Paterno looks for early zip

Akron opens its football season today in Central Pennsylvania.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Any coach would be a little anxious opening the season at Penn State in front of more than 100,000 hostile fans.
But Akron's J.D. Brookhart isn't so much concerned about the atmosphere, or even the opponent -- he's got his own team to worry about.
Brookhart's first game as a head coach is today when the Zips open at Penn State (3:30 p.m.)
"It's an extremely anxious time in that you wonder, first of all, about the kids being in a new system and executing the system in their first real live situation," Brookhart said. "But it's also unknown with the opponent. ... Penn State does have a new offensive coordinator, and where their program goes you don't know."
Uncertainty abounds
In fact, it's a game where uncertainty abounds. With Galen Hall taking over as offensive coordinator, the Nittany Lions have tinkered with their offense.
And Penn State is concerned about facing a team full of unknowns: new coach, new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator -- in fact, not a single member of Akron's coaching staff was around last year.
"They have a new [defensive] coordinator coming in who hasn't been a coordinator, so we're not exactly sure what they're going to do," Penn State quarterback Zack Mills said. "Personnel-wise, they've moved a lot of people around, so we're not 100 percent sure how they're going to be at their new positions.
"That's the thing that worries me the most -- when you don't have a lot of tape to go by and you're not exactly sure what they're going to be doing."
Biggest unknown
The Nittany Lions, however, have the biggest unknown: Where will Michael Robinson play?
Two years ago, Robinson burst on the scene with a multi-faceted performance against Nebraska; since then, he's started at quarterback, tailback and fullback and run several plays at wide receiver for the Nittany Lions.
Mills held off Robinson in a competition for the starting quarterback job. Now, not even Robinson can say where he'll play.
"I probably would tell people in my family if I knew," Robinson said. "I know I'm going to get in the game, and that's pretty much all I know."
Play-calling aside, that's got Brookhart worried.
"He is -- and I think coach [Joe] Paterno is right -- he might be one of the best athletes on the field in the country," Brookhart said. "What do you do for that? You have to be very careful.
"What he can do with the ball, whether as a true receiver, or as a back in the backfield -- always with the opportunity to throw the ball -- it puts you on your heels a little bit defensively when you have somebody who can do so many things effectively."
But not so worried that he's not focused on his own team. Brookhart knows that he can plan all he wants for Hall's offense or Robinson's trick plays. But if his players can't handle their own responsibilities, it's all academic.
"You walk into this first game, and you hope that you get through the first quarter without anything drastic happening as you get a feel for them and a feel for yourself," Brookhart said.