All things considered, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was in good spirits yesterday at his weekly press conference.

In fact, even with all things not considered, he was in very good spirits. He was even chipper, almost.

He dismissed the question of whether or not there would be any personnel changes after Saturday's 21-7 loss to Boston College, and, just as quickly, moved on to say that he didn't see any need to panic. It was quite a change from Saturday night's post-game press conference, when he let his weary eyes focus downward and spoke in barely audible tones.

Yesterday, however, he had not too much worry -- or at least didn't let it show -- and seemed to be pretty happy with his football team.

"I feel good about the football team," Paterno said. "I'm disappointed, but not discouraged ... I think each week we gotta improve. Before it's all over, [if] we do that, we practice as hard as we practiced last week, with the same kind of intensity, we'll be a better football team this week, and then hopefully from there to the next week and so forth until we end up being a pretty darn good football team."

His team is 1-1, just like it was after the BC loss last season, but while he was extremely upset with his team last year, this year he's decided not to play the bad guy coach, just the supportive one.

"I want to encourage them because I think they've worked hard and they're concerned about getting on with it," Paterno said. "If someone follows that up with the question, 'How did you feel last year after BC beat you,' I was upset with the whole football team after BC last year, because at the end of the football game we were hanging on for dear life. There wasn't anybody out there. There's a difference."

Paterno had only held one short, 50-minute practice before the press conference and acknowledged that it's hard for him to tell how the team will respond for the upcoming game against the University of Central Florida. But from what he can tell, the players are not moping around, they're just ready to get back at it. And that's enough for him to feel good about things right now -- and, more importantly, to hold out hope that this season won't take the same turn as last.

Austin's noticeable absence

Paterno explained the reason that sophomore tailback Austin Scott only participated in kickoff returns and did not play a down against BC.

"You all know," Paterno said. "You know he missed a meeting."

Fellow sophomore Tony Hunt started the game at tailback and carried the ball 14 times out of the team's 21 carries, with the remaining seven split between quarterback Zack Mills and utility player Michael Robinson. Paterno made the point abundantly clear that Hunt would have started regardless of Scott's status.

"Even if [Scott] had come to the meeting, he wouldn't have started," Paterno said. You're taking things away from Hunt that's not fair to Hunt. Hunt has earned the right to [be] where he is."

Ch, ch, ch, ch, changes

Senior defensive end Jason Robinson and junior receiver Gio Vendemia have been relocated on the depth chart.

Robinson will make the shift to offense, where he will play tight end. Isaac Smolko and John Bronson will be ahead of Robinson at his new position, but Paterno wanted additional depth behind the two, other than freshman Jordan Lyons, who was transplanted from quarterback, and senior Mike Pawlikowski, who is struggling with a knee injury.

"He was playing behind a couple of people on the defensive line, and we're getting in a situation where you're down on the goal line and you need two tight ends," Paterno said. "We needed Jason as insurance for our short yardage."

Vendemia, on the other hand, will move back to cornerback after a stint at wide receiver.

"I thought Gio could help us as the wideout [position], but he had his ups and downs," Paterno said. "That gives us some flexibility to do some things with [sophomore cornerback] Donnie Johnson, either in a nickel or a penny or strong safety."

More Maurice?

Paterno said that the door could be open for the return of former Penn State wide receiver Maurice Humphrey, who was indefinitely expelled from the university last fall for an off-field incident.

Humphrey is currently enrolled at the Penn State-Altoona branch campus and can apply to return to the University Park campus for the spring 2005 semester.

"If he satisfies what the university wants done, we oughta consider having him return," Paterno said. "I don't think there's any question about that."

Paterno's pow-wows

Paterno reportedly meets with senior quarterback Zack Mills and senior linebacker Derek Wake, the captains of the 2004 team, about two to three times a week. And what do the three team leaders chat about?

"Oh...'Who are you dating? Do you like me?' " Paterno said, laughing. "I wouldn't tell."