Penn State Downs Illini 39 ?C 25, as Paterno Passes Pop Warner

Penn State's Joe Paterno passed coaching legend Pop Warner with his 320th Division I-A coaching victory as his Nittany Lions defeated Illinois 39-25 on Saturday. Coach Paterno now stands just 3 victories behind Alabama's Bear Bryant as the winningest major college coach of all time. Penn State improved to 3-5 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini dropped 3 of their last 4 contests to fall to 4-3, 1-3 in the Big Ten.

The story of the day was improved play by a young Nittany Lion football team and costly turnovers by the Fighting Illini. "As always, it was a game of turnovers," said Illinois head Coach Ron Turner. "It will never change; the team that turns it over (the most) never wins. We were focused, but we turned it over. We have been doing that all year and you can't win."

Penn State treated the 81st Homecoming crowd of 96,475 at sunny Beaver Stadium to a wire to wire victory. The Lions put together two scoring drives in the first quarter, each capped by an Eric McCoo touchdown, one by land - a seven-yard sweep, and one by air - a fourteen-yard screen pass. McCoo would finish the day with 13 carries for 43 yards and 2 catches for another 51 yards.

Illinois would only answer with a field goal in the first period, and the Lions were able to build up some momentum and much needed confidence, heading in the second quarter up 14 -3.

Although Illinois would outscore Penn State 7 - 0, on an 8-yard pass from Kurt Kittner (29 for 49, 326 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) to Greg Lewis, the second period was one of missed opportunities for the Fighting Illini.

As time was winding down in the first half, the Illinois defense would come up with a huge play to stop PSU on fourth and inches at the Illinois 20 yard line. Kurt Kittner would then lead his team up field to the PSU 18. After the drive stalled, Penn State's Derek Wake blocked Steve Fitts' 35-yard FG attempt. The Illini defense would again show their mettle by holding Penn State to three and out. After taking over on their own forty, the Illini would drive to the PSU 12, on an 11 play drive, only to see a 29 yard FG attempt by Steve Fitts sail wide left. The half ended with Penn State clinging to a 14 - 10 lead, and the Fighting Illini wondering what might have been.

The good news for Illinois was that they would start with the ball in the second half. The bad news is that their first drive of the half would end in disaster, when a Kurt Kittner pass was intercepted by Shamar Finney and returned 49 yards for a touchdown, putting Penn State up 21 - 10.

This Illinois team would not give up, however, and the Illini used only 2:31 seconds to answer, driving the ball 80 yards in seven plays. The score came on a 55-yard TD pass from Kittner to Greg Lewis (6 catches for 89 yards, 2 TDs). Illinois would convert the two-point PAT attempt on a swing pass to Rocky Harvey (16 carries, 89 yards), to draw within three points - PSU 21 - Illinois 18.

Scoring for the third period would end with a 51 yard FG by Penn State's Ryan Primanti, keeping him perfect for the year and providing his teammates with an emotional boost to ride into the fourth period.

Down 24 - 18 in the fourth, the Illini needed a break, which appeared in the form of a Rashard Casey fumble, which was recovered on the Illinois 34 yard line. Keeping in theme with the day however, Penn State's Bhawoh Ju would intercept a Kittner pass a mere three plays later and return it 31 yards to the Illinois 15 yard line. Two plays later Rashard Casey would put the ball up in the end zone, for Kenny Watson to make a leaping, 15-yard scoring grab.

Illinois would score once more to pull within seven points, with PSU up 32 - 25, but Rashard Casey was not to be denied this victory. Penn State would take over with 5:41 left in the game, and needing to run the clock down. An incomplete pass to Drummond and a short Larry Johnson run made it 3rd and 6 from the PSU 24. Giving the ball back now to a potent Illinois offense that racked up 472 net yards on the day was not a prospect Casey wanted to contemplate. Instead Casey connected with Eric McCoo for 37 yards and a valuable first down.

During the ensuing set of downs, things got a little crazy in Happy Valley. On second and ten at the Illinois 39 yard line, and up by seven with just minutes left, Rashard dropped back to pass and was chased toward the Penn State sideline. Everyone in the stadium, from Paterno to the ball boy, was screaming at Casey to throw it away. "I was swearing at him for taking a loss," said Paterno after the game with a smile. "When he took off and was losing ground, and taking us out of FG range, I was ready to kill him." Then Rashard gave everyone a homecoming treat with a highlight reel, sideline to sideline, quarterback scramble and a 39 yard run down the right sideline into the Illinois end zone for the game's final and decisive touchdown.

"Yeah, I heard him (Paterno) say throw it away," said Rashard, "and I had it ready to throw away, but I thought that if I could just get by those two guys on the sideline, I could make something happen." The rest, as they say, is history. (Click here to see Rashard's spectacular TD run.)

Captain Justin Kurpeikis said the Nittany Lions needed to come out and prove something. "When I was going to bed last night, I was thinking about this game and how I would not only be playing for myself, my family and my pride, but also for our Alumni who have never had to watch a 2 -5 Penn State team on homecoming. I wanted this for them." Mission accomplished Justin, mission accomplished.

Penn State now leads the series 9-1, victorious in the last seven meetings between the two schools. The Nittany Lions have won each matchup since they joined the Big Ten in 1993. This weekend Penn State travels to the RCA Dome in Indianapolis to take on the Indiana Hoosiers and their brilliant quarterback, Antwaan Randle El. Illinois takes on the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing on Saturday.