PENN STATE Upton is hoping to make most of first opportunity

The Nittany Lions' new tailback will debut against a tough Temple defense.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- From the sidelines last year, Ricky Upton watched Larry Johnson rush for a Penn State record 2,087 yards. As the Nittany Lions new starting tailback, Upton plans to focus on smaller goals.
"In the moments before the game, I just hope I don't throw up on the field," Upton said.
The fifth-year senior is the first to admit that he's nervous about Penn State's opener against Temple today, when he'll get his first collegiate start.
The nerves are understandable. Last year, Upton carried the ball just eight times for 36 yards -- four carries for 18 yards against Northwestern was his most productive game.
"I talked to Mike Haynes and asked him what's it like to play in front of 110,000 people, because usually when I got into the game to play, half the crowd was leaving," Upton said. "I'm just happy to get a chance to play this year when it's not the fourth quarter."
Good defense
Temple is not exactly a team to try out your running game against. The Owls last year allowed just 108.3 rushing yards per game, 15th-best in the country.
Twenty letter-winners, including four starters, return from that defense.
"Their defense is very comparable to a Wisconsin type of defense, where they're going to put eight or nine guys on the ball and leave the corners out by themselves," quarterback Zack Mills said of Temple.
But if Upton is nervous, his teammates don't seem to be.
"I've got a lot of confidence in Ricky Upton running the football for us," wide receiver Tony Johnson, Larry Johnson's brother, said. "He showed us during spring that he's great between the tackles. He also can take a hit and also deliver a hit at the same time. I'm anxious to see what he can do, because he's kind of a no-name guy coming on the scene to be our tailback."
Breakaway speed
Larry Johnson left his mark with his ability to take a hit and his breakaway speed, often beating defenders to the corner or sprinting past linebackers and through the secondary.
Upton knows he's no Larry Johnson, and he's more likely to try to punch between the tackles than to win a foot race to the corner. But when it comes to leaving marks -- well that's right up his alley.
"I like to run at a person, I like to run over them. I get my kicks on that," Upton said. "LJ's a lot faster than I am, and he was able to beat a lot of people with speed. ... Mostly I like to run straight at people."
Like Johnson, who shared starting duties for two years before taking over the tailback spot last year, Upton has had to wait his turn. But coach Joe Paterno said that has been a positive, allowing Upton to better learn the offense.
"We have not seen him in a situation where he is in the game early and has to do some things to make some things happen. I think he will be fine," Paterno said. "How good? We are all anxious to see."