CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- It wasn't because of mononucleosis or a lacking knowledge of the playbook, but for some reason, Penn State tailback Austin Scott did not play a single down on Saturday against Boston College.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno and several players who were asked about Scott did not cite specific reasons for the sophomore only playing on the kickoff return team.
"That's a coaches' decision," quarterback Zack Mills said. "That's something you would have to ask the running backs."
Scott was not made available to the media for comment after the game. Tony Hunt, who played the majority of the game at tailback for Penn State, said he "couldn't really tell you" why Scott didn't play at all on offense.
Paterno said he opted not to use the two-pronged running attack that was so successful against Akron because Hunt, who caught seven passes and carried the ball 14 times against BC, didn't need to be spelled by a backup because he didn't carry the ball that often.
Scott, though, said after the Akron game that Paterno might favor Hunt at the moment because Scott was late to a couple team meetings.
"I was late for a couple meetings because I got the times mixed up," Scott said in the post-game interview room. "The second time there was a misunderstanding ... one of my teammates had told me something and I just had missed the meeting. It hurt me. I shot myself in the foot."
Other offensive players also said last week that Hunt has looked noticeably faster in practice.
The team's leading rusher in 2003, Scott, despite his talents running the ball, also found himself in a limited role at various points during last season.
Early in that season, Paterno said it was because Scott did not know the playbook well enough. Later in the season, Scott was restricted by the effects of mononucleosis and didn't see the field at all in the Purdue and Northwestern games.
Late in Saturday's BC game, when Hunt did get tired and asked to be substituted, the coaches sent Mike Gasparato in as a replacement instead of Scott. But it was a passing situation, and Gasparato is "a little better with pass protection and knows a little bit more about it," according to Paterno.
In good hands
For a day on which there wasn't much for Penn State to be excited about, the receiving corps was a surprising exception. The receivers ran accurate, well-timed routes and made several dynamic catches without dropping any passes.
Senior Gerald Smith led the way with five catches for 74 yards, a career day for him, while utility player Michael Robinson wasn't far behind, making five grabs for 54 yards. Additionally, senior Ryan Scott caught the lone touchdown pass for the day, a 13-yard throw to the front corner of the end zone.
"That just comes from working hard in the offseason and trying to get in synch with the quarterback," Smith said. "We've been doing a pretty good job of that all season; we're real comfortable."
More tragedy affects PSU football
Cornerback Darien Hardy and tight end Isaac Smolko have much more difficult losses than a football game to deal with, as both lost family members this past week. Hardy's father, who had been battling kidney cancer for quite some time, succumbed to the illness Thursday. Hardy attended the funeral in Philadelphia on Saturday morning before joining the rest of his team in Boston prior to the game.
"I haven't had a second to myself," Hardy said. "I've been around my team, and it's very encouraging. It's like family; this is like my second family up here. I can't even tell how I'm going to take this thing, but I know I'm not going to put my head down. I'm gonna keep my head up, just like the way my father told me."
The loss in Smolko's family was sudden, as his 14-year old nephew died on Tuesday from injuries sustained in a bike accident. The accident occurred last Sunday, after which his nephew was in a coma until passing away two days later. Smolko attended the funeral on Thursday before making the trip to Boston.
