Turnovers a concern for Penn State coach

The Nittany Lions have lost 13 this season, tied for most in I-A football.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- An alarmingly high number of turnovers has Penn State coach Joe Paterno worried in spite of his team's 4-0 start.
There have been lost fumbles; tipped passes that led to interceptions; and throws that bounced off receivers and into the hands of an opponent. Penn State has lost 13 turnovers this season, tied with Louisiana-Monroe for the most giveaways in Division I-A. That's a distinction Paterno would like to lose.
Lack of concentration
"Two things create fumbles: lack of courage and the other is lack of concentration," Paterno said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "In our case, it's lack of concentration. I'm sure it's lack of concentration."
Guarding against turnovers is always on the practice schedule, Paterno said, including drills in which ball carriers protect against pickpocket defenders and receivers are hit with a sort-of punching bag as soon as they catch a pass.
Yet Paterno also said practice can only go so far.
"You try to rectify [turnovers] by looking at it and making some changes and stressing certain things in practice," Paterno said. "But there's no hard and fast rule to get it done."
Still off to great start
Despite the turnovers, Penn State is off to its best start since 1999 after winning its Big Ten opener last week against Northwestern. A big-play passing attack featuring freshmen receivers has revived an offense that sputtered in recent years.
Against the Wildcats, quarterback Michael Robinson threw three touchdown passes and engineered a dramatic, game-winning drive in which he hit Isaac Smolko on a fourth-down play and Derrick Williams on a 36-yard scoring strike with 51 seconds left in a 34-29 come-from-behind victory.
But Robinson had a hand in all four turnovers against Northwestern. He was intercepted three times -- though not all of them were his fault. For instance, one interception came after a throw threaded to Deon Butler bounced off the receiver's hands.
Struggles with turnovers
Robinson, a fifth-year senior in his first season as the full-time starter at quarterback, fumbled four times against Northwestern. Only one of the fumbles was lost, but that giveaway thwarted a drive at the Northwestern 3.
"He's reckless. He wants to get every inch and he gets careless with the ball," Paterno said of his starting quarterback. "But I think he'll get better at that."
Added Paterno about turnovers in general: "It's a little different when you are doing it in practice and when you are in a ball game and want to get an extra yard and you get careless with the football ... That should come with experience."
Robinson confessed to his mistakes immediately after the game. On Tuesday, offensive lineman Charles Rush praised his quarterback for his composure in the huddle in the game-winning drive.
"Anytime you had as many turnovers as we did, and you still come out victorious at the end, it's always an added plus," Rush said.
Biggest challenge
Penn State faces its toughest challenge so far with a home game Saturday against No. 18 Minnesota and Heisman Trophy hopeful Laurence Maroney, who leads Division I-A with 174.5 rushing yards per game.
And it just gets tougher from there for the Nittany Lions: Ohio State visits Beaver Stadium next week in a prime-time showdown, and Penn State hits the road to play Michigan a week later.