Daryll Clark's odyssey as Penn State's next starting quarterback began with a regimented football schedule at a tiny all-boys boarding school isolated in Indiana County.

Wake up at 6 a.m. Breakfast by 7:30. Class at 8. Lunch at 1 p.m. Practice from 3-5:45 Dinner at 6. Mandatory study hall at 7:30. Back to the dorm by 9. Lights out by 11.

Lather, rinse and repeat.

"My mother always told me the ones who are the most patient are the ones who benefit the most," Clark said.

Clark was upbeat, optimistic and effusive during Wednesday morning's conference call. The man he beat out for the starting job, Pat Devlin, predictably was not as upbeat and gave abbreviated answers.

"I don't feel like I beat him, but I feel like I've earned the chance to play," Devlin said.

So, too, does Joe Paterno, who said Tuesday Clark and Devlin will play. He also said he doesn't want Clark to be looking over his shoulder, leaving open the question of how much time Devlin will see.

Clark will be the fifth black quarterback to open a season as Penn State's quarterback, joining Mike Cooper in 1970, Wally Richardson in 1995-96, Rashard Casey in 2000 and Michael Robinson in 2005.

Cooper lost his job midway through the season. Richardson guided the Nittany Lions to a 20-5 record over two seasons. Casey's tenure was defined by assault charges that he was eventually cleared of and led to him winning a lawsuit. The outgoing Robinson led Penn State to an 11-1 season ending with a victory over Florida State in the 2005 Orange Bowl.

"I don't think he's gonna concentrate on being an African-American quarterback out there," Richardson said. "That's not how he's going to be successful."

Richardson, the last Penn State quarterback to beat Michigan, worked as an academic adviser at Penn State before taking a similar role at Georgia. He and Clark would chit-chat occasionally about football, academics and life in general.

"[The conversations weren't] necessarily concentrated on football," Richardson said. "It was anything he wanted to get an opinion on."

Clark reiterated several times the competition was "very close." The statistics breaking down Paul Cianciolo, Clark and Devlin were similar.

So where did Clark have the edge?

Devlin said he was told Clark was a more accurate passer in practice, and Paterno has cited Clark's experience last year when he backed up Anthony Morelli.

"You don't have to be a genius to figure out Clark was the guy that should have been developed into being the guy that would be the one," Paterno said. "And I think Devlin and Cianciolo, give them credit that they have really fought him."

Devlin's future, at least in the interim, is as Penn State's back-up signal caller. When asked about the possibility of transferring, he paused for four seconds, took a deep breath and chose his words carefully.

"I don't think so," he said. "Right now, I've been so consumed with this, fighting for the job, so as of right now, I'm just going to continue to work hard and keep doing my thing."

Devlin took the news quietly, only calling his parents.

Clark said his phone was clogged with voicemails and text messages from some people whom he hadn't heard from recently.

His parents and family also now will have an answer to the folks from his native Youngstown, Ohio, who ask if he'll be starting.

"This is a long time coming," Clark said. "I've been very patient, very quiet about everything, and just kept a level head about everything because I knew this day was going to come."