Austin Scott helps lift Nittany Lions past KSU

Scott rushed for a state-record 3,853 yards as a senior in high school last season.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Freshman Austin Scott has convinced the fans. But even after his first collegiate start, he still has to convince his coach.
Scott ran for 100 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, leading Penn State to a 32-10 victory over Kent State on Saturday.
Scott dazzled in the third quarter, and the crowd cheered each time he got the ball. He set up his second touchdown with a 19-yard run around the left end. His final touchdown came on an option left, when Scott skipped through a gap and ran 11 yards around the left end for a 29-10 lead.
But coach Joe Paterno said he still didn't know for sure whether Scott would remain the starter when Penn State (2-2) opens Big Ten play next week against Minnesota.
"He played -- I hope he had a little fun out there playing -- and he did a decent job," Paterno said. "We'll go from there."
Scott, who rushed for a state-record 3,853 yards and 53 touchdowns last year as a senior at Parkland High School, has been a crowd favorite since the beginning of the season. But until now Paterno has started Ricky Upton, saying Upton was more familiar with the blocking schemes and other elements of the offense.
"It takes a while to feel comfortable, but I would say around the end of the second quarter I started feeling better and got a good rhythm," Scott said in a university release. True freshmen, such as Scott, are not allowed to speak with reporters. "Being out there for more plays and having more runs helped a lot."
Robbie Gould's 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was the last score of the game.
Close game
But the Nittany Lions (2-2) didn't make it easy on themselves, letting Kent State (2-2) take a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before Scott's 1-yard touchdown run with 1:03 remaining -- Penn State's first first-quarter score of the season.
Gould tied it at 10 with a 38-yard field goal in the second, and Sean McHugh's 10-yard touchdown run gave Penn State a 17-10 lead with 2:21 remaining in the first half.
The lead could have been bigger. Gould's field goal only came after Gerald Smith dropped a pass in the end zone, one of four Penn State drops in the first half. The Nittany Lions drove to the Kent State 28 on their next possession, but Tony Hunt fumbled.
Scott's second touchdown, a 4-yard run midway through the third quarter, made it 23-10.
"Austin is getting an opportunity to play more than he has the last couple of weeks," Zack Mills said. "I thought he ran very patiently today. He had four or five yards, six yards, when he could, didn't lose many yards. And when he got the opportunity to break a run, he did it."
Making a difference
But the Nittany Lions again gave away a chance at a score when Alan Zemaitis, after returning an interception 36 yards, fumbled on the Kent State 18.
Antwan Smith came in at quarterback after starter Joshua Cribbs injured his left ankle on the second play of the game; Darryl Polk took over when Smith injured his right shoulder.
"Obviously any time you lose your starting quarterback you are going to be limited in what you can do," Kent State coach Dean Pees said. "But I thought Smith came in there and was doing an admirable job. Polk came in and did what he was capable of doing."
Kent State took a 7-0 lead when Calvin Lowry, fielding a punt, fumbled and Elijah Brooks recovered it in the end zone. The Golden Flashes drove to the Penn State 8 on their next possession, but had to settle for a field goal and a 10-0 lead.