Joe Paterno has finally had enough.

After a number of off-the-field incidents landed his players in trouble with the police, the Penn State football coach opened his press conference yesterday in unusual fashion when he read a prepared statement about several players.

The third item on Paterno's list was perhaps the most telling. He announced that sophomore guard Tommy McHugh had been dismissed from the team for allegedly striking a woman late Saturday night after she made derogatory comments about the football program.

Also yesterday, a university spokeswoman said Penn State President Graham Spanier would not comment on the football team until after the season.

Paterno has been reluctant to publicly announce punishments for players who are charged with crimes. In many cases, he would not comment until a court decision was reached.

His decision to dismiss McHugh seemingly marks a distinct change in Paterno's method. Paterno has used caution in deciding on punishments because he wanted both sides of the story to be known.

But Paterno said the sophomore knowingly ignored a warning Paterno gave the team on its flight back to State College following last Saturday's loss.

"Tommy did a dumb thing," Paterno said. "He did it after I had talked to the squad on the plane telling everybody to behave and the whole bit. He didn't. He has to suffer the consequences. Somewhere along the line the squad has to understand that there is responsibility."

"I think they are all serious," he continued about the off-the-field incidents. "They are serious not necessarily to anybody but to themselves and to their football team, except in the case where they may endanger somebody else."

Paterno began his remarks yesterday by announcing that senior wideout Tony Johnson would be suspended for Saturday's game against Ohio State as the result of drunken driving charges stemming from an Oct. 17 traffic stop. The suspension started last week with the Nittany Lions' game against Iowa and there was no hint as to when it might be lifted.

While Paterno said most of the incidents involved players who haven't "made any kind of contribution to the game," Johnson is the team's leading receiver. Offensive tackle Damone Jones, who started four of the first five games, also sat out against the Hawkeyes last weekend for what Paterno deemed a violation of "a team rule about drinking during the week." He is available to play this weekend, Paterno said.

The tough turn comes after several football players got in trouble with the police this season. In September, defensive tackle Scott Paxson entered a guilty plea on criminal mischief charges after allegedly stealing a bike. Punter Jeremy Kapinos also was investigated in connection with a fight at Nittany Apartments and charged with underage drinking. He was found not guilty of disorderly conduct stemming from the fight and entered a provisional guilty plea on the underage charge.

Dethrell Garcia, who officially left the team on Oct. 13, was charged with driving under the influence and underage drinking resulting from an Oct. 17 traffic stop.

Offensive lineman E.Z. Smith is serving an Office of Judicial Affairs suspension for two underage drinking charges from July and August. Smith was found not guilty of the second charge and entered a provisional guilty plea on the first charge and enrolled in the Youthful Offenders' Program.

Still, Paterno said the various off-the-field incidents have made this season especially hard on him.

"I have a tough time convincing people that I am not dealing with inanimate objects," Paterno said. "I am dealing with people whose parents I know and homes that I have been in and people who have entrusted their kids to me. ... I think it has taken more out of me than it does out of the players."