Lions see things to build on

The way in which they won their last two games gives reason to be optimistic.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- As a buoyant Joe Paterno strode into the interview room after a season-ending 37-13 victory over Michigan State, a round of applause broke out from the boosters in the balcony above.
"Holy smokes," Paterno said. "Two wins and I get that?"
Of course, when Paterno is involved, nothing is that simple. With back-to-back victories to end his 39th season as head coach (his 55th at Penn State), Paterno reinvigorated the hopes of the Nittany Lion faithful and all but ended speculation that he might retire just months after signing a four-year contract extension.
A 4-7 record? Ninth place and 2-6 in the Big Ten? A fourth losing season in the last five years? Ranking 105th out of 117 NCAA Division I-A teams in total offense, and 110th in scoring offense?
Forgotten.
The last two
Instead, the Nittany Lions remember two come-from-behind victories in their last two games, being one of only two defenses (along with Auburn) to hold each opponent to 21 points or fewer, and a roster with just two senior starters on offense, two on defense, and one on special teams.
"Four-and seven is bad -- it's not good at all. We don't get to go to a bowl game," defensive end Tamba Hali said. "But it's a stepping stone. Coming off a win with Indiana, then winning this game, then going into next year, it's a positive look for the team. We can keep that going."
For much of the season, it was unclear whether Penn State would ever get better. A hesitant and error-prone offense struggled at Boston College, then took a huge blow when quarterback Zack Mills and backup Michael Robinson were both injured in the first quarter of the Big Ten opener at Wisconsin.
The Nittany Lions lost their first six Big Ten games for the second year in a row. And even the normally unflappable Paterno at times lost his cool, saying he didn't appreciate questions about whether he should return after another losing season, even snapping at a question about his assertion that Robinson was one of the country's best college football players.
"I have coached great football players for 55 years," Paterno said.
"If I tell you that Michael Robinson is one of the best football players I have ever coached and one of the best in the country, don't question me."
Things hit a low point in October, when Penn State came off a bye week with a humiliating 6-4 loss at home to Iowa.
Up 6-2 in the fourth quarter, Iowa intentionally took a safety, correctly assuming that it could keep Penn State from even scoring a field goal.
The Nittany Lions' last three plays in that game were all turnovers -- as was their first play the following week at Ohio State.
It was the Indiana game that turned the team around.
"Twenty years from now, we may look back at that goal-line stand as the most important four plays in the history of Penn State football," says Jay Paterno, Joe Paterno's son and quarterbacks coach.
Down 13-7 in the third quarter, Penn State put together two touchdown drives to go up 22-16, then settled in for a goal-line stand when the Hoosiers had first-and-goal on the 1-yard line with less than two minutes left. Four times the Hoosiers rushed the Penn State line; four times, they were stopped short.
"The Indiana game, I think we started to show a little bit," Joe Paterno said. "The goal-line stand, obviously, was a tremendous emotional lift for us, but the fact that the offense had made two clutch drives when they had to do it -- all of a sudden we could build on that."
Coming back
The defense, in particular, is in a position to build. Linebackers Paul Posluszny (sophomore) and Dan Connor (freshman) are the first underclassmen to lead the team in tackles (104 and 85, respectively) since Brandon Short and LaVar Arrington in 1998. Seniors Derek Wake and Andrew Guman graduate, but there's depth at linebacker and secondary to absorb those losses, and the line returns in tact.
On offense, Mills -- who holds Penn State records for passing yards and total offense and shares the record for most passing touchdowns -- will be tough to replace. But Robinson is back, and could still play just about any skill position, strong-armed freshman Anthony Morrelli is waiting in the wings. The only other senior starter was fullback Paul Jefferson.
"Everyone's so excited for next year, I can't even describe it," Connor said. "Everyone's excited, they're ready to work, they're ready to come back and make a statement next year."
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