EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In the weeks prior, he had started to look like the quarterback of old. It appeared that the struggles of earlier in the season were fading memories.

But that wasn't the case at all.

Zack Mills was a quarterback bruised and battered and at a loss for words after the game on Saturday in Spartan Stadium.

Mills's numbers told the whole story. He finished 11-for-24 for 114 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions.

On the day that Mills moved into second place on the Penn State all-time passing yards and first place in total yards, the biggest portion of his afternoon was spent running for his life. Mills was sacked four times and hit on a handful of other plays.

"It's frustrating," Mills said. "It's been a while since we have seen so much pressure. There were a couple times when I was trying to make a throw down field or this guy was open and I got hit in the back. It's a tough thing, but it's part of football. We needed to come up with other ways to get it down field but we didn't."

Defensive end Greg Taplin was in the backfield on many more plays than coach Joe Paterno or offensive line coach Bill Kenney would have liked.

Taplin sacked Mills three times and on his first sack got to Mills almost as fast as the ball did.

"By the time I hit my third step out of the shotgun, he was there," Mills said. "As a quarterback you kind of have a sense but he has a running start and I tried to go out but he was all over me."

When Mills was able to avoid the pressure, he was able to locate receivers. But, like early in the season, too many of his throws sailed high or out of bounds.

Mills realizes that things are going to have to change next season and being one of the fifth-year seniors he is going to have to be a leader. He said the team needs to have meeting to discuss the future of Penn State, as this game didn't have any positives.

"We need a more positive attitude," Mills said. "It's time for me to step up."

Since his freshman season, he has been known as a quiet leader and one who leads by example, but with some of the vocal leaders from this season's team departing -- mainly Sean McHugh -- he has to seize the role.

"I do a pretty decent job not moaning and leading by example," Mills said. "It's tough, but I have to learn how to do it. I have learned through the year and now I feel more comfortable doing so."

Whenever everything is going wrong it's always nice when someone can pick you up and tell you to keep your head up. For Mills on Saturday that person was Sue Smoker, Jeff' Smoker's mom.

Mills said that she made him simile after the game.

"She made me feel a lot better," Mills said. "She introduced herself. Obviously, she is from Pennsylvania and has been seen a lot of what I have been through this season and said she was proud of me. I think it says a lot about her and her son the way he has comeback. I am proud of Jeff."

After a game which the opponent wins by 31 points, a pat on the back isn't the solution, especially when it's the close of a season that saw nine marks in the loss column.

And at day's end, Mills was at a loss for words.

"I don't know," he said. "Every aspect of the game today was terrible."