It didn't matter who the opposing quarterback was. If he was a freshman making his first start or the second coming of Joe Montana.
Penn State's defense was determined to erase any significance of the Nittany Lions soul-churning defeat at Notre Dame one season ago.
In front of the second-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history Saturday night, that's what they did, as No. 12 Penn State defeated the Fighting Irish, 31-10, befuddling Notre Dame's offense and its freshman quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, along the way.
"It was in the back of our head, what happened last year," linebacker Sean Lee said. "This is a new team, but this is what we wanted."
The Lions defense limited a sputtering Irish offense to 144 total yards, including zero rushing yards. Penn State's defense did not allow a touchdown for the second consecutive week.
The performance was a far cry from the almost 400 yards and 41 points given up during what linebacker Dan Connor called a demoralizing 24-point loss in South Bend, Ind., last September.
"That was fresh in everyone's memory," said Connor, who led the defense with 12 tackles -- eight of them solo -- and one sack this time around."We were looking forward to this one."
Last season, underneath the watchful eyes of Touchdown Jesus, quarterback Brady Quinn, an experienced four-year starter and future NFL draft pick, torched the Lions through the air for nearly 300 yards.
This year, Notre Dame started Clausen, who took his first game-opening snap amid a 110,078-member audience, color-coordinated and anxious to see the Irish in State College for the first time since 1991.
The 19-year-old was poised.
"I'm just ready to go," Clausen said on the field while whitewashed fans found their seats before kickoff. He completed 17 of 32 passes, but none flew farther than 15 yards until midway through the fourth quarter.
Clausen finished with 144 passing yards and one interception. He was sacked six times for a loss of 50 yards.
"I'm very excited about what we were able to do," said defensive end Aaron Maybin, who sacked Clausen on a third-and-seven on the Notre Dame 13 with the game tied 7-7 early the second quarter. "We have a lot of high expectations for the rest of the season."
The defense subdued any momentum Notre Dame may have enjoyed early when Penn State committed turnovers on each of its first two offensive possessions.
Anthony Morelli's second pass of the game was intercepted by Irish cornerback Darrin Walls and returned 73 yards for Notre Dame's only touchdown. Austin Scott, who rushed 28 times for 118 yards and two scores, fumbled less than one minute later.
But following a Derrick Williams punt return for the Lions' first touchdown, the offense settled down and the defense took over.
The Irish managed only a field goal on their best scoring opportunity when Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski returned a punt to the Penn State 7-yard line, down 17-7 two minutes into the third quarter.
"It takes a lot of pressure off us, I'll tell you that much," Morelli said of the defensive show. "They were fantastic. ... We stopped them for zero yards in the run game. [If we] work a little bit here and there on the offense, and we put this thing together, it's going to be a crew to be reckoned with."
