There was a time, not so very long ago, when the outcome of Penn State football games would be decided by the third quarter, a time when the Nittany Lions would dominate their opponent in every phase of the game and the reserves would enjoy nearly as much playing time as the regulars.

That time was revisited Saturday, as the Lions jumped all over Southern Mississippi, 38-20 for their 33rd homecoming victory in the last 36 years.

The formula behind Penn State's third straight win was synonymous with the previous two games — strong special teams play, timely defense and a whole lot of Zack Mills.

The Lions' freshman quarterback threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, and his eight-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal enabled Penn State (3-4) to pull away from the Golden Eagles (4-3), who put seven points on the board during their first possession, but struggled thereafter.

"We just didn't make enough plays in the first half," said Southern Miss quarterback Jeff Kelly. "That's what it comes down to. There's no getting around it."

Eagles tailback Dawayne Woods scampered for 126 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort. Southern Miss' defense, ranked second in the nation coming in, had trouble stopping Mills and the Penn State passing attack, which accounted for 298 of the Lions' 443 total yards. On several occasions, Southern Miss had trouble wrapping up the Lions.

"Their backs are big, but there's no excuse for missing tackles," said Eagles safety Chad Williams. "We didn't do what we needed to do to be called the No. 2 defense in the nation today."

The Lions' 'D' allowed Kelly and the Eagles to move the ball early on, but came up with enough big plays — Shamar Finney's interception off a ball batted by Bob Jones and key third-down sacks by Jones and Anthony Adams — to withstand Southern Miss' second-half rally and keep Penn State's winning streak alive.

"It feels like right now we are on a roll and nothing can stop us now, we got our swagger back," Adams said. "It seems as if everybody is out there playing with heart now, it feels good right now."

Big plays on special teams also spurned the Lions to victory. In addition to Mills' field-goal sneak, which turned three points into seven, Penn State also scored on a blocked punt for the second time this season. With the Lions leading 31-7 in the third quarter, Larry Johnson burst through the line nearly untouched and nearly took the ball right off of punter Mark Haulman's foot.

Penn State wide receiver Bryant Johnson had a career-high 10 catches for 132 yards and one touchdown. His remarkable tiptoe grab in the back of the end zone was a telltale sign that things were going the Lions' way.

"Everyone has confidence, and when you have confidence, everyone plays with a lot more excitement," Johnson said. "Once you have confidence, then no one can touch you."

It all added up to a sunny afternoon of outstanding football by the home team, and a reminder of days in the not-so-distant past.