After throwing his first touchdown pass of the season, Daryll Clark walked the length of the sidelines and made his way to the water cooler for a drink.

Pat Devlin stood feet away, helmet in hand, headset over his ears. The instructions came in: Clark would get a break; Devlin would lead the offense on the next drive.

That was Joe Paterno's game plan. Start Clark, work Devlin in. The plan for Oregon State could be very similar this week.

The two quarterbacks who competed all summer for the starting job played well against a mismatched Coastal Carolina squad. While Paterno said after the game Clark will start against Beavers, he didn't rule out playing Devlin.

"We'll start Clark and if it looks like we can get Devlin in, we'll get him in," Paterno said. "I've said that 50 times."

Clark threw the ball efficiently, completing 11 of 14 passes for 146 yards. Penn State opted to go with a short passing game in which Clark threw quick outs, screens and swing passes. The first time Clark looked down field, however, he had to throw the ball out of bounds as Derrick Williams was double covered along the left sideline.

Before the game, Clark said his teammates, notably Williams, were joking with him about his nerves. Clark said he had butterflies as he rode to the stadium on the bus, but they soon wore off as he was able to direct the offense at will.

"I'm going to slap Derrick for that," Clark said. "All week he was telling me, 'You're nervous, you're going to throw up.'

"Since high school I've been nervous before the games, but after the first hit, the first throw, if it was good throw and completion, then OK. It's time to go."

Clark's backup found similar success.

Devlin relieved Clark midway through the second quarter and started fast, completing a 40-yard throw down the middle to Jordan Norwood to set up the Nittany Lions' fifth touchdown. Devlin finished with five completions on eight attempts for 83 yards.

More than a quarter of those yards came on a 27-yard pass to Derek Moye down the left side of the field, a throw Devlin said after the game he "could've put on a little bit more."

Penn State quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said Clark did about as good as he could have against the Chanticleers, but would not say whether Clark would play the entire game against Oregon State.

Jay Paterno described Devlin as a "competitor" and hinted Penn State might approach its quarterback situation - who will play when - on a game-by-game basis.

"It's going to depend on each game I think and we're going to talk about it," Jay Paterno said. "You'd hate to commit yourself and say, 'I'm going to play a guy at this point.

"If you've got a guy that hits 10 in a row you don't want to yank him. On the other hand, if a guy comes out and struggles or something [we're] going to play it by ear."