It was his last Homecoming game and Bob Jones wanted to make it a memorable one. The senior defensive end wanted a third win for his Nittany Lions team that has come back from an 0-4 start.

Jones wanted Penn State to have fun, go out on the Beaver Stadium field and enjoy themselves. But most of all, he wanted the Lions to win another game.

Jones did his fair share.

He played so well against Southern Mississippi that the team gave him the defensive game ball, awarded to the player with the best defensive game. It was the first time he received the award in his Penn State career.

"It means a lot to me," Jones sai d. "For my teammates to give me that honor means a lot to me."

The Wadsworth, Ohio native deserved it.

Whether it was his tipped ball that caused linebacker Shamar Finney to intercept a pass and run it back for a touchdown or sacking Golden Eagles quarterback Jeff Kelly, Jones was all over the field.

He smacked down a few of Kelly's passes, one that looked like he was spiking a volleyball and was active on the defensive line all day. Jones never stopped, not for one play, not when the Lions were up by 20-plus points.

Some things never change.

"He's always fired up," linebacker Ron Graham said. "He's probably the hardest worker I ever met."

The hard work started for Jones the second he stepped on Penn State's campus, but peaked this preseason. That's when the name-calling started on the Lions defensive line.

It wasn't bitter name-calling, rather he coined the term Fearsome Four for the two defensive ends, Michael Haynes and himself and the two defensive linemen, Anthony Adams and Jimmy Kennedy.

Jones told the players that their goal was to be relentless, never to give in and continually cause havoc. He said after the Southern Mississippi game that if the team plays for fun, then they will be successful. His senior leadership has shown as the Lions mount a comeback after its dismal start.

"He stepped up to the challenge," Adams said. "He stepped up and made some big plays."

Making up names for the ferocious Penn State defensive line is one way of bringing the Lions team together. Another is to go out every Saturday and play gritty, non-stop football.

Jones has done both and that's why his career as a Lion has been a success. Coach Joe Paterno said after his Penn State team beat Southern Mississippi 38-20 in a not-so-close game that nothing succeeds like success.

He wasn't talking directly about Jones, but he might as well have been. Jones has been a consistent member of the Penn State line for years, and on Saturday proved he can be a major force on a team that has rebounded from an embarrassing first four games.

In his final season, Jones wasn't going to let his team lose on Homecoming. It might not be the best Penn State team ever, but Jones will be a major part in making the Lions the best they can be.

"He had a hell of a game, he always plays with emotion," cornerback Bryan Scott said. "He got the defensive game ball and he deserved it."