of the season.

But the Penn State football team is sick of not playing every Saturday.

After starting the season on Sept. 1 against Miami, the Nittany Lions were supposed to travel to Virginia the following Thursday night. But because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, that game was cancelled. Penn State's next game was on Sept. 22, three weeks after the first time they played.

"It's kind of depressing when you have two or three weeks off between games," cornerback Brian Scott said. "But it might be a blessing in disguise because we need work."

The Lions played Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan three weeks straight, but found themselves in a similar situation after the Wolverines game. Not only did the school have Fall Break, but the football team had yet another bye week.

Coach Joe Paterno let his team take the break off from practice, after the Lions dropped their fourth straight game to regroup and come back refreshed. But even Paterno is getting tired of all the off time. The coach said he is looking forward to the seven straight games the team has in front of them.

"We never have really gotten in a groove," Paterno said. "We've been so all over the place. Each day has been a challenge for me personally."

And it's also been a challenge for the team. The normal preparedness of practicing all week and then playing on Saturday hasn't been started at Penn State, but it isn't the team's fault. Because of outstanding circumstances beyond the Lions' control, they haven't been able to consistently work.

Whether it's bye weeks, Fall Break or terrorist attacks, it seems like something has been in Penn State's path to victory all season. That includes its opponents, since Penn State has been outscored 95-31.

"It wasn't regular," offensive lineman Gus Felder said of the off time. "I wish we played football every Saturday. I don't think we need any byes."

Penn State hasn't wasted all the non-game time, though. After the players returned from Fall Break, Felder said it was the best week of practice in a long time. The players were motivated, everybody was energetic and the team was positive.

Those kinds of intangibles, Felder said, haven't been seen in Happy Valley for a long while. With four losses and an uphill battle to climb, he said one win can turn the Lions around. No better time to start than this Saturday at Northwestern.

"It would boost a lot of egos," Felder said. "When I first came here you didn't ever expect to lose. It's got to come from within. One win can give them that feeling."

Although the players have had considerable amounts of time off, Paterno hasn't had that luxury. The coach has been studying film for mistakes and has watched college football on television.

Paterno said he is confident that his players, especially his wide receivers, can make the big catch and gain some confidence. But he made a point to say that his receivers have the talent, but just need a few grabs to get some confidence in their abilities.

"We've had a couple of good, tough catches," Paterno said. "We dropped some easy ones. They just need to have some good things happen to them."