Paul Jefferson isn't much for nostalgia.

Granted, there's not a whole lot to look fondly back upon in the past five seasons that his career has spanned. But the last time Purdue set foot into town was certainly memorable.

It was 2000 and Jefferson, just a true freshman at the time, scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard goal-line plunge in the third quarter. The Nittany Lions upset Drew Brees and the Boilermakers 22-20 on that day in September, and they did it courtesy of 221 yards on the ground.

Four years later, though, and Jefferson is one of just three current Lions who was suited up for that game, along with Gerald Smith and Derek Wake.

"They're a different team, we're a different team," Jefferson said of the 2000 game and now. "But it's a similar situation. It serves as an example of what we can do if we stick together, practice hard and stay focused."

It will take a lot more than focus to topple the Boilermakers this year, but in a game where the Lions need to score more than the 10 points they've put up over the past two weeks, they can to the run as they did four years ago.

Back then, Penn State used a committee approach with Eric McCoo and Omar Easy getting most of the carries with some scrambling from Rashard Casey thrown in.

This time around, just one back, Tony Hunt, will be getting a majority of the carries. But if Purdue continues the trend of throwing eight guys in the box to load up against the run, it's not going to be easy.

"We have to start doing some things to open up the running game," Hunt said. "If we can get those eight guys out of the box, then the running game will get going."

In Penn State's two wins -- both at home and both against teams from the Mid-American Conference -- the Lions have averaged 300 yards rushing. In three losses on the road to BCS conference teams, that number shrivels to just 55.

The Boilermakers have been, for the most part, aggressive on defense this season, constantly blitzing to keep offenses honest. If the Lions' past two losses have provided a formula to defeat a Michael Robinson-less squad, then history dictates the Boilers will force Zack Mills to beat them through the air.

But Jefferson has a hunch.

"I think that these guys blitz all the time, but I don't see them blitzing [us] too much," Jefferson said. "I think they'll sit tight in that stack defense and bait us to run the ball. They'll make us go and beat that. We're gonna have to go out there and dominate a man and hopefully we win majority of battles and win the war."

Regardless of what the Purdue defense throws at the Lions, Penn State coach Joe Paterno made it clear that his team has to be able to throw the ball right back at it, if only to clear out more room for Hunt and the running game.

Last week against Minnesota, the Lions relied on a short passing game predicated by screens and dump passes, but weren't able to stretch the field with deep passes. Combine that with some untimely drops by receivers and the Golden Gophers had no need to get away from their heavy run-stopping schemes.

"You know the old statement, 'We have met the enemy and it is us?' " Paterno said. "That is basically what is happening to us. If we can't throw the football, we aren't going to be able to run it. Nobody is going to let you run it until you can throw it. They are going to put eight guys in the box."