Listen to the football staff discuss Saturday's game against Illinois.

Click here to download the mp3 file.

We just got a couple calls from football writers Corey McLaughlin and Mark Viera — and the Illinois press box's Internet isn't working ... for anyone.

So, I'm sorry to say there won't be a play-by-play blog here today. And because of the widespread Internet problems in the stadium, I don't think any media outlet will be able to blog.

Regardless, we'll still keep you updated with any breaking news or injuries. They're going to call me here in State College, and I'll post it up. But, again, I'm afraid there won't be a regular game day blog here like there normally is.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but if anything changes with the Internet, we'll let you know.

---Josh Moyer (football editor)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- What we doin'? We be chillin' at the Holiday Inn.

Sorry. It was Corey's clever idea to rip off the lame rap lyrics (thanks, Chingy) but we're just in the lobby waiting for our room to be cleaned here at -- where else? -- the Holiday Inn. Should be ready in an hour, the receptionist said.

Anyway, we've arrived here for tomorrow's Penn State-Illinois game. This town is flat and filled with yellowed corn and soybean fields. Apparently, that's just the way Corey likes it. Upon arriving here around 1 p.m. EST, he said, "I like the scene."

In the course of our travels between central Pennsylvania and central Illinois, we flew to Philadelphia, then to Chicago and finally here. Along the way, we picked up some wonderful newspapers (see below) and sampled some of the local flavor: Chicago deep dish pizza and a Chicago-style hot dog. Did you know that a Chicago-style hot dog is topped with a pickle, tomato, cucumber, peppers and mustard? It was pretty good, too.

Here are some stories we read while sitting in three different airports this afternoon:

Kevin Tatum of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports about the hapless Temple Owls, who will face Penn State at the end of the season.

In yesterday's Philadelphia Daily News, Mike Kern took a look at the weekend in college football. He paid particular attention to tonight's South Florida-West Virginia game.

In The Chicago Tribune, a gorgeous newspaper, Teddy Greenstein writes about the apparently hard-nosed Wisconsin quarterback, Tyler Donovan.

Corey, who has done two internships with magazines, decided to read Esquire. Never a bad choice. He liked a piece by Chuck Klosterman. Never short on opinions, Klosterman offered his theory on how to save sports journalism.

Be sure also to check The Daily Collegian Online for updates on the murder trial of former Penn State football player LaVon Chisley. The jury started deliberating at 11 a.m. today, the article said.

Let me shamelessly plug The Collegian again: Don't forget we'll be live blogging from Memorial Stadium tomorrow, so come back to the Footblog at noon EST if you don't get the Big Ten Network.

That's all for now. Our room should be ready shortly. We're going to relax for a bit and then check out this town. We'll report back if we come across anything interesting.

Cheers,
Mark

Listen to this week's Football Podcast:

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Here's some leftover material from interviews this week that we won't be finding space for in the paper.

Kevin Kelly ... on when he starts thinking about field goals:
"It all depends on situation, how the offense is rolling. I do look at if we've been throwing the ball deep, running the ball. ... If we get a punt, I'll start warming up if we get to the 30 or 40."

Mark Rubin , who's on kickoff coverage ... on Kevin Kelly's kickoff performance this season:
"No matter how well we cover, if he kicks the ball out of the end zone, they get the ball at the 20."

Dan Connor ... on how the losses to Michigan compare throughout his career:
"I remember have the same feeling last time. For some reason they seem harder than other's for one reason or another. We have to grow up as a team. You have to get over losses like this. It's going to be tough reading the papers and seeing the stuff and getting crticized big time. You can't get caught up in a loss like this."

Connor ... on the weekly stadium clean-up punishment:
"It's tough to wake up at 7:30 after a game and you're beat up. That's all Coach Paterno's business. You do what he says and you keep your mouth shut. You go out and go to work. You get up and go to work. It's tough but you do it. No one complains."

From Ron Zook's press conference:
Saturday's game will be the first Big Ten game played in renovated Memorial Stadium. The stadium features new North end zone bleachers.

Check out the paper,
Corey

Listen to this week's Tuesdays with Joe Pa:

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Listen to this week's Football Podcast:

Click here to download the mp3 file.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Greetings everyone. It's almost time for kickoff. Kevin and I (Corey) will be providing some play-by-play and commentary throughout the game. Yes, we know it's being nationally broadcast, but we're here so we might as well provide our perspective. As always send along emails with any comments during the game to cpm167@psu.edu and kjh5017@psu.edu.

Michigan has won the toss and deferred to the second half. Penn State will receive.

3:37 p.m. - Kickoff

Lions first offensive possession wasn't very good. Anthony Morelli was tackled for no gain on a third and long. After a Jeremy Boone punt, Michigan will get the ball for the first time at the PSU 42.

UM's first two plays were, not surprisingly, hand offs to Mike Hart for a gain of four yards total. On 3rd and five, after a Michigan time out, Ryan Mallett was sacked on his first pass attempt by Tyrell Sales. Zoltan Mesko's punt goes in the end zone. PSU ball at its 20. PSU - 0, UM - 0, 10:36 left in the first.

...In the UM student section, an inflatable shark...

PSU begins its second drive in a five-wide set. Morelli is hit and fumbles. Recovered by UM on the PSU 10. First and goal. Mallett's second pass is to Mario Manningham for no gain. Mallet drops back again on second down, fakes a pass right then scrambles left for a touchdown.
UM - 7, PSU - 0, 9:35 left in the first.

A.J. Wallace returns the kickoff to the PSU 28. Austin Scott in the backfield directly behind Morelli with three wideouts. Scott gains one yard. Morelli completes his first pass to Jordan Norwood on an out pattern. On 3rd and four, Morelli completes a pass to the normally surehanded Norwood for a first down, but then Norwood fumbles.

Upon review, the play is reversed. PSU first and 10 at its 48. Replays showed, to me, that Norwood lost the ball just before his back made contact with the ground. UM - 7, PSU - 0, 8:04 left in first.

A nice screen pass to Scott on the next play puts PSU at the UM 39. A reverse to Derrick Williams gains five on the first down. PSU picks up another first on a delayed run to Scott up the middle. PSU at the UM 25. Morelli sacked with five wideouts again on the field. 2nd and 16. Morelli incomplete to Scott, and on 3rd Morelli tried to find Andrew Quarless but it was broken up by UM safety Jamar Adams. Boone boots a coffin corner out of bounds at the UM 3. UM - 7, PSU - 0, 5:26 left in the first.

You have to think PSU defense is thinking safety here with the way the offense has struggled so far, especially when it has tried to spead UM out.

Hart runs for a gain of three on first down. UM backup tailback Brandon Minor rips of the longest run yet for the Wolverines out to the UM 17 for a first down. Mallett play action pass to tight end Carson Butler to UM 33 for another first. I may have a bad memory but I think that was the first successful play action pass against Penn State this season. After short run on first, Mallett pass goes incomplete in the arms of Justin King, who is covering Manningham. On third down, Mallett is tackled by Dan Connor and UM punts to Williams. Fair catch at the PSU 34. UM - 7, PSU - 0, 2:35 left in first.

Morelli hands off to Rodney Kinlaw -- We have a Kinlaw sighting! -- for a gain of one. Kinlaw picks up three on the next play. On third and long, Morelli incomplete to Norwood. PSU goes three and out. UM begins at its 31.

King clearly interferes with Manningham on a slant on UM first play. Yellow laundry everywhere on the field. Oh, that's cause there was an ineligible man down field, too on UM. Penalties offset . Still, first down on UM 31. Hart runs for a gain of 13. Hart stopped for no gain. Josh Gaines bats Mallett's second down pass away. 3rd and 10. Mallett with a 18-yard slant to Manningham with Lydell Sargeant on the coverage. Ball at PSU 38.

As we head to the second quarter, Kevin is taking over. Enjoy! End of first - UM - 7 PSU - 0

Hey guys, Kevin here. Shoot me an e-mail -- kjh5017@psu.edu -- if you're following the game along with us today.

Penn State's secondary has been doing its job -- for the most part. Ryan Mallett tries to start off the second quarter with a pass toward the sideline, but it is broken up by Tony Davis.

Michigan will have to punt after Mallett gets hit by Dan Connor and loses the football. The refs ultimately rule it an incomplete pass.

Morelli hits Terrell Golden on a 24-yard pass, giving Penn State a first down at midfield.

But the senior quarterback has had to be very aware of Michigan's defensive line today. Morelli is hurried on first down and scrambles for about three yards before getting brought down.

The Lions' offensive is starting to look alive for the first time all day. Rodney Kinlaw busts through the Wolverines' defense for a six yard run -- on the next play, the senior running back follows it up with a three-yard run that gives Penn State a first down.

Yeah, now they're getting into it. Morelli hits Andrew Quarless for a 22-yard pass to get Penn State inside the Wolverines' red zone for the first time all day.

Morelli had Deon Butler quasi-wide open in the end zone, but overthrew him. The Lions will have to settle for a Kevin Kelly field goal.

UM 7, PSU 3 -- 9:14 remaining in the second quarter

Mike Hart, who was limited to 18 yards in the first quarter, picks up eight yards on second down for the Wolverines.

It looks like Hart could get dangerous as this game goes on -- the senior running back picks up six yards on the next play, giving the Wolverines a first down.

And Michigan moves it right along: Mallett hits Adrian Arrington for a first down. A.J. Wallace makes the tackle. After a Mike Hart run, the Wolverines have it at Penn State's 34.

Mike Hart gets it again and finds a running line wide enough to drive a Buick through. On the next play, he gets it again and takes the Wolverines down to Penn State's 11-yard-line.

First and goal for the Wolverines after a short run to the 10-yard-line.

On third and goal, Mallett takes a shot at wide receiver Greg Mathews, but it's over Matthews' head.

Jason Gingell's kick is no good.

Score remains UM 7, PSU 3, with about three minutes to play before halftime.

Penn State goes three-and-out on its next drive. Jeremy Boon punts the ball to the Wolverines' Greg Mathews, and Michigan will take over at its own 27-yard-line.

Mike Hart gets a handoff on the first play, but loses one yard after being brought down by Sean Lee.

On second down, Mike Hart gets the ball -- again -- and is brought down by Jerome Hayes after a two-yard run. A round of boos begins to emanate from the Michigan Stadium crowd as the teams prepare for third down, with nine yards to go.

Mallett finds Mario Manningham wide open downfield. Manningham is brought down at Michigan's 42.

Mallett's next pass is tipped and hovers dangerously in the air, but isn't picked off. On third down, Mallett finds Arrington for a first down at Penn State's 46-yard-line.

The Wolverines call their third and final timeout with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. It's second down, with three yards to go at Penn State's 39-yard-line.

On second down, Mallett is pressured and has to throw it away. On second down, he hits Arrington over the middle to take the Wolverines down to the 24-yard-line, giving the Wolverines a first down.

Mallett spikes the ball to stop the clock on first down. On the next play, he takes a shot toward the end zone, which is incomplete.

His next pass attempt is picked off by Lydell Sargeant, who takes it back to Penn State's 37.

Morell downs the ball to end what has been an up-and-down first half for both teams.

I'll be handing it back to Corey for the second half. Stay tuned.

At halftime, UM still leads PSU, 7-3.

Michigan begins the second half at its 33. Hart starts were he left in the first, gaining nine yards. He moves the chains again on the next play. PSU defense able to get a stop, though, on a third and long. Mesko punts to Williams, fair catch at the PSU 17. 12:32 left, third quarter. UM - 7, PSU - 3.

First PSU offensive play of the half is a Scott run, left side, for a loss of two. Quarless makes a one handed catch but out of bounds on second down. Morelli in the shotgun throws into double coverage on Norwood. Another three and out, for PSU. UM has the ball after the punt at its 37.

Hart stopped for a loss of two, then a loss of one on two consecutive runs. Good penetration by PSU d-line on the first one. Navorro Bowman made the stop on the second. Mallett throws for a completion on third down but one yard short of the first down. PSU ball at its 19. 9:38 left in the third, UM - 7, PSU - 0.

If Penn State's offense can score a touchdown, or maybe even get a first down, the Lions might have a chance of winning. But right now, the offense isn't looking good at all. The defense looks to have figured out its run stopping problems for the time being.

Morelli quick six yard out to Deon Butler. On second, Scott gains three up the middle. On a key, 3rd and 1, Scott takes it up the middle for gain of 19 to PSU 47. Morelli pass to Matt Hahn out of the backfield for a gain of 10 and a first down. Morelli completes 11 yards to Norwood for another first. Scott gains one. Morelli in the shotgun on second down compeltes to wide out Butler who trash talks UM defensive back Brandon Englemon.

Big game changing play here: Scott fumbles, ball recovered by UM at the PSU 9. Upon review, the play stands. From out viewpoint up here watching the replays on television, it looks like the correct call. 6:09, UM - 7, PSU - 3. Big missed opportunity for PSU there. The offense got going but a turnover killed any momentum it had.

Hart takes three consecutive runs out to the UM 25. 2nd and seven now. Hart slips Chris Baker in the backfield gains a little. Now 3rd and five. Mallett competes to Adrian Arrington for a first, but on next play PSU gets a a turnover. Mallett bobbled the snap and PSU recovers at UM 35.

Morelli incomplete to Hahn. Delay run to Kinlaw for a loss of two. 3rd and 12 here. Morelli completes to Quarless one yard short. PSU going for it on fourth and one. Very big play here. Kinlaw just barely gets the first down. Morelli lofts one up for Quarless near the end zone. Quarless was interfered with and Morelli jumps around like he just threw a touchdown.

PSU ball at the UM 9, and a first down. After a short run, 2nd and goal pass complete to Williams to the UM 2. Kinlaw sweep to the left yields no gain, plus holding penalty. 3rd and goal from UM 12. PSU five wide again. Morelli attempt to Bell is incomplete. Had Bell caught it he would have been stopped short of the end zone anyway. Kevin Kelly knocks his second field goal through. :23 left, UM - 7, PSU - 6.

Kevin will take over now and take you through the fourth quarter until we head down to the field. This one is still to be decided.

Thanks Corey. Here in Ann Arbor, we have something unusual: a Penn State fourth quarter that actually means something. The Lions led Buffalo by 28 points at the start of the fourth quarter last week. They led Notre Dame by 14 at the start of the fourth quarter and, in the season opener, The Lions entered the fourth quarter leading Florida International by 52.

That means the Lions have had a combined lead of 94 points heading into fourth quarters so far this season. This week, they don't have that cushion. Instead, they enter trailing the Wolverines by one point.

Can the Lions handle the pressure of heading into the final quarter trailing their opponent?

Let's find out.

Mario Manningham is the recipient of two Ryan Mallett passes to start the fourth quarter, giving Michigan a nice start.

On second down from Penn State's 41, Ryan Mallett tries a reverse, handing off to Mario Manningham, who picks up three yards, giving the Wolverines a first down.

And Hart's the man who keeps this Wolverines offense going. The public address announcer has just told us that he's set a new Michigan record today -- rushing for at least 100 yards in 23 games as a Wolverine.

Michigan's in the red zone now, and Hart follows some key blocks before he is brought down by Mark Rubin at Penn State's 12.

It will be third down and five at the 15.

Mallett's in the shotgun and hits Greg Mathews for a nine-yard gain, giving the Wolverines a first down and goal at Penn State's six.

It will be first and goal for the Wolverines after a Lydell Sargeant pass-interference penalty.

On second down, Mike Hart rushes for a touchdown.

With 8:52 remaining, UM leads PSU 14-6.

We're going to head down to the field now for the last couple minutes of the game and to talk to players and coaches after the game is over. Check back shortly after the game, when Mark will have a web update on the Collegian's homepage about today's game.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- We'll we're here, inside the Michigan Stadium press box looking out at an empty Big House. It's early, about three hours from kickoff so the only people on the field are the Michigan cheerleaders warming up.

The weather is beautiful. No clouds and about 70 degrees.

One thing I picked up right away is how friendly the Wolverines fans have been to the Penn Staters in town, and there are a lot of them. Even last night, as we made our way around Ann Arbor, the students here were pretty welcoming.

And just a few minutes ago as we walked into the entrance of the stadium we were greeted in a parking lot by a nice old woman in a motorized wheelchair. She had a beverage in her front basket was decked out in Michigan gear. "Welcome to the Big House," she said.

That's the deal for now. We're going to head out and explore some more.

To hold you over until the game, we'll leave you with this memorable radio rant, in honor of Notre Dame and Michigan State renewing their rivalry today. If you haven't heard it yet, please listen.

-- Corey

Hey everybody,

Just got back up to the press box after milling around on the field for the last hour and a half. Freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett, dressed in full uniform, led the Wolverines out onto the field for pre-game warmups.

Meanwhile, senior quarterback Chad Henne was spotted at midfield at about 2:30, dressed in a white polo shirt and khaki shorts. Henne, who was wearing a brace on his right knee, casually tossed a football to reserve quarterback David Cone.

Penn State's Blue Band is out on the field right now, and, according to Michigan Stadium's scoreboard, we're about 20 minutes away from kickoff.

Stay tuned for more updates,
Kevin -- 3:17 p.m.

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Good morning. Sorry for not blogging en route to Michigan. We didn't get wireless at the reststops. But we arrived last night, so here's your update.

Despite Corey's protest, Kevin made the entire drive out here without switching off. He later revealed that it became a personal goal to conquer the 6-hour drive. Last night we went out to a lovely dinner. (If you're in town, try the crabcake sandwich at the Red Hawk on State Street. It was fabulous.)

There were more than a few Penn State fans kicking around last night. I hung out with some of my friends who attend Michigan and they said they were of the "We are ... Penn State!" chant already.

Anyway, this morning -- after eating breakfast in bed -- we were milling around the hotel lobby. When Joe Paterno came out of the elevator, people obviously gravitated toward him. They offered him good luck. He was all business.

"I'm just looking for something to eat," he declared to the crowd, before heading off to the team breakfast.

As I type, the players are headed into breakfast.

OK, ESPN's College GameDay is starting. Time for me to sign off. We'll update you from the Big House.

Cheers,
Mark

Hey all,

In about 15 minutes, we'll be leaving for Ann Arbor, Mich. We're going to try and update the blog as we carve our way through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Hopefully we can find wireless Internet at the reststops. Should be a fun trip. We're pumped.

And seeing as it should be an eventful weekend, we're going to keep things fun around the Footblog. So we're bringing back an oldie but a goodie. It's a video of Chad Henne's high school coach Jim Cantafio exploding during a pregame speech. In fairness, Cantafio is a pretty nice guy; I spoke to him this week. And over the years playing sports, I've seen plenty of coaches do and say some crazy things in the heat of the moment. But doesn't discount just how funny the video really is.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy the Footblog this weekend.

Take care,
Mark

Listen to football writers and sports editors discuss this weekend's game against Michigan.

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Listen to Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno's comments on the upcoming game against Michigan.

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Here's an interesting piece from The Michigan Daily, Michigan's student paper. It examines why, exactly, the Wolverines started the season 0-2. The article does not "delve into the institutional or larger-picture problems that exist within the program" but magnifies specific problems on this year's team.

It's thorough and really evaluates some things that cut at the core of the Michigan team. Kudos to Daniel and Jack, the sports editors who penned the article.

We've got some more interesting tidbits on tap this week. Keep checking the Footblog.

Cheers,
Mark

Listen to the latest Collegian Football Podcast:

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Came across an interesting story when I was reading today's Washington Post. Derrick Williams' high school coach, Rick Houchens, has been suspended for the rest of the season along with an assistant because a former player improperly enrolled at the school, The Post reported.

Houchens, the Eleanor Roosevelt high school football coach, brought in a player from out of the Greenbelt district. That, The Post said, is against the rules.

"Prince George's County generally requires students to attend public schools within their neighborhood boundaries. Coaches are not allowed to recruit players to come to their school," the article said.

That's all for now. But check the blog and paper this week. Things should get hectic in anticipation for the Michigan game.

Take care,
Mark

No ticket? No Big Ten Network? Don't feel like getting up before noon to go to the game? Then you're in luck. Good morning from the Beaver Stadium press box. We'll be keeping some play-by-play and commentary for today's Penn State-Buffalo game.

Throughout the game, we welcome any comments via email to satisfy us that someone is reading. Today, Mark and I will be handling blog duties. My email is cpm167@psu.edu and his is mcv5009@psu.edu.

It's about an hour before kickoff and the special teamers are on the field practicing kicks and what not. The temperature is a cool 56 degrees under partly cloudy skies. "Football weather," some would say.

We'll be back for the game...

A little news for you: Seems Notre Dame backup quarterback Demetrius Jones has enrolled at Northern Illinois, according to ESPN.

12:06 p.m. - Kickoff

Student section is about half full, maybe, for the start.

Penn State won the toss and deferred to second half. Buffalo starts at its own 20, backs to the north end zone. First three plays for UB were from the shotgun. On the third, UB quarterback Drew Willy scrambled for a first down. The Bulls can't pick up another first down, but UB punter Ben Woods boots a nice coffin corner punt out of bounds to the PSU 9.

First PSU offensive play is a one yard gain by Scott. Anthony Morelli was pressured and scrambled for a gain of two on the second play. Third play, Morelli errant pass on an out pattern in the direction of Derrick Williams and PSU will punt. Jeremy Boone's in his own end zone and gets off a 56-yarder. UB starts at its 32. 9:51 left, 1st quarter. PSU - 0, UB - 0

UB goes three and out despite a lengthy gain through the air on third down. Looks like the Bulls considered going for it on fourth and a long one, but punt to Anthony Scirrotto, standing at about the PSU 20. He doesn't catch the ball and it bounces back to the PSU 10, where the Lions will start their second drive. 8:21 left, first quarter.

Bad exchange on the handoff between Morelli and Scott. The Lions fumble and UB has it first-and-goal at the PSU 8. A little noise now at 12:23 in the afternoon from the fans. First play incomplete pass out of bounds. Second, a pitch to UB tailback James Starks for no gain. TO Buffalo before third down. Willy competes a pass to tailback Mario Henry on third, he had some room, but was stopped by Sean Lee at the PSU 3. UB scores first with a field goal. 6:37 left in 1st, UB - 3, PSU - 0 Like last week against Notre Dame, these points can't be charged to the Penn State defense.

A.J. Wallace returns the kickoff 26 yards to the PSU 39. Morelli completes his first pass to Dean Butler for 9 yards. Next play is the Derrick Williams Swing Pass to the right for a first down. But on the next play, Scott takes a hard hit and fumbles. Its recovered by the Bulls at the UB 48. Replays show the ball popped out after being hit by a UB helmet. UB goes three and out but its offense is pretty creative, throwing multiple looks at the Lions.

PSU beings within its own 10 again after the punt. Rodney Kinlaw is in for Scott at tailback and he gains 19 yards on his first two carries. Morelli is sacked on the next play and on 3rd and 6, Morelli completes to Williams for the first. Kinlaw breaks another nice run, this one for 18 yards. Running back controversy, anyone? Lions face a third and 8 as the first quarter ends.
UB - 3, PSU - 0 To Carol from Lansdale, thanks for reading, and the student section is almost filled up now. The rest of the stadium is pretty much full.

Hello friends, Mark here. Let's get right into it.

Penn State couldn't convert on third and 8 after a 1-yard pass to Butler. Boone has a 32-yard punt, pinning UB around the 10. UB called for illegally blocking in the back on the punt. UB starts from the 6.

UB gained nothing on first down run. Henry gained 8 yards on his next run up the gut.

UB gave it to Henry again; he picked up the first down. UB keeps the drive alive.

Henry stopped for a 2-yard loss.

Maurice Evans sacked UB quarterback Drew Willy for a loss of 10. PSU students put up the safety sign because UB was pinned deep on the 5.

UB stopped on flare pass, and punted on fourth and 16.

Williams fielded UB punt, bringing the ball to the UB 39.

Kinlaw lost 2 on the opening play of the PSU drive. Morelli, again, threw a little flare. This time it wasn't to Williams. Norwood gained 7, making it third down and 5.

Kinlaw busted through the UB line for a 9-yard gain, giving PSU the first down. PSU gained 11 on slant to Norwood. PSU finally made it to the red zone. Fans rose to their feet when Morelli hit Deon Butler in the far corner of the end zone ... but he was out of bounds, making it third and 8 from the UB 12. A Williams reverse got nuthin' (OK, it gained 2 yards.) Kelly hit a 27-yard field goal. With 6:29 remaining in the second quarter, PSU has evened the score, 3-3.

UB started on its own 21.

With the luxury of a TV time out, let me just throw out this stat: Sean Lee had seven -- yes, seven -- first-quarter tackles. Wow.

Now, back to the UB drive. Willy threw incomplete to James Starks on first down. On second, Willy stepped up in the pocket and hit Naam Roosevelt for an 11-yard gain and a first down. On first, UB failed to catch another Willy pass. A UB run was shut down and on third down, Willy threw the ball away because of Penn State's coverage. UB punted to Williams and Scirrotto, who were both back. UB squibbed a little punt to the PSU 33.

On a side note, Andrew Quarless is in the game. Stefen Wisniewski is in at right gaurd.

On first down, Morellli overthrew Butler. On the subsequent play, Kinlaw picked up a PSU first down on a nice run.

Kinlaw gained little on first down. On second, Morelli way overthrew all his receivers. Morelli hit Norwood for a gain of 14 and a PSU first down. After a few short runs by Kinlaw, Penn State is facing third and 1 from the UB 30. Kinlaw picked up the PSU first down on a short run.

Morelli hit Butler on first down for a 6-yard gain. PSU is going into a no-huddle offense. On second down, Kinlaw dropped a Morelli pass on a little screen. Morelli connects with Andrew Quarless -- yes, Andrew Quarless -- for a 21-yard touchdown on a ball lofted over the middle. With 2:34 left in the half, PSU is up 10-3.

UB's drive started on its own 16. UB opened with a screen, which gained 4 yards. PSU then called a time out with 2:16. UB's second down attempt was incomplete. Then, in an absolutely bizarre turn of events on third down, the UB tight end caught a ball a began upfield. He got spun around by Tony Davis, sending the ball flying 5-yards upfield. Scirrotto just so happend to be moving down the field, so he caught the ball on a fly and cut into the end zone. He was called out of bounds, however. PSU started the drive on the UB 18.

PSU drove it way down with Kinlaw and scored when Norwood made a circus catch from his back in the end zone. The play was promptly reviewed. But the play stood as called. With 59 seconds remaining in the half, PSU took a 17-3 lead.

As I watched the replay on the press box TVs, it was apparent that Norwood didn't catch the ball. He was on his back, reached up and tried to bring it into his body. The ball hit the ground. Don't know why the call wasn't overturned.

With less than a minute in the half, PSU smartly went into nickle coverage. No matter, UB completed a few passes -- long and short -- to reach the PSU 28. The Bulls drive stalled and they attempted a 49-yard field goal with two seconds on the clock. It was way short.

The score at halftime is PSU 17, UB 3.

Here's the Footblog Halftime Report... still sponsored by no one.
-- Well, Penn State's defense is doing its normal business. With the exception of a long pass late in the second quarter, the D hasn't given up much. The unit again kept the Lions in the game in the first half as the offense turned the ball over early in a game for the second consecutive week.

-- Rodney Kinlaw has assumed the tailback role after Scott's two early fumbles. It will be interesting to see who starts next week at Michigan.

-- True freshman right guard Stefen Wisniewski is seeing extensive time for the first time this season. Penn State policy doesn't normally allow freshman to talk to the media, but we'll try.

-- PSU is lucky it got two touchdowns at the end of the half. If this game was tied right now, I could imagine Buffalo coach Turner Gill giving an impassioned halftime speech and it having some credence.

-- Also, Wisconsin and the Citadel are tied at 21 at the half in Madison. Oh, Big Ten, where'd you go and where are you going?

Third quarter

PSU begins on the UB 49 after a Wallace returned. Nice tackle by the Bulls kicker, Gerry McGroarty. Kinlaw begins with another nice run, and Morelli throws a nine yard pass to fullback Matt Hahn. On a 3rd and one at the UB 30, Kinlaw runs for a first. Mike Lucian is now in at right guard. Morelli throws a 27 yard touchdown pass to Terrell Golden, who was wide open. This might be the easiest three touchdown performance in quite some time. 12:39 left in the third, PSU - 24, UB - 3.

Kinlaw has career highs in carries (17) and yards (91).

UB begins at its 17, south end zone side. Willy begins with a 29 yard pass. A second run is stopped by Lee and Dan Connor for no gain. Bulls face a third a four at the PSU 37, and convert. This just in, Mark Rubin, former wideout is in on the defensive backfield in place of Tony Davis. After a nine yard nice run by Starks, UB faces another third down. They get the first but now face a fourth down and UB is going for it with three wideouts to the left. Connor sacks Willy and PSU has the ball at its 37. 7:44 left in the third, PSU - 24, UB - 3.

Scott is back in at tailback and takes two consecutive hand-offs out to midfield. The Lions execute a nice deception play with Morelli faking hand-offs to both Scott and Williams then lofting the ball the Golden to the UB 5. First and goal. Scott run no gain. Morelli touchdown pass to Quarless, the second time they've connected. 5:24 left in the third, PSU - 31, UB - 3 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:20 on the scoring drive.

UB begins at its 20. Willy completes pass to Ernest Jackson who slipped a Justin King tackle and ran about 20 yards. Now at midfield. Rubin is still in. 3rd and eight fore th Bulls, three wide to the right. Scirrotto picks off a deflected Willy pass and returned way down to the UB 25. PSU offense stalls and Kelly misses a 46 yard kick. 1:43 left in the third, PSU - 31, UB - 3

UB with the ball now, and Starks rumbles for a first down. UB at its 42. Bulls face a 3rd and five at midfield heading the fourth quarter. PSU - 31, UB - 3

Wayne Staats, a Collegian writer helping us out today, will blog the fourth quarter.

As per tradition, "Hey Baby" signals the start of the last quarter and the last chance for UB to put one in the EZ.

Nice pass from Willy to Jackson for a first down at the PSU 39. Next play, out of the shotgun, another Bulls pass goes for 4 yards. Willy's next pass is just out of his WR;s reach. Lee just misses an interception as Willy gets a completion to bring up fourth-and-one. Pitch to Starks picks up the first.

From the PSU 29, Willy gets a pass deflected at the line. On second down, a 17-yard pass moves UB to the PSU 12 for a first down.

The Bulls move closer to the endzone when Starks takes the handoff down to the PSU 5. Starks takes the handoff again and runs in for the TD.
With 11:55 left in the fourth quarter, PSU-31 UB-10.

Williams take the kick and returns it 24 yards to the PSU 39. Kinlaw takes the handoff and gets 5 yards before getting tripped up. Kinlaw gets the first with a nice run to the UB 41.

On first down, Morelli passes to Williams for one yard. On a similar play on the opposite side of the field, Morelli's pass gets just out of the reach of Norwood to bring up third-and-10. PSU picks up the first with an 18-yard pass to Kinlaw down to the UB 22.

Kinlaw gets another carry to get down to the 17. A dump pass to Hahn nets a PSU first down at the 10. Hahn then takes the handoff for 4 yards. On second down, Kinlaw caps of his 100-yard rushing day with a 6 yard TD run.
With 8:07 left in the game, PSU-38 UB-10.

Kelly's kickoff is taken in the EZ, where UB returnman Hagg takes it to the PSU 48. Willy finds TE Rack for a first down.

With that, we head down to the field. Check back later for the full results.

Listen to this week's Football Podcast:

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Listen to audio from Joe Paterno's press conference with commentary by Kevin Horan.

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Listen to the Collegian's Notre Dame wrap-up football podcast:

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Last weekend, Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen was the freshman quarterback getting his first career start for a high-profile program.

This weekend, the attention will revolve around Michigan's Ryan Mallett. He'll get his first collegiate start against -- who else? -- the Fighting Irish. Both teams head into the game 0-2.

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr told the Associated Press today that Mallett will be the one to fill in for Chad Henne, the Wolverines' senior quarterback who was injured in the second half of Saturday's loss to Oregon. Check out the story.

According to the story, Carr is uncertain when Henne will return. There's a chance he won't be ready when Penn State plays its first road game of the season at Michigan Sept. 22.

-- Kevin

Amidst the sea of white strewn throughout Beaver Stadium Saturday, one familiar fan was present to remind fans to "eat fresh" at their tailgates.

Jared Fogle, famous for his commercials touting how he lost almost 300 pounds on a Subway diet, was in town on a promotion with Subway and the Big Ten Network, "talking healthy eating" with local school kids, he said in an exclusive interview with the Footblog.

Fogle was momentarily shown on the Beaver Stadium big screen, drawing yells of, "Hey, that's Jared!" or, "The Subway dude!" from the Nittany Lion faithful. Fogle's presence on the sideline certainly outshone that of former Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington or Penn State President Graham Spanier, who was asked to take the picture of two girls who had no idea who he was.

Fogle, however, was the center of attention. He took photos with adoring fans after the game, who bypassed greeting the Penn State football players who had exacted their revenge upon Notre Dame.

Fogle -- clad in a white Dan Connor jersey -- was one of the game's honorary co-captains and was making his first trip to Happy Valley.

Fogle, a graduate of Indiana University, said that Penn State takes the pigskin quite a bit more seriously than his alma mater, traditionally a basketball school.

"We don't have a football experience like this, that's for sure," Fogle said. "I'm amazed. It's awesome. And the students here just rock."

While Fogle doesn't have a completely bright outlook for his Hoosiers, he shares a different perspective for the Nittany Lions.

"Penn State's a great team," Fogle said. "You guys are gonna go pretty far this year."

- Joseph Dolan

Notre Dame's quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, didn't take too many shots down the field in the first quarter, preferring instead to try some short screen passes.

But it wasn't Notre Dame's offense that put seven points on the board. On Penn State's first drive, Anthony Morelli takes a shot down the field at Derrick Williams, only to have his pass intercepted by the Irish's Darrin Walls, who runs it back 73 yards for a touchdown.

Ultimately, Williams got his revenge. Toward the end of the quarter, he returned a Notre Dame punt for a touchdown, evening the score at 7-7.

That's where we stand at the end of the first quarter. This is Kevin, I'll be turning it over to Mark to take you through the second quarter here in Beaver Stadium.

Second quarter: Hey, guys. Mark here. For the record, let me say Clausen looks good -- very good -- in his first collegiate start. He hasn't wowed with his ability to throw the deep ball, but he hasn't even really attempted anything long. Instead, I came away from the first half being impressed by his moxy in the pocket. Very rare for someone his age.

Morelli finds Terrell Golden on a 9-yard pass, giving Penn State a first down on its own 39.

Rodney Kinlaw busts through the Notre Dame defensive line on a 2-yard gain, giving Penn State a first down on the Notre Dame 49. 12:14

On 3rd and 11, Morelli has a pass tipped out of bounds by Trevor Laws, a defensive end. 11:01

Notre Dame 1st and 10 from its own 10-yard line. 10:54

The fans are jumping. The press box is shaking. Aaron Maybin sacks Clasuen, on his blindside, to force 4th and 15. Notre Dame punts. Williams makes a fair catch on the Penn State 49. 8:54

Penn State is driving. Austin Scott just picked up a first down on a 6-yard run, giving the Lions a first down on the Notre Dame 13. Notre Dame just called a timeout. 7:23

Morelli connects with Jordan Norwood for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Kevin Kelly hits the PAT. 14-7, Penn State. 6:37

Notre Dame starts drive from 17-yard line. Clausen opens with 5-yard pass to David Grimes. 5:57

Notre Dame punts and Williams bobbles and nearly fumbles fair catch. Penn State will open a drive from its own 37. 5:03

On 3rd and 10, Morelli is sacked. Penn State is saved by a facemasking call, making it 3rd and 5 on the Penn State 42.

Morelli connects with Williams on 8-yard toss, giving the Lions a first down from their own 49.

Penn State loses 11 yards on busted reverse attempt.

Morelli way overthrows Scott. The Lions are forced to punt from their own 42. Notre Dame makes fair catch on its 10-yard line following Penn State's 48-yard punt. 1:12

Jerome Hayes sacks Clausen for 7-yard loss. It's now 2nd and 17 from the Notre Dame 3-yard line :53

Fans at Beaver Stadium let out a hearty cheer when Michigan's loss to Oregon today is announced.

Penn State forces 4th and 14. Notre Dame will kick from its 6-yard line. Williams is waiting near the 50-yard line. :34

Flushed from the pocket and trying to pick up some yards, Morelli fumbles on Penn State's 37-yard line. He was near the Penn State sideline, but didn't step out. Notre Dame will start on 44-yard line. :09

The remainder of the half is uneventful. At half, Penn State is winning 14-7. Quick observations from the half:

* Clausen, as I mentioned early, has done very well in his first start.
* The Notre Dame offensive line has done a tremendous job keeping the Penn State front seven at bay.
* The strong point for Penn State in this game has probably been its special teams. Honestly. Williams returned a touchdown. Kelly booted at least two kickoffs deep in the end zone, which is more impressive given the new kickoff rule.

Hey guys, Kevin here for the third quarter.

The 1982 national championship team was recognized during a ceremony at halftime. The players are congregating in the south end zone, shaking hands and posing for pictures with the Nittany Lion.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame's and Penn State's respective special teams players drift out onto the field, and The Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get it Started" plays over the stadium loudspeakers.

Penn State's special teams unit gives Penn State some good field position to start the second half, as A.J. Wallace returns the opening kick-off to the Notre Dame 27. On third down, however, Austin Scott gets the ball and is stuffed by the Irish defense.

Kevin Kelly's field goal gives Penn State a 17-7 lead on their first drive of the second half.

PSU 17, ND 7, 13:13 remaining in the third quarter

Notre Dame will take over on Penn State's 34-yard line. Clausen gets pressured, and continues to show his penchant for the short, quick screen passes. On second down, he shoots for John Carlson out over the middle, but Dan Connor breaks up the pass.

It's now 3rd and 11 and the crowd is on its feet. Out of the shotgun, Clausen has all the time in the world, and hits Will Yeatman. However, he's a little short of the first down.

On the punt, there's an illegal block in the back by Penn State -- the Lions will start at their own 10 yard line.

11:23 remaining, third quarter

On the first play of Penn State's drive, Austin Scott gets the ball and breaks free for a long run into Irish territory. The crowd loves it, and Zombie Nation begins to blast the airwaves.

A flag laying back at the 11-yard line cuts the song -- and the bouncing -- short. Apparently Gerald Cadogan was holding on the play, bringing Penn State back, half the distance to the goal.

Third and nine from the 11-yard-line: Morelli gets pressured and throws it to the sidelines, brining up fourth down. Jeremy Boone will come in to punt.

Tom Zbikowski gets the punt right before midfield, and runs it back to Penn State's 7-yard-line. It's been an up-and-down afternoon for the special teams on both the Irish and Lions.

9:07

Clausen's Irish offense gets the ball inside the red zone, but can't get anything going. On third down, he rolls out and throws an incomplete pass. Brandon Walker hits a field goal.

PSU 17, ND 10, 8:16 remaining in the third quarter

Morelli hits Chris Bell for a gain of 51 yards over the middle, putting Penn State down at the Irish eight-yard-line. First and goal.

On first and goal, Morelli drops back and looks for a receiver, but is sacked for a loss of five yards. At the end of the play, there's another Notre Dame injury timeout.

Note: Chris Bell's reception of 51 yards is the longest of his young career.

Penn State has a golden opportunity to open up a significant lead over Notre Dame here on third and goal. Morelli shoots for Deon Butler over the middle, who misses it. However, a pass interference penalty gives Penn State a fresh set of downs.

Let's see if they can capitalize.

The fresh set of downs didn't go to waste. Austin Scott soars over Notre Dame's defensive line and into the endzone. Kevin Kelly's point after is good.

PSU 24, ND 10, 4:47 remaining in the third quarter

Tonight's attendance is the second largest in Beaver Stadium's history -- 110,078 people, most of them donning white shirts -- decided to come to the game tonight.

Notre Dame's got the ball back. It's third down and one of the refs throws a flag for delay of game. They'll have 3rd and 15 from the 20.

Notre Dame gets hit with another flag before the play begins -- this time for a false start. Clausen rolls out and is hit from behind, but the play doesn't count. They'll try it again.

This time, Clausen's in the shotgun. He drops back and has plenty of time, and decides to run it up the middle. Dan Connor cuts his flight -- and Notre Dame's drive -- short. The Irish will have to punt.

On the punt, Bani Gbadyu gets flagged for roughing the kicker, giving Notre Dame an automatic first down. On the first play of the new drive, Clausen takes a shot down the field and completes a pass to Golden Tate, but the Irish are flagged for holding.

Notre Dame will have a first and 20 from its own 23 -- Clausen gets a pass to Carlson for a five-yard gain.

Clausen's offense gets pushed back even farther -- to the 17-yard-line -- after a Dan Connor sack. Notre Dame can't do anything on fourth down, so they'll bring out their special teams to try another punt.

Derrick Williams calls for a fair catch at the last possible second on the punt, but is hit by a Notre Dame defender. A ref throws a flag immediately.

These refs are getting a good workout.

Penn State will start at its 42.

That'll do it for the third quarter. Collegian sports editor Joe Dolan will take you through the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, until we go down to the field to watch the last few minutes of the game and talk to the players and coaches when it's all over.

End of third quarter, PSU 24, ND 10

"Hey Baby" introduces the fourth quarter, and also myself, Joe Dolan. I'll be with you for the quarter.

Penn State starts the first possesion of the final frame on the ND 47, with a first down.

Strange moment on the first play, when everyone assumed the play was over until Rodney Kinlaw decided to keep running. He gains nothing, however.

On second down, Morelli throws behind a wide-open Derrick Williams with pressure in his face. Penn State will have to punt as Morelli throws the ball away with no one open downfield.

Tom Zbikowski makes a fair catch at the ND 14, bringing Jimmy Clausen back out, and the defense emerges to "Enter Sandman."

ND's first play is a stuffed run, becoming a trend for Armando Allen. Clausen once again has time to throw on second down, but strong coverage in the PSU secondary and pressure from Jared Odrick forces him to throw it away. On third down, Clausen is railed by Sean Lee, forcing an errant throw.

Maurice Evans botches a rare interception attempt for a defensive end, and ND has to punt.

Williams dips and dodges his way into ND territory, but an illegal block by Dontey Brown will bring the Lion offense back past midfield.

On an interesting note, PSU assistant gymnastics coach Kevin Tan finished fourth in the 2007 Gymnastic World Chapionships, helping Team USA secure a spot in the Beijing Olympics.

The crowd reacts raucously to the announcement of the attendance. Once again, it's the second-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, behind only 2002's meeting with Nebraska.

On PSU's first play, Austin Scott continues his productive second half with a 12-yard scamper to midfield. He follows it up with a 9-yarder on the ensuing play, setting up a short second down try. He easily picks up the first down -- and 6 more yards -- running behind the left guard on the next handoff.

The Fighting Irish have another injury timeout, as defensive back Terrail Lambert gingerly walks off the field.

Matt Hahn keeps the PSU rush train going, picking up 11 on his first carry of the ballgame, down to the ND 23.

Paterno's offense keeps with Scott, gaining 7 yards and letting the clock -- now at 10:30 -- tick away. On second down, Scott gets 2 more, setting up third-and-one, on which Hahn plows forward for another fresh set.

Scott takes flight again on first, leaping to a 4 yard gain to the 8-yard line. It's obvious PSU doesn't want to be on the receiving end of another monumental Irish comeback, a la against Michigan State last year, as the clock continues to run.

Scott scores again, from 6 yards out, and Penn State now has a commanding leading. Kelly adds the extra point.

Penn State 31 - Notre Dame 10. 7:40 left in the game.

With that, we head down to the field, and we'll update as soon as the game ends. Thanks for reading.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- An eventful 24 hours is coming to a close. We're getting ready to head back to Penn State, but here's some things you should know about this town, in case you ever decide to trek out here:

+ The busiest time to take a tour of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, one of the more picturesque buildings on this campus, is during "Easter, Christmas and football weekends", according to Stephen J. Gorbitz, the Basilica's tour director.

+ Masses are held 30 minutes after football games. Gorbitz told us that many people actually leave games early in order to get to mass on time.

Here's a breakdown of our trip, by the numbers:

+ 94 -- ounces of caffeinated beverages consumed by the three of us on the way out here.
+ 480 -- miles driven
+ 103 -- combined hours, among the three of us, without showering.
+ 47 -- the number of chapels on campus.
+ 40 -- weight, in pounds, of a priest's vestment made from spun gold on display in the Basilica's museum.
+ 31 -- gallons of gas
+ 0 -- number of Notre Dame students in Notre Dame jerseys we saw during the 12 hours we spent here.

We'd like to thank Brian and Mike, Notre Dame's sports information directors, for being so accommodating -- and giving us a place to file stories.

That's it for us. Time to head back to State College and get ready for Saturday night's game.

Until then,
Kevin, Josh and Nate

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It's been a long night, but we're here on Notre Dame's campus to scout out this year's Fighting Irish football team -- the same one that will be stepping into Beaver Stadium Saturday at 6 p.m.

We'll be speaking with a couple Notre Dame players this afternoon before heading to practice to see how this Irish team is preparing to tackle the likes of quarterback Anthony Morelli and running back Austin Scott.

What is their offense doing to get ready for linebacker Sean Lee, who came up with seven tackles and a forced fumble against Florida International en route to Big Ten defensive player of the week honors?

After practice, Irish coach Charlie Weis will be giving us the low-down on this year's Irish team and his expectations for Saturday.

We'll also be talking with some locals here to see if the attitude about this year's Irish team has changed since they were bulldozed by Georgia Tech, 33-3, last Saturday.

The campus is pretty quiet right now, but one student we talked to said that there's some excitement to see what Notre Dame's freshman quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, can do against the Lions.

We hit a few snags on the 480-mile ride out here, including a 25-minute wait in traffic on westbound Route 322, a few miles outside of State College, while PennDOT workers cleaned up debris from a car that caught fire.

And we met some interesting people. A convenience store attendant in Clearfield -- about 40 miles from State College -- who told us that he's planning to watch this Saturday's Lions-Irish matchup while playing 'The Charlie Weis Game' -- participants take a sip of beer every time the television cameras focus on Charlie Weis.

I guess everybody has their own way of enjoying the game.

I'm Collegian football writer Kevin Horan, here alongside photo chief Nathan Smith and football editor Josh Moyer. Stay tuned for more updates from Notre Dame.

- Kevin

I had a class near East Halls around noon so I decided make a walk down Bigler Road to check out Paternoville afterward. As of 1 p.m., there were 58 tents and no celebrity sightings, unless you count a Red Bull car.

Most students there now arrived Tuesday night after hearing by word-of-mouth that the university and the Paterno Coordination Committee had agreed to let campers set up two days earlier than the normal midnight Thursday time.

Two Paternoville residents, cousins Dave and Zac Seidel, both freshman IST majors, arrived around 10 p.m. Tuesday and were set up about 10 rows back from earliest arrivers. They said that only about 10 new tent groups showed up since they did Tuesday night.

Another student, Stephen Ayres (senior-aerospace engineering) laid on his back in the shade and read a book in the 10-foot open area between the stadium gate and the first row of tents.

Ayres is among a group of 10 members of the Penn State Cross Country Club sharing a tent, but he's been at Paternoville more than any of the others. He's a self-described super senior and is only taking nine credits. "I have all the time in the world to sit out here," Ayres said.

At the same time, Joe Paterno was addressing The Quarterback Club, a group of alumni and monetary donors, in his weekly luncheon at Beaver Stadium.

One of those members, Tim Moir, who graduated from Penn State in 1983 with a degree in computer science, stopped by Paternoville on the way to his car to take a picture with his phone so he could let his friends know that the camp neighborhood "was up and running."

As for what Paterno said at the luncheon, Moir said, "What's said in Quarterback Club stays in Quarterback Club," but he added, "He basically says the same things he does in his press conferences and on his radio show. ... It's just a little more relaxed atmosphere than I see him in press conferences, though."

There ya go, that's the scene from Paternoville around noon today.

-- Corey

Listen to audio from Joe Paterno's press conference with commentary by Kevin Horan.

Click here to download the mp3 file.

Listen to the follow-up podcast from last weekend's game.

Click here to download the mp3 file.

The Penn State football team woke up bright and early Sunday morning to clean Beaver Stadium, a punishment Joe Paterno levied in the aftermath of an off-campus fight involving members of the team in April.

Some stadium workers told me that the team sent three bus-loads of players to the stadium at around 8 a.m. Sunday. The buses waited for the players, and within two hours, the stadium appeared to be clean and the players were gone.

Penn State's crew club and powerlifting club cleaned the stadium alongside the football team, according to Erin Regenfuss, club sports director. Team officials didn't allow reporters to enter the stadium for the cleanup, so I tried to contact the powerlifting and crew club presidents to find out what I could.

"We are not able to talk to newspapers or reporters regarding stadium cleanup after the football games because of the football teams [sic] involvement in the matter," Daniel Continenza, the president of the powerlifting club, said in an e-mail.

-- Kevin

Penn State did its part by defeating Florida International, but Notre Dame was crushed by Georgia Tech, and so on Saturday ESPN's College GameDay will be heading to Baton Rouge, La., site of the LSU-Virginia Tech game.

See the story here from lsusports.net.

-- Corey

Hello all,

As most -- if not all -- of you are aware, No. 5 Michigan lost to Appalachian State on Saturday in one of the biggest upsets in college football history. I was inside the media room watching the game on TV with some other reporters. (Thanks, Big Ten Network!) But as soon as Joe Paterno stepped on the dias, the TVs flicked off and we missed the very end.

The students on the concourse saw everything. And things got crazy. If you weren't in the stadium, here's what you missed.

Take care,
Mark

Good morning from Beaver Stadium. It's about an hour until kickoff and Penn State and Florida International just headed back to the locker rooms after warming up for a little bit.

There's not a cloud in the sky right now, and I was actually able to see the moon when I began the walk from my downtown apartment to the stadium. The student section is barely filled. Freshman/sophomore division has the early lead.

Also seen and heard on the way to the game:
* In the parking lot outside Holuba Hall, Derrick Williams' mom, Brinda, sporting a blue Penn State jersey with a white No. 2 and "Mom" on the back.

* A small but loud group of fans chanting not-so-nice things about Ohio State.

That's all for now, I'm going to head down to the field for a little while to check out the teams when they come out to warm up again. We'll be back around kickoff.

11:42 a.m.

Back up from the field. Here's some more pregame notes:
* Tight end Andrew Quarless was dressed in uniform, complete with ankle braces. Joe Paterno previously said he will not play this week. We'll see.
* Joe Dolan, one of our editors, muffed a punt that went astray on the sideline. It bounced into Derrick Williams' hands.
* Paterno did make it out to the field, right pant leg rolled up slightly higher than his left.
* PSU students chanted "Please don't fight us!" at FIU. I have a feeling the Golden Panthers are going to get that one all year.

12:05 p.m. - Kickoff

Student section attendance was looking pretty grim a few minutes ago. Now its about 2/3rd's full as the game begins. Rest of the stadium is pretty much filled up.

FIU won the toss and will get the ball first.

FIU's starting QB is Wayne Younger. PSU defense held the Golden Panthers to a three and out. Derrick Williams returned a punt to the FIU 44. 13:14 left, first quarter.

First PSU offensive play: Anthony Morelli swing pass to the right to Williams out of the backfield for a gain of three. Second play: Morelli hands off right side to Williams, loss of two yards. Third play: Morelli airs it out to Butler all the way down to the FIU six yard line. First and goal.

Austin Scott's first run of the season gains one yard. His second gains nothing. 3rd and goal. Morelli play action pass to a wide open Terrell Golden in the back left corner of the end zone. Quarless did not play. Mickey Shuler started in his place. PSU - 7, FIU - 0, 10:35 left, first quarter.

FIU's Singleton fumbled the kickoff return. PSU ball on the FIU 36. They go three and out, ending with an ugly screen pass attempt. Which makes me note, Rich Ohrnberger is starting at left guard, not Lou Eliades, who was listed as the starter on the depth chart earlier in the week.

New punter Jeremy Boone, trying to fill the shoes of Jeremy Kapinos, boots the punt into the end zone. PSU - 7, FIU - 0, 9:28 left in the first.

We got a break in the game here. I'm wondering how many people, if any, are reading this, so if you are, send me an email with a comment or something at cpm167@psu.edu so I know someone's out there.

FIU fumbles on third down. Linebacker Dan Connor recovers to put PSU offense on FIU 20. Another fumble, this time on a hand-off attempt by PSU, recovered by FB Matt Hahn. "Must be raining out there," someone in the press box just said.

Time out PSU, 8:36 left, first quarter.

3rd and seven pass from Morelli to Shuler for a 17 yard touchdown. It was his first career reception. Quarless who? PSU - 14, FIU - 0, 7:48 left first quarter.

FIU starts on their own 36 after the kickoff. On 2nd down, FIU QB Younger nearly escaped from the entire PSU defense. NOTE: A new and more viscous Lion growl noise over the PA system. Another punt for FIU, PSU ball on its own 20 after a Williams fair catch. 6:15 left, first quarter.

PSU passing game is certainly looking better than the run at this point. Don't know if its the new O-line getting to play in a game for the first time or what. PSU punt by Boone, a 53-yarder. FIU ball at its 24. 4:34 left, first quarter.

Another fumble by FIU. Younger is a redshirt freshman QB, and its showing. But just like that, he tosses a pass for FIU's first, first down. Oh wait, another fumble. Sean Lee just ripped the ball out of Younger's hands on a run. Recovered by Phil Taylor for PSU. NOTE: First Zombie Nation of the year. 3:00 left, first quarter.

After PSU offense stalls, Kevin Kelly is out to attempt a 51-yard field goal. Boone holding. It's a miss, wide right. FIU ball on its 34. They go three and out. This is a long first quarter. 1:23 left.

Morelli nice slant to Williams out to the FIU 45, gain of 14 on first down. Rodney Kinlaw fumbles -- ANOTHER ONE -- this must be some kind of record. FIU ball the PSU 49 as the first quarter ends. This is Corey, I'm going to turn the second quarter over to Kevin. I'll be back for the third.
End of first quarter, PSU - 14, FIU - 0

Thanks, Corey. FIU starts out the second quarter with the ball at midfield. Younger gets a wake up call, sacked by Maurice Evans, losing six yards on the play. On 3rd down, Jerome Hayes runs down Younger for a sack, forcing FIU back four yards and into a punting situation.

PSU ball, 13:35 to go.

Penn State starts out at their own 22, let's see what they can do in the second quarter. A.Q Shipley has a chat with the ref before the first play begins. Golden barely misses a pass in double coverage.

The Penn State student section finally seems to have filled up, just in time for Penn State to go three-and-out on their first drive of the second quarter.

A Jeremy Boone punt results in a personal foul penalty assessed to the Lions. FIU will begin at their own 42.

12:07

Sean Lee makes the first two tackles of FIU's drive. Before the third play can begin, FIU gets called for delay of game, pushing them back to 3rd and 16. Younger swings a screen pass out to Frierson for an 11-yard gain, but it's not enough to come up with the first down.

9:57

The public address announcer tells the crowd that Michigan is losing to Appalachian State, 21-14. The crowd loves it. We'll see if that lead lasts.

Penn State takes over at the 14. Scott takes it five yards. Mickey Shuler then makes his second catch of the game, 13 yards for a first down.

With 8:14 to go, Morelli connects with a wide-open Norwood for a gain of 29 yards.

Penn State's in the red zone now -- until Morelli sustains a sack from Newman for a loss of 8. Kevin Kelly will try his second field goal of the game, and makes the 45 yarder.

With 6:41 to play in the first half, Penn State leads, 17-0

The Nittany Lion decides to show how well his off-season workouts have been by busting out 18 one-armed pushups before Kevin Kelly's kickoff.

Singleton takes it out to FIU's 20.
Reams catches Youngers' pass and starts to run but is bulldozed by Navarro Bowman. Sean Lee breaks through to sack Youngers on the very next play.

Youngers can't catch a break. He's not getting any time to throw the ball and his receivers aren't able to get free of Penn State's secondary. FIU's forced to punt.

4:58

SEVENTH fumble of the game, this time by Jordan Norwood. He makes up for it on the next play, catching a pass over the middle for a gain of 29 yards. First and 10 on the FIU 14. Despite being shadowed by Singleton, Butler pulls in a 13-yard pass to give Penn State a first and goal. Austin Scott dives over a cluster of PSU and FIU players and into the end zone, Kevin Kelly's point after makes it 24-0.

2:39

The PA announcer once again gives some Big Ten scores. He mentions Ohio State and Northwestern's respective games -- both teams are winning. He gets to Michigan, which is still losing to Appalachian State, 21-14. Beaver Stadium's crowd digs it.

Owens comes up with a short pass from Youngers for a 13-yard gain before he's stopped by Scirrotto. FIU's moving now, with the clock ticking toward the end of the first half. Second down and two on the PSU 35.

Younger has an open receiver over the middle -- Owens -- but it goes through his hands. No matter. There's a flag for a personal foul on Penn State, moving FIU up to the PSU 20.

Youngers is in the shotgun, and drops back before getting paved by Dan Connor for a loss of 14 yards.They're forced to call a timeout with 1:03 to go in the half.

A few states to our west, Michigan's woes continue. The PA announcer tells us that Appalachian State is leading, 28-14. Mark thinks an Appalachian State win could turn the college football world upside down.

FIU finally cracks the red zone, but they're forced to try a field goal. It's blocked by Jared Odrick. The stadium starts shaking, as Zombie Nation blasts the airwaves for the second time of the young 2007 season.

0:46

Looks like PSU's going to try to take advantage of these last couple seconds. He takes a shot at Chris Bell that's incomplete. 41 seconds to go, Penn State has the ball on the 18. Kinlaw pulls away for a 16-yard run, and the clock continues to tick.

Morelli hits Norwood by the sideline for a gain of 23. From the shotgun, Morelli decides to make a run for it, going up the middle for five yards. They call their final timeout with five seconds to play.

With the ball on Penn State's 39, Morelli hits Shuler over the middle, but the clock expires. That's it for the first half. I'll be handing it off to Corey for the third quarter, but I'll see y'all again in the fourth.

The Footblog Halftime Report sponsored by no one.
Corey here again, Thanks to those of you who sent emails, even those who are in the press box with us. Keep 'em coming.

Here's the lowdown at halftime: Morelli had 231 passing yards in the first half, breaking a 10-year old school record for yards in a half (219) held by Mike McQueary. Morelli started and ended the half really well, connecting on a few nice passes to Jordan Norwood along the way. The defense has been dominating too, not letting the FIU offense into the red zone until the last minute of the first half. We'll be back for the third quarter in about 10 minutes. Lee had seven tackles and one sack.

Some fans might be interested in this score. App State - 28, Michigan - 17 at halftime.
From the Michigan Daily's live blog: "Michigan's defense can't handle a mobile quarterback, and the boo-birds are out and loud. The Mountaineers lead 28-17 and get the ball to begin the second half. To say this has gotten interesting is an understatement -- a loss is certainly not out of the question."

2nd half
Penn State starts on its own 20. Morelli two incomplete passes and PSU punts to Singleton (who apparently is FIU's entire team). Singleton then fumbles recovered by Navorro Bowman. PSU ball on the FIU 25. Oh wait, play is being reviewed. Play stands.

Morelli nice swing pass right to Norwood. 1st and goal at the 8 for PSU. Scott then has, to me, his first nice run of the day, an 8-yard TD run. He made one cut and headed to the end zone. PSU-31, FIU-0, 12:14 left third quarter

FIU with the ball on its 17 after the kickoff. They pick up a first down on third down, and haven't given up yet. PSU hasn't either, the defensive starters are still in. FIU can't convert on its second third down of the drive, and barely gets the punt off to Anthony Scirrotto. FIU was within the "halo" zone and gets a 15 yard penalty. PSU ball at its 40. 10:31 left in the third

Scott starts the drive with a 20-yard run. His last two runs covered more ground then he did in the first half. PSU now 3rd and 7 on the FIU 37. Morelli screen pass to Kinlaw way down to the FIU 15. Kinlaw follows that up with a 15 yard TD run. The earliest of early leavers from the student section are heading to the exits. PSU - 38, FIU - 0, 9:22 left, third quarter.

FIU begins on its own 30. Starting defensive backs and linebackers are still in. Chris Baker's in for Ollie Ogbu on the defensive line. Time out FIU on 3rd down, still on the 30. They don't convert and punt, this time to Williams, who takes it back a few yards stopping at the PSU 39. 8:51 left in the third

Morelli sacked for just the second time today. It's now 3rd and 24. Morelli dumps off to Kinlaw, PSU will punt. The pace of the game has slowed considerably. Boone with a beauty, no return, FIU first down on its 12. Colt Anderson in for QB for FIU. 6:27 left, third quarter.

PSU Defensive line's getting some good pressure, and FIU punts again, partially blocked by Bowman. I would think he's not too happy about not being the 3rd starting linebacker. He's been a special teams standout today, forcing a fumble earlier. Next play, Kinlaw 28-yard run down to the FIU one yard line. Two plays later, Morelli hits Matt Hahn for a play action touchdown pass. PSU - 45, FIU - 0, 4:34 third quarter.

We just got another email in from a reader. Glad we can provide some play-by-play for you seeing as the Big Ten Network and Comcast have yet to come to a carriage agreement. Keep the messages coming today and send any other questions or comments you have during the week to footblog@psu.edu. We'll answer them in a mailbag sometime this week.

FIU just went offsides. "Prior to the snap, the entire line moved," the referee announced to the stadium. 2nd and 19 for FIU on its 13. Its not looking like FIU's going to score until PSU lets some if its backup defensive players on the field. Williams with a nice punt return into FIU territory. PSU ball at the FIU 37. Looks like Morelli's done for the day. Daryll Clark in at QB, hands off to backup running back Evan Royster for no gain. Clark completes his first pass to Graham Zug. Royster is in the end zone after two consecutive runs, the last a 13-yarder. Colin Wagner, in for Kelly, knocks the point after through. PSU - 51, FIU - 0, 0:04 left in the third.

All right, that's all for me for game blogging. Kevin will be handling the fourth quarter until about five minutes left, when we're going to head down to field level to talk to the coaches and players post game.

Fourth Quarter
Thanks, Corey. Penn State will begin their drive at the FIU 16 after Penn State recovered a botched FIU punt return. With a break in between quarters, we get another Big Ten update, only to find out that Michigan is beginning to close in on Appalachian State, now trailing only 31-26 in the fourth quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Penn State tacks on another TD, this time by Dan Lawlor.

The Lions' lead is up to 59-0 with 14:55 to play.

FIU begins their first drive of the final quarter. Julian Reams gets the ball. He's been one of the bright spots for FIU on a dismal day.

After receiving FIU's punt, Penn State begins their drive deep in their own territory. On 3rd and 7, Clark rolls out and completes a pass to James McDonald for a gain of 10 yards and a first down.

Royster is getting a good chance here to show what he can do. He makes an 11-yard run up the middle to give Penn State another first down. Two plays later, he gets another carry -- this time for eight yards.

Pat Devlin is now in at quarterback as Penn State approaches midfield.

We're going to head down to the field now. Stay tuned for an update by Mark Viera after the game.

4:30 p.m. - Final score: PSU - 59, FIU - 0

Well, we're back up in the press box watching the grounds crew groom the field. Mood in post game was pretty light. Funny occurrences at the end of the game with the App State - Michigan game ending as players headed to the locker room and Paterno walked into the press room. Several players were definitely interested in what was going on. Morelli's head snapped to attention with the reaction of the crowds watching the Michigan game on televisions near the South end zone tunnel. Chris Bell almost ran me over to check the score.

Welp, check out the web updates and thanks for those who read along. Don't forget to send emails or questions to our mailbag. The paper edition is off until Tuesday, but check back here often. You never know what we're going to have.