Late first-half TD is big
UNIVERSITY PARK - Almost everything went wrong for Penn State in the first half Saturday, but amazingly, the game was tied at 10 after a Nittany Lion TD in the closing seconds.
"We didn't have very much momentum going in the first half," running back Evan Royster said, "and that drive at the end of the half kind of got us going and showed us that we could move the ball on the defense and just kind of beat them up a little bit."
The Lions drove 70 yards in only 45 seconds at the end of the half to pull even. Daryll Clark hit Royster on a screen pass, and Royster found the end zone from 13 yards out with six seconds to go.
Hoosier coach Bill Lynch went ballistic on the sideline, screaming at officials that PSU right guard Lou Eliades was holding on the touchdown. Replays were inconclusive if Eliades did indeed hold or the Indiana defender slipped.
"A lot of times when we run screen passes it looks like a hold," Royster said. "But really it's tough for a guy to get off [a block] when he's going backwards and trying to make a play at the same time."
Penn State had taken over at its own 30-yard line with just 51 seconds left after Indiana's Nick Freeland missed a 47-yard field goal. Receiver Curtis Drake took a reverse 26 yards, and the Lions got 15 more on a face mask penalty that put them at the Hoosier 13.
"That was huge," center Stefen Wisniewski said of the TD. "We really needed that, just for a morale boost and to get the crowd back into it."
Clark had thrown two interceptions, and the Lions had lost two fumbles, yet they were even going into the locker room.
"We just had to eliminate all the stupid mistakes that I did at the beginning of the game," Clark said.
* Beachum, Powell injured
Backup running back Brandon Beachum may have been lost for the season with a right knee injury suffered on the second-half kickoff.
"It looks like he has a pretty serious knee injury," Joe Paterno said.
Jerome Hayes fumbled the kickoff, and Beachum took a hard hit going for the ball. The sophomore was helped off the field and put no weight on his right leg.
Beachum had been getting more playing time when Stephfon Green was out with an injury, but Green has since returned. Beachum carried twice for 4 yards.
Receiver Chaz Powell suffered a right shoulder injury when he ran a reverse on PSU's second play from scrimmage. His shoulder was bandaged on the sideline.
"I think Powell's OK," said Paterno, who added the receiver will be week-to-week.
Cornerback A.J. Wallace was helped off the field with what appeared to be a head injury early in the game but did return to action.
* Hoosiers lose another one
Indiana has had a way of giving away leads all season in compiling a 4-7 record.
"It's a game of who executes the best in critical situations," Lynch said. "There were some chances that we had, and we just didn't do it. Am I disappointed for the kids? Absolutely."
Quarterback Ben Chappell completed 32-of-51 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Damarlo Belcher caught nine passes for 95 yards and a score, while Bryan Payton led the ground game with 30 yards on nine carries. Indiana finished with 346 yards of offense, to PSU's 375.
"We weren't worried," Chappell said of his teammates when they were up 10-0. "We were happy. We were thinking we could move the ball on these guys. We knew we could move it on them going into it, and we did it."
* Senior day memories
QB Daryll Clark: "The emotions hit me when we got on the bus when we were over at Lasch [Building]. The bus was going a little slower than usual, and all of it just sort of hit me - the whole season, last year's season, the whole Penn State career." When the bus arrived at the stadium, "I definitely got a little emotional then."
LB Sean Lee: "I was just excited. We all wanted to go out on a great note. It was just so fun to play at this stadium, this university, with these fans, and just thinking of past memories made things so fun for me."
LB Josh Hull: "I was sitting in the locker room, like just sitting there because I didn't want to leave. It is the last time I am going to be in there."
DT Jared Odrick: "It was a lot of emotion, but it really hasn't hit me yet that it was my last [home] game. I'll probably realize that I'm not going to be able to play here again when I'm coming back as an alumni."
* Hayes still undecided
Fifth-year defensive end Jerome Hayes might be able to play another season if he applies for and receives a medical hardship. Hayes has had two seasons cut short by knee injuries.
"I haven't made the decision yet," Hayes said. "It's something I'm going to sit down with my family over Thanksgiving break and really discuss the pros and cons. ... [Coming back is] definitely something that I will consider."
Hayes was announced along with the rest of the seniors before the game. He said he wanted to enjoy his senior day moment just in case he doesn't decide to return.
"I didn't want to miss this moment," he said.
* JoePa: Late pass a mistake
Clark tried a long pass to the end zone on PSU's last possession, with the Lions leading 31-20, and Paterno said the quarterback made a mistake on the play.
"I wasn't happy," JoePa said. "[Clark] was told to run it. We wanted to waste a few more seconds ... and he got carried away. He saw a guy open, and he threw it."
* Pannell in at left guard
With Johnnie Troutman out with a thigh injury, DeOn'tae Pannell moved from tackle to make his first start at left guard. Pannell started the first four games of the season at right tackle.
"For his first game - at guard, there's a lot to learn and a lot to react to - I thought he did a good job," left tackle Dennis Landolt said.
The Lions struggled with Indiana's pass rush early, then settled down. They rushed for 181 yards - 140 in the second half - and didn't give up a sack.
"Toward the second half, we started run-blocking pretty well," Landolt said.
