FanHouse RodneyKinlaw

With their 24-17 victory in San Antonio over Texas A&M last night, Penn State not only gave Joe Paterno his record 23rd bowl game victory, but it also opened a new window to what we should expect from the Nittany Lions next season. Rejoice, Penn State fans. The Anthony Morelli Errror Era is over!

On Saturday night the Nittany Lions reintroduced a facet of their offense they've been missing since Michael Robinson led Penn State to an Orange Bowl victory in 2006 over Florida State: a mobile quarterback.

Part of Penn State's game plan going in was to get junior quarterback Daryll Clark involved in the offense, and they did just that. Clark didn't throw any passes during the game, but he did rush the ball six times for 50 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown that tied the game at 14-14.

Also, while senior Rodney Kinlaw led the Lions in rushing with 143 yards, it was freshman Evan Royster who broke free for a 38-yard touchdown that would prove to be the difference in the game.

So heading into 2008 there's a lot to be optimistic about in Happy Valley. Yes, the defense must deal with the loss of Dan Connor, but Penn State is Linebacker U, so I feel safe in my assumption they'll find somebody to fill that void. They also face the possible loss of corner Justin King, who is yet to decide whether or not he's going to return for his senior season.

Still, given the fact that Michigan may drop off a bit next season as they get accustomed to Rich Rodriguez's new offense there's an opening at the top of the Big Ten. It's not going to be easy because Ohio State will still be Ohio State, and the rest of the Big Ten continues to improve, but at this point a conference title and BCS berth should be the NIttany Lions goal going into next season.

With Clark under center, and Royster toting the rock, it's a goal that's very much within reach.

If anybody was worried about the Penn State ground game after the indefinite suspension of tailback Austin Scott, I don't think they need to worry anymore. Scott, you may have heard, has been suspended indefinitely by the school for allegedly raping a girl in his apartment a few weeks ago. Just another fun story to throw on the Penn State pile this season, right there on top of Anthony Scirrotto's drunken fighting, and JoePa's busy middle fingers.

The Nittany Lions were able to rack up 221 yards on the ground on Saturday, as they buried the Wisconsin Badgers 38-7 in Happy Valley. The 221 rushing yards against Wisconsin came just a week after the Nittany Lions ran for 256 yards against Iowa. So in two games without Scott, Penn State is averaging 238.5 yards a game after averaging only 164.2 yards a game with him in the backfield.

The reason for their success has been the 5'9 senior Rodney Kinlaw. After only carrying the ball only 80 times for 326 yards his first three years in Happy Valley, Kinlaw has compiled 283 yards the last two weeks alone. Including the 115 yards and touchdown he had against Wisconsin on Saturday.

Kinlaw's not alone either, as freshman Evan Royster has played well in Scott's absence as well. Royster rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown of his own against Wisconsin, as the Nittany Lions are finding a lot of options in their backfield. Which is a very good thing, because every time Anthony Morelli takes a snap and hands it off to a running back, it's one less time Morelli will throw the ball. Something that's sure to make a lot of Penn State fans sleep better at night.

Last Friday Brian Cook told you that the Nittany Lions would be without running back Austin Scott on Saturday because of what was apparently a sexual assault Scott may or may not have been involved with.

Well, whether he was or not, the school has suspended Scott indefinitely.

Penn State running back Austin Scott's future with the program remained unclear Monday after his indefinite suspension by coach Joe Paterno said.

Scott was suspended Friday for violating an unspecified team rule, Paterno said. The 6-foot, 222-pound senior from Allentown, Pa., did not dress or play against Iowa on Saturday, a 27-7 victory for the Nittany Lions.

This is the last thing Joe Paterno needs at Penn State, as it follows an off season centered on Anthony Scirotto and other players getting into a fight at an off campus apartment.

Of course, what Scott's being accused of is far worse than a couple of drunk college guys getting into a fight.

As far as how the Nittany Lions will handle this on the field, Rodney Kinlaw seems more than capable of filling Scott's shoes. Kinlaw rushed for 168 yards on 28 carries for Penn State in their victory over Iowa.

If Penn State is going to be a legitimate contender for the Big Ten title this season, they're going to need more than just an improved Anthony Morelli to do so. With last year's workhorse Tony Hunt now in training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles, Austin Scott will finally get a chance to prove he's the running back everyone thought he was in high school.

Scott was the biggest name of Penn State's 2003 recruiting class, but things haven't worked out quite the way everybody thought they would. His time in Happy Valley so far has been spent standing on the sidelines watching Tony Hunt do all the work. He's rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career at Penn State, but those were supposed to be yearly totals, not lifetime.

Well, this season will be Scott's last chance to prove everybody was right about his talent in high school, because Hunt is gone and the onus now falls on him.

"He's always been a good prospect," coach Joe Paterno said. "I think when he came in here, things had been so easy for him in high school, and, all of a sudden, maybe he expected some things to happen to him because he was Austin Scott.

"I think Austin Scott's just got to be a little more consistent. When he wakes up in the morning, he can't be one guy one morning and another guy the next morning. And I think he's much better than he was. We'll see. But I think he's closer to where he's got to be to be a big-time, consistent college tailback than he was a year ago."

Well, I'd hope he is better than last year, because he spent last season redshirting on the scout team.