When the modern gladiators that make up the Penn State football team began returning to Happy Valley earlier this month, there was something decidedly different.

For the first time in two years, there was confidence present, a commodity that has been missing since the 1999 collapse when an undefeated Nittany Lion squad lost its final three regular season games to drop out of contention for a national title. Those on the field aren't the only ones noticing a difference -- Penn State debuted at No. 24 in the first USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll. After winning five of its final seven games to close out last season, Penn State might be regaining the confidence after what, by all accounts, was a strong spring, to return to the national spotlight.

"I just feel so much excitement from everybody, everybody wants to be out there," linebacker Deryck Toles said. "We are getting that competitive spirit back. I think we're starting to get that killer instinct back."

What the Lions bring to the table is a mix of veteran players that showed they might finally be ready for greatness based on last season's growth and youth, with enough experience to make a major impact. And there will be changes.

Most notably, for the first time since 1999 a featured tailback will take the majority of the touches. After spending three seasons mired in the tailback-by-committee plan that produced inconsistent yardage, Larry Johnson will become the man this fall. Despite some questions from critics about his durability, Johnson is quick to point out he's never missed a game due to injury and has been waiting to take his place in the line of Lions tailbacks since stepping on campus.

"It will make a huge difference," Johnson said of shouldering the running load. "It will get me warmed up. It's going to get me into more of a rhythm."

Improving the ground game won't be Johnson's sole responsibility, however. Returning all five starters, the offensive line might finally be able to gel as a unit -- something that was impossible during last year's campaign, which was riddled with injuries. If Penn State is to have any success this year, the boys up front will have to play like the unit that allowed 12 sacks in the final seven games as opposed to 19 in the first four.

But after a spring during which coaches said Greg Ransom, Joe Iorio, Tyler Lenda, Chris McKelvy, and Gus Felder were able to work as one, that is a distinct possibility.

"They are all a year stronger and wiser," offensive coordinator Fran Ganter said. "These guys have been through the wars now and we've seen a big difference in them."

Also helping with the blocking duties will be fullback Sean McHugh, who will be returning to the field after missing most of last season with a broken femur. All that sets the stage for redshirt sophomore quarterback Zack Mills, with expectations piled high following flashes of brilliance coming off the bench behind the now departed Matt Senneca.

Even though another season of experience should build on the cool leadership Mills displayed during the closing drive of last season's Northwestern game, Penn State coach Joe Paterno cautions there will likely be a few outings like the one at Virginia.

"I think Zack was a good redshirt freshman," Paterno said. "I don't know if he's any better than that. I think he's got a long way to go to be as good as I think some people have already projected him."

Losing only graduated senior Eddie Drummond from his receiving core, Mills should have targets aplenty. With Tony Johnson and Bryant Johnson looking to build on last season's 1,370 combined yards, the Lions should be able to let Mills air the ball out when going for the big plays the quarterback has shown he's fond of.

However, Penn State will have to find a replacement for R.J. Luke, the tight end who transferred over the summer in the wake of his acquittal on assault charges stemming from a fraternity house incident in 2001. With John Gilmore graduated, the Lions will most likely look to Casey Williams to fill in.

Still, not everything is set in Happy Valley. For every stable position on the offensive side of the ball, the defense has a question. But while the answers aren't definite, there are at least possibilities. The biggest strength should be left and right tackles Anthony Adams and Jimmy Kennedy.

Kennedy, a preseason All-American, passed on heading to the NFL for another shot at college football glory. Paterno thinks Kennedy can be "one of the premiere defensive tackles in the country" if he can keep his weight down. Kennedy has already slimmed down to 308 pounds and says he loses 10 pounds every training camp.

The real questions start at linebacker, a position storied in Penn State lore. The good news for the Lions is they have depth. Between Toles, Stewart, Gino Capone, Derrick Wake, Jimi Mitchell, T.C. Cosby, Sam Ruhe, and Tim Johnson, Penn State has enough bodies capable of filling the middle. The bad news is that, while Stewart has the potential to emerge as a standout and the entire group can be considered solid, positions are still not set in stone.

"I think we have made progress, have some prospects and some potential there," Paterno said. "Some of them do some things well against the run but get confused a little bit with play action passes, and things like that will come with more exposure."

In the secondary, there will be at least one position change right off the bat. Paterno has said that hero Yaacov Yisrael may miss as many as five games due to a DUI arrest last winter, leaving the door open for sophomore Andrew Guman, who had 12 tackles last season.

Things are more stable throughout the rest of the defensive backs. Left cornerback Bryan Scott should give a solid backbone to the defense, looking to build on last season's 82 tackles, which was third highest on the team.

True freshman Calvin Lowry, who enrolled in Penn State last spring after finishing high school in December, might also give the defensive backs a charge. Younger players like Lowry have spent the summer getting put through their paces by veterans who have grown tired of hearing about the decline of Penn State.

"We have dropped the idea of babysitting kids," Johnson said. "They have to want to do it. We have been working really hard, and are in good condition."

This change in attitude reflects something that the program is trying to impose from the top on down. Paterno has talked about how his team needs to play with more pride and get back to the tradition that made Penn State great. Some people are listening.

"We are Penn State and we are going to beat this team," Toles said of the team's renewed aggressiveness. "When I first got up there ... they would finish the game by the second or third quarter and put everybody else in. We have to get back to that. When we get into a close game, we have to come out on top."