Meyer denies report about PSU job
UNIVERSITY PARK - Urban Meyer didn't want to discuss the subject at length but did deny an Internet story that surfaced Friday stating he could be Penn State's next head coach.
Meyer, on hand to do color commentary for ABC, was not available for comment when the Mirror tried to speak with him at halftime. Before the game, however, he encountered a couple of reporters in the parking lot and gave them a brief comment.
"There's no truth to the rumor," the former Florida coach told a reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
(UPDATE: Penn State athletic director Tim Curley did not respond to a text message from the Mirror on Saturday seeking to confirm if a meeting with Meyer took place. Sunday morning he was reached by the Harrisburg Patriot-News and said: "It's not true. It's not true. I'm not going any further with that, OK?")
The Internet blog SportsRappUp quoted a source close to Meyer saying the coach "would love to have that [Penn State] job" and that school officials had contacted him about it in September.
QB competition gets one-sided
Rob Bolden started for the sixth consecutive game Saturday, but he played only two series and watched Matt McGloin lead the PSU offense the rest of the day. Bolden played the opening series and guided the Lions to a field goal, then played the second series of the second half.
Based on that, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno was asked if anything has changed in the competition.
"Not right now, no. I wouldn't think so," he said. "It's just kind of the way it played out. It wasn't anything intentional."
McGloin was 12-of-19 for 133 yards with one TD. He also threw one bad interception on third-and-5 at the Iowa 6-yard line with PSU leading, 6-3, late in the third quarter. He tried forcing a ball to Derek Moye in the back left of the end zone, threw off his back foot, underthrew the pass and had it picked off by Micah Hyde.
"I threw it up for grabs, and if it was a half a yard higher it was either a touchdown or a pass breakup, and unfortunately it wasn't," McGloin said.
Despite that, McGloin said he was "happy with my performance." The overwhelming sentiment lately from media and fans has been for him to start instead of Bolden, but McGloin noted he doesn't pay attention to that.
"Not really because it really doesn't have an effect on my performance or Rob's performance," he said. "I mean, if you guys were saying, 'Matt stinks,' it really wouldn't have an effect on the way I play the football game."
Bolden was just 3-of-7 for 31 yards and got lucky on two completions. One went through the hands of an Iowa defender and right to Joey Suhey, and another hit off the referee's foot and bounced right to Andrew Szczerba.
"I wish I could have played more, but all in all it's a team game, and we got the 'W,'" Bolden said. "Whether it was [McGloin] or I, we got the ball down the field and got the six points, and that's the only thing that matters."
The Joe watch
For the third straight game, Joe Paterno coached from the sideline in the first half and joined his assistants in the press box after intermission.
Paterno said earlier in the week he intended to coach the entire game from the field for the first time this year. That changed when he shifted suddenly to avoid an early collision, aggravating his back and leg.
"They almost ran over me once, and I made a couple quick moves to get out of the way," he said. "I thought, 'Oh, geez,' then I pulled my whole back and the back of my leg."
He said he doesn't want to be in the way, and he told the team at halftime, "Turn it up one notch, and I'll get out of your hair."
He admitted afterward, "I'm hurting more now than I have in a week," but added, "I'll be all right [Saturday night]."
Paterno was saddened by the passing of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, who died Saturday at the age of 82.
The two grew up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood. In fact, Davis offered Paterno the Raiders' offensive coordinator's job in 1962, shortly after Paterno had gotten married.
"I think I was making 6,000 bucks," JoePa said. "He was going to triple my salary and give me a car; I didn't have a car. Sue was happy I didn't go, and so Al called her and told her she's holding my career back. I called him back and said, 'Leave Sue out of it. I just don't want to take the job.'"
When Davis pressed, Paterno told him, "Al, you and I would have trouble getting along." Davis wondered why, and Paterno said, "Because I'm smarter than you are, and you'll never admit it."
Paterno laughed at the memory. He said he remained in touch with Davis over the years and had dinner with him in California "when [Tom] Flores was coaching [the Raiders]."
Not a typical Iowa team
It looks like it could be a tough year for the Hawkeyes, who didn't look good in dropping their Big Ten opener.
"In our program none of us have claimed that we've done anything significant," said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who's now 8-3 against Joe Paterno. "We haven't climbed any mountains yet."
The Hawkeyes, who were coming off a bye, used the no huddle at times but didn't stick with it. James Vandenberg was 17-of-34 for 169 yards and two interceptions, while Marcus Coker led the ground attack with 74 yards on 18 carries.
Ferentz was asked if his team has an identity yet and said, "Well, two weeks ago we did - the no huddle. But now we're looking for another one. But we're going to be OK. We're going to be an OK football team."
Ferentz said he did notice extra intensity on Penn State's part after Iowa has dominated the series for the past decade.
"I definitely noticed today," he said. "Their team played hard. That's no surprise. But they really played at a good tempo."
Green returns to action
Running back Stephfon Green saw his first action of the season after being suspended for a number of offenses, with the only known misstep being a charge of furnishing alcohol to minors.
When those charges surfaced Sept. 8, Paterno said he wasn't aware of the incident and that Green had been serving a suspension from the team for other reasons.
Green played sparingly - his only touch resulted in a loss of 4 yards on a screen pass - and Silas Redd said Green told him he was hoping to play more than he did.
"He was a little frustrated he didn't get in as much as he wanted, but I told him you got to start somewhere," Redd said. "Even with everything he's gone through, he doesn't wear it on his sleeve. It doesn't seem to faze him."
Offensive coordinator Galen Hall said Green has paid his penance.
"I just think Stephfon had an unfortunate couple circumstances," Hall said. "He made some wrong decisions. Joe has made him know that. He's paid his dues and did what he needed to do in Joe's eyes."
(Compiled by Cory Giger, Neil Rudel and Josh Langenbacher)
