Rodney Kinlaw was explaining how he thought Penn State's running game would work for the rest of the 2007 season.
"Me and Austin..." Kinlaw began.
He paused briefly, remembering that senior Austin Scott was held out of last weekend's game for unspecified reasons -- and will not play this week.
So Kinlaw began again.
"Me and Royster," Kinlaw said, this time referring to redshirt freshman running back Evan Royster, who filled in for Scott against Iowa.
Penn State has embarked on a week of practice that was clouded by news of Scott's suspension, underage drinking citations issued to two freshmen and the announcement by Joe Paterno that the players may have been involved in another fight.
Players who spoke publicly about the incidents this week had a variety of reactions to the events. But the team mostly insists that the best way to move past those obstacles is to forget about them while they prepare to play Wisconsin on Saturday.
"We're focusing on football right now," cornerback Justin King said. "That's what we want to focus on."
When news of off-field troubles creeps onto Penn State's practice field or into the locker room, it may stay on the players' minds for one day, center A.Q. Shipley said.
Then the team gets into meetings and begins looking at tape in preparation for the upcoming game. When that happens, Shipley said, the distraction is "almost forgotten."
"Once it happens, it happens," Shipley said. "Everybody just rallies together and tries to put it in the past."
But it's not always easy. When Shipley was blocking for Scott during this year's spring practice sessions, Scott was optimistic that 2007 would be his year to excel. Now, the optimism has turned to doubt, and those months of work appear in jeopardy.
"You have to be able to have enough mental toughness to move on," Shipley said.
Some players insisted on pointing out the team's positives, not wanting to dwell on negative publicity about underage-drinking citations, fights and suspensions.
"We got a lot of really good guys on the team," linebacker Sean Lee said. "Backups who are ready to go."
Kinlaw watched the beginning of 2007's first four games from the sideline, while Scott got the bulk of the Lions' carries. Kinlaw started his first game against Illinois two weeks ago and is listed at the top of this week's depth chart at running back.
Kinlaw said yesterday that he has not spoken with Scott since the team announced his suspension.
