As Joe Paterno gets deeper into his 44th season as a head coach, there's one mantra he's come to believe.
"I think you've got to build on that first game," Paterno said. "And I've always felt that way, that we'll find out how good a team we're going to be by how much we improve this week."
The No. 7 Penn State football team will find out exactly that when it plays Syracuse at noon Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Paterno said while this team has worked hard in its offseason programs, there are always a few players who are a little jittery in an opener.
A lot of the offseason attention focused on the three new starters at receiver and the offensive line. The wideouts helped senior quarterback Daryll Clark throw for 379 yards against Akron, but Paterno wants to see the unit build off that.
"There are a lot of things I need to work on," said Chaz Powell, who had 65 yards and a touchdown against the Zips. "I'm more focused and more into the game because obviously there's a lot of pressure. There are a lot of things you got to concentrate on."
Clark said he couldn't agree more with Paterno's belief in the importance of week two and said the team is confident it can make plays without thinking too much.
As for the offensive line, the 82-year-old coach attributed the running struggles to the stunts run by the Akron defensive line.
Defensively, Penn State (1-0) faces Orange quarterback Greg Paulus, a well-known athlete making just his second collegiate football start.
The former Duke point guard made his first start for the Orange last weekend as Syracuse (0-1) lost to Minnesota, 23-20, in overtime.
Though he threw for 167 yards and a touchdown, he also tossed a costly interception in overtime.
Much like his own team, Penn State linebacker Sean Lee expects second-game improvement from Paulus.
"I'm sure probably after the first game, he's going to see his mistakes and he'll be better in the second game," Lee said. "I thought he played really well, but like the interception in overtime, that's probably a decision he's probably not going to make in this game -- we're going to have to be that much better."
Last season, the Lions routed Syracuse, 55-13, in the Carrier Dome. The Orange haven't visited Beaver Stadium since a 27-21 Penn State victory in 1990.
Syracuse hasn't posted a winning season since 2001, but Paterno said he thinks the program is on its way back. The Orange also have first-year head coach Doug Marrone, who was the New Orleans Saints' offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008. Marrone also played for Syracuse from 1983 to 1985 but never beat the Lions.
He finally gets another chance this weekend, but Penn State is also trying to improve despite its 24-point win last weekend.
And with this being that second week, Paterno gets to see how his team lives up to his mantra.
"Those kids will be better, and how much better they are will have a lot to do with how good we're going to be," Paterno said. "If they go in and make the same mistakes, then I'd start to worry."
