| Shamar Finney with a key interception early in the game. |
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - It is official - the football firm of Mills, Johnson, & Johnson is now open for business. Bryant Johnson grabbed ten catches, eclipsing his former best of eight, for 132 yards and a score, Tony Johnson caught four passes for 71 yards and a score, and Mills, last week's Big Ten offensive player of the week, passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another. Mills & Co., under the guidance of Chairman of the Board Joe Paterno, sparked Penn State to a 38-14 win over Conference USA opponent Southern Mississippi.
The win marks the first three-game winning streak for the Nittany Lions since being 9 ââ'¬" 0 during the 1999 season. Southern Miss is the only team from the State of Mississippi that Penn State has ever played, and the Lions now lead the all-time series 2-0.
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Paterno was pleased with the team's results, saying he knew the offense would eventually taste success. "I kept telling everyone we were a good football team," Paterno said. "They have had success, and now they look forward to practice."
Southern Miss head coach Jeff Bower said the difference-maker was Mills, who broke Todd Blackledge's freshman school record of 1,037 yards passing. "The quarterback makes them go ââ'¬" I think Joe's got himself a good player," Bower said. "He must be a tremendous leader, because since he's been playing, they've been a different team." On the season, Mills has 1,260 yards passing.
Southern Miss struck first when Dawayne Woods sprinted 19 yards for the game's first touchdown midway through the first quarter. The eight-play, 58-yard scoring drive briefly silenced the Beaver Stadium Homecoming crowd of 106,158, but just four minutes later Omar Easy capped an 80-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.
Easy's touchdown marked the first time this year that Penn State has scored a touchdown in the first quarter.
| With game at 10 - 7 Fran Ganter breaks it open with a fake FG call. |
Penn State's next opportunity came when Bob Jones tipped a Jeff Kelly pass at the line of scrimmage and Shamar Finney made the interception, returning it 16 yards to the Southern Miss 27-yard line. Penn State cashed in with a Robbie Gould field goal from 32 yards, giving Penn State a 10-7 lead. The score marked the first time the Lions have held a first half lead this season.
Assistant Head Coach Fran Ganter has given Penn State a new look employing the shotgun and occasionally running the option this year. In the second quarter against the Golden Eagles he threw in yet another wrinkle when Mills could only drive the offense to the Southern Miss 8-yard line. Penn State lined up for a 25-yard field goal -- Mills took the snap, picked it up, and darted through the line for the touchdown and a 17-7 lead. The TD by Mills was the first fake field goal for a touchdown since Joe Nastasi turned the trick in 1995 against Michigan.
The Lions have generated positive momentum and with increased confidence, things go their way more often than not. With just 1:48 left in the first half, Mills drove Penn State 72 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown, connecting on six of eight passes for 44 yards, including one for the score. The touchdown pass deflected off the shoulder pads of intended receiver Tony Johnson and Bryant Johnson collected the TD as he tiptoed the end line. Penn State was in control at the half leading, 24-7.
Bryant Johnson had his 4th 100-yard receiving game of the season, marking the first time since 1997 that a Penn State player has had four 100-yard receiving games in a season (Joe Jurevicius).
Just 1:23 into the third quarter Mills connected with Tony Johnson on a 42-yard post for the touchdown, giving Penn State a comfortable 31-7 edge. Six plays later, Penn State scored again when Larry Johnson blocked Mark Haulman's punt, from the Eagle 40 yard line, and took it in himself for the score, extending Penn State's lead to 38-7.
| Zack Mills scores on a fake FG from the 8-yard line. |
Penn State has blocked six kicks this season (three FG, two punts, one PAT). The Lions have now recorded two touchdowns off of blocked punts in the same season for the first time since 1977, when the Lions scored three touchdowns off of blocked punts. Larry Johnson has returned both blocked punts for touchdowns (Iowa, Southern Miss).
Southern Miss fought back late in the game, but it was too little too late. Woods scored his second touchdown with 14:47 to play, and added another with just under two minutes remaining. The Golden Eagle's two-point conversion pass fell incomplete following the second score, wrapping up the scoring at 38 - 20.
Paterno says bowl talk is premature at this point in the season. "We need to win some football games before we even think about that," Paterno said. "We have a long way to go." Not to disagree with the Chairman, but these Lions are definitely headed in the right direction.
Penn State next returns to Big Ten play at Illinois. Southern Miss also returns to conference play, after an off week, hosting C-USA rival Tulane.
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