| Score by Quarters | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Score |
| Akron | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Penn State | 21 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 48 |
| Scoring Summary | ||
| 1st | 11:32 | PSU - Tony Hunt 77-yard run (Gould kick) |
|
6:43 | AKRON - Jason Swiger 27-yard field goal |
|
0:50 | PSU - Zack Mills 5-yard run (Gould kick) |
|
0:36 | PSU - Zack Mills 18-yard pass from M. Robinson (Gould kick) |
| 2nd | 11:07 | PSU - Austin Scott 1-yard run (Gould kick) |
|
2:21 | PSU - T. Phillips 17-yard pass from Zack Mills (Kick Failed) |
|
0:50 | PSU - M. Robinson 10-yard pass from Zack Mills (Gould kick) |
| 3rd | 10:18 | PSU - Austin Scott 3-yard run (Gould kick) |
| 4th | 6:17 | AKRON - Brett Biggs 1-yard run (Swiger kick) |
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - There was a time when Penn State and Joe Paterno
would react to a lopsided season-opening victory over a lightly regarded
opponent with a shrug.
But these are different times for the Nittany Lions and their legendary
coach, who are trying to put back the pieces of a program that last season came
apart like never before during the Paterno era.
So when Akron and its highly touted quarterback, Charlie Frye, came
to Beaver Stadium yesterday on a sun-splashed afternoon, the pressure on Penn
State was twofold: The Nittany Lions had to win - and look pretty darned good
in the process.
And in just about every facet of the game, they did, responding with a
48-10 blasting of the Zips in a nonconference game that was decided by halftime,
when Penn State had a 41-3 lead.
"The key was to win this big this early and get some confidence," quarterback
Zack Mills said. "It was huge that we played that well. It builds up everyone's
self-esteem."
After going 3-9 last year, Penn State needed a feel-good start, and got
it when sophomore running back Tony Hunt raced 77 yards on the second play from
scrimmage for the first of seven scores on the Nittany Lions' initial seven possessions.
"We were very anxious to get going after hearing so many people
say we're not good anymore and that Joe has lost it," said Hunt, who ran
for 137 yards on eight carries. "We couldn't wait to get out there."
By halftime, Mills had done something no player, in Paterno's 39 seasons
as head coach, had ever done before - he scored touchdowns running, passing and
receiving.
"That's pretty weird, isn't it?" Mills said of his unique
accomplishment. "You'd think Mike would have been the first guy to do that."
Mills was referring to Michael Robinson, the splendid junior who is widely
recognized as the team's best and most versatile athlete. With Penn State holding
a 14-3 lead after touchdown runs by Hunt and Mills, Robinson went in at quarterback
while Mills lined up in the slot and took off on an out-and-up route. Robinson
lofted a perfect pass, and Mills ran under it in the corner of the end zone for
an 18-yard catch.
"I turned just before I went up, saw the ball, and just kept
praying that I'd catch it," Mills said. "'Just catch it,' that's what
I kept saying to myself. Luckily, I did. Mike made a great throw."
Late in the half, Mills returned the favor, tossing a 10-yard touchdown
pass to Robinson.
"We've got to have Zack and Mike on the field and make sure both
have a lot to say about the games," said Paterno, who praised his
team for its alertness and enthusiasm, qualities that were frequently missing
last season. "I was looking for a bunch of kids to come out and go after
things."
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On both sides of the ball, they did. The Nittany Lions piled up 352 yards rushing and 545 yards in total offense. They had scoring drives of 79, 70, 92, 70, 80 and 78 yards.
Sophomore Austin Scott, the high school sensation from Allentown, collected 116 yards on 11 carries, including touchdown runs of 1 and 3 yards. Hunt and Scott became the first Penn State running backs to rush for more than 100 yards in the same game since Ki-Jana Carter and Mike Archie did it against Maryland in 1993. Afterward, Scott said Hunt started ahead of him because he missed a team meeting and was late for another.
Mills completed 9 of 11 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson completed 3 of 4 passes and had 35 yards on three catches. Paterno played four quarterbacks, including highly regarded freshman Anthony Morelli, who was 2 for 6.
"I felt 100 percent comfortable out there," said Mills, whose career has had dramatic highs mitigated by hard times. "That goes back to last winter, when we said, 'OK, we need to regroup here.' It's the little things that matter."
Penn State also had its way on defense, keeping the prolific Frye out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter and holding Akron to 295 total yards. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior completed 29 of 36 throws for 223 yards, but he was intercepted twice by Anwar Phillips and held without a touchdown pass. Frye is the top returning player in college football in total offense and is regarded as a potential first-round NFL draft pick.
Overall, Penn State's special teams looked sharp. Scott Paxson, the junior tackle from Roman Catholic High, blocked a field goal.
"It was nice to go into the locker room after a game and see a lot of smiling faces," Paxson said. "We didn't see much of that last season."
Notes: Dan Connor, the freshman linebacker from Strath Haven, made his first college tackle count, stopping receiver Domenik Hixon for a 1-yard loss on third and 10 at the Penn State 14-yard line. Connor had five tackles and was one of four true freshmen to see action. Among them was Elijah Robinson, a defensive tackle from Woodrow Wilson in Camden. He had one tackle... . Penn State will visit Boston College on Saturday night. The game will be carried by ABC Sports.