Kevin Kelly had lost count of all the people who had congratulated him on his big field goal by the time Saturday's game against Iowa was finished.
Another Penn State offensive drive had come up short -- ending in Iowa territory with only seconds left before halftime.
The team looked to Kelly to add to its lead before the break. The junior kicker would have to try a 53-yarder, even though he had never made an attempt from beyond 50 yards in six tries as a Nittany Lion, dating back to 2005.
But Kelly had a few advantages this time around.
It was a warm day, so he didn't have to worry about getting too tight or stretching for too long. And he'd been looking forward to a big chance like this.
"The whole week, Coach Paterno challenged me again to be able to make the long kicks," Kelly said.
The 80-year-old coach spent practices pushing Kelly to make field goals of more than 50 yards, and telling the kicker he needed to step up each time he missed. Through the process, however, the coach showed confidence in him, Kelly said.
"We're not gonna go out for a field goal that we can't make," Kelly said. "He's not gonna send me out for a 60-yard field goal if he doesn't think I can make it."
So, when Kelly hit the 53-yarder as time expired in the first half -- the fifth-longest kick in Penn State history and the longest field goal since 1985 -- Paterno was pleased.
"That part of the game was probably as well as we've done anything in the clutch so far this year," Paterno said.
While he accepted his teammates' thanks throughout the game, Kelly was just thankful that he had given the Lions a chance to go into the locker room at halftime with a two-touchdown lead.
"It just helps, mentally, over the other team," Kelly said. "We just got three points on 'em."
Day to remember
Offense: Rodney Kinlaw. The senior running back got his second consecutive start while Austin Scott was nowhere to be found, having violated a team rule. Kinlaw's day looked bleak at first, when he fumbled on Penn State's first drive. But he went on to set career highs in rushing yards (168), carries (26) and rushing touchdowns (2).
Defense: Dan Connor and Sean Lee. The two Penn State linebackers combined for 13 tackles in the first half and were instrumental in keeping the Hawkeyes off the board until the fourth quarter.
Day to forget
Offense: Chris Bell. The sophomore wide receiver has only had a handful of balls thrown to him so far this season. He found himself wide open in the end zone on Saturday with an Anthony Morelli pass in his hands. Until he dropped it.
Bell remained lying on the field for about 15 seconds, mourning the drop. He would not catch another pass all afternoon.
Defense: It's hard to point fingers at anybody here, but Penn State's secondary allowed one forgettable drive early in the fourth quarter, when Jake Christensen completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Trey Stross.
Quotable
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, when asked if the team was feeling more pressure after losing its fourth game in a row:
"Nobody wants to hear this, but I've been in this situation before. A lot of us have. Only an outsider would say it's hopeless, which is what I would expect. The guys on our team think differently, and that's really all that counts at the end of the day."
Did you notice?
The student section was two-thirds full at kickoff ... in the fourth quarter, the Lion was attempting to make his way up section EA, but there weren't enough students present to push him to the top ... a sign in the student section thanking Jimmy Dykes, an ABC sideline reporter who bought ice cream for students in Paternoville.
Extra point
Penn State hasn't played a decent opponent at home yet this season. Saturday's 20-point win over the Hawkeyes was the closest any opponent has come to beating the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium since 2006. It may get a little tougher when Wisconsin comes to town this weekend.
