From there, the game didn't get much better for the Lions. But, in the beginning, it was a different story.

The Lions responded to the first score of the game, a 35-yard field goal by Notre Dame, by marching up field to attempt a kick themselves. But for the third time in two weeks, holder Jason Ganter made a costly error by mishandling the snap and getting tackled for a seven-yard loss.

Notre Dame went on to score another field goal in the second quarter after converting on a key fourth-and-two play when it was on the Penn State 36-yard line. And after the Irish's Jeff Samardzija caught a touchdown pass, it looked like Penn State would still enter halftime with a manageable 13-0 deficit after punting the ball with 90 seconds to go.

Seven plays and 69 yards later, though, quarterback Brady Quinn had cut through Penn State's tired defense. The Lions were on the field for nearly 19 minutes in the first half.

Quinn capped off the late drive with a 10-yard touchdown to Rhema McKnight - despite having no timeouts and only 12 seconds to work with.

And that was it for Penn State.

Morelli fumbled on the first drive of the second half trying to pitch the ball on an option play, as Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown. On the next drive, he didn't fare much better - throwing an interception after a questionable throw in double-coverage to Derrick Williams.

Irish quarterback Brady Quinn silenced critics after last week's so-so performance with 287 yards and three touchdowns against the Lions. Senior wideout John Carlson also opened a few eyes, surpassing his previous best of three receptions and 22 yards with a six-reception, 98-yard performance.

Tony Hunt was the offensive leader for the Lions, carrying the ball 12 times for 74