Here it was, the big-time home game where Anthony Morelli could begin anew or remind doubters of his past. In the end, he did a little bit of both.
When Morelli walked off the field Saturday night, he was 12 of 22 for 131 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
It wasn't like the career day he enjoyed one week earlier versus Florida International.
But it was good enough to build, maintain and extend a lead for the now-No. 12 Nittany Lions in their win against Notre Dame.
"He managed the game well after some early adversity," quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said of Morelli's performance.
The adversity was the one interception.
Morelli's second pass of the game was picked off and returned 73 yards by Irish cornerback Darrin Walls for Notre Dame's only touchdown of the night. Walls dragged Morelli across the goal line as the quarterback tried to prevent him from scoring.
On the pass, Morelli made the correct read, Paterno said. -- one-on-one coverage; Derrick Williams vs. Walls -- but under threw the ball. To this point, Morelli agreed.
"We were just so excited," Morelli said. "We were just trying to make big plays off the bat, and if I would have just put a little more on that, you never know what Derrick could have done with it."
When Morelli arrived on the sideline following the interception he talked to Paterno on the phone like he does after every offensive series. Jay Paterno normally watches the game from an upstairs coaches' box. The conversation was simple.
"I said, 'That one's over. That was a great read, good decision, you just have to execute the throw.' He said, 'You're exactly right,' " Paterno said.
On the sideline, Morelli also apologized to the offense for creating an early 7-0 deficit.
"He came off the field and said it's my fault, we'll get it back," wideout Terrell Golden said.
Morelli's poise is "night and day" compared to last year, Paterno said.
He pointed to two plays in particular, a botched running back screen during which Morelli decided to throw the ball away out of bounds. And a third-and-long from Penn State's 11, where he also got rid of the ball safely, instead of forcing a throw with the Lions up 17-7.
"Those are probably two as important plays he made all day were the ones where just threw it away," Paterno said.
Morelli's longest completion was a 51-yard strike to sophomore Chris Bell that part of a that put the Lions up 24-10 the third quarter.
"He managed the game well once we got a two-score lead," Paterno said.
