It was just over a year ago: Nov. 1, 2003, home in Beaver Stadium, with a kickoff time of 3:30 p.m.

The opponent was No. 8 Ohio State, and it was generally figured that the Buckeyes would win, big.

And the Buckeyes did win, just not big -- the score was 21-20 -- but the worst part was that Penn State had a last-second, long shot 60-yard field goal that could have given it the victory. The kick, however, fell about 6 feet short, resulting in a letdown of colossal proportions from which the 2003 Lions never quite recovered.

"We never got back up to that level we were at against Ohio State," senior quarterback Zack Mills said. "You look back on it, and we never got back to that same intensity level."

Though the game was part of the 3-9 season the team has tried to forget, it is worth remembering now, simply because the loss to Purdue last Saturday was this year's letdown of equivalent proportions, as evidenced by the fact that it reduced players to tears in the locker room.

"They were very, very similar in my opinion," Mills said. "We had a big-time team coming in. We didn't make a few plays here on offense and in the red zone, and we came up a little short."

In fact, Penn State coach Joe Paterno thought the Ohio State loss and its aftermath were so relevant to the team's current situation, that he reminded the team of it on the first practice back after the Purdue game.

"Joe brought it up," Mills said. "By being aware of that is one thing, and the second is just going out there and keeping that intensity level."

Fortunately, unlike after the Ohio State loss, the team had the luxury of a bye week, during which emotions can be tamed and focus can be regained. Neither Paterno nor the four players made available to the media last week seemed wholly recovered, understandably so, as they still expressed the stress such a defeat puts on a team.

"So many hours you spend, it's tough not to see results the way you'd like to see them," senior safety Andrew Guman said. "It does wear on you, it's hard to deal with."

But there in the disappointment and, at times, distress, were the small signs of hope to which the players are clinging -- desire, perhaps, or even small shreds of optimism. It's hard to tell, Mills admits, but that just might be something to go on.

"Deep down you don't really know," Mills said. "The biggest tell I guess would be on the practice field, seeing how hard guys are working."

"I thought [Tuesday's] practice was upbeat. [Tuesday] told a lot about the team."

And, unlike last November, there is still the hope of qualifying for a bowl game, if the team wins four out of its remaining five games.

"This year we still can go 7-4," Mills said. "That's gonna be extremely difficult, but I've gotta think that way as the leader of the team."

But to go 7-4, Penn State certainly can't let the Purdue game become what the Ohio State game of 2003 was -- the point after which the season was reduced to nothingness.

All year, the mantra of Penn State has been that it is, a different team than last year. Chances to prove that have come and gone, but here's one, proving that the team can fire back after a letdown, that is still outstanding, just waiting to be satisfied.

Taking that chance and responding like last November, however, makes this team no different than before.