September 2, 2012 at 1:37 PM

Penn State defensive end Pete Massaro saw game action for the first time in almost two years during the Nittany Lions' loss against Ohio on Saturday, but the senior still isn't at full strength.

Massaro, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2011 and missed all of last season with the injury, said after the game that he continues to suffer from a condition called chronic tendinosis and that it limited him significantly during fall camp.

Massaro was hampered against the Bobcats, too, registering just one tackle on the afternoon. He hopes he can be close to 100 percent for next week's game at Virginia and said doctors are trying a variety of treatments to help him heal up as quickly as possible.

"It's been steadily progressing and I'm glad that we caught what was going on before it got too bad to fix," Massaro said. "I just have to keep my calm and try not to get frustrated."

Massaro registered 37 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks during his last healthy season in 2010. He begins this season in a position battle with Deion Barnes for a starting defensive end job. With Massaro limited on Saturday, Barnes came up with Penn State's only sack of the day, which earned him praise from his injured teammate.

"He had a great day," Massaro said. "He's really picked it up the last few weeks and what not. But he's done well. He's a great player. He's going to be a star."

Ultimately, Massaro wants to be in the action himself, though. Until then, he's maintaining a positive attitude.

"It's just another trial, something I'll have to deal with and like I said, we're kind of throwing every treatment we have at it at this point, so hopefully it's going to be fine very soon," Massaro said.