JoePa has 59-0 win in return

Penn State romped past
Florida International.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Anxious and feisty, Joe Paterno paced up and down the Penn State sideline while his defense swarmed all over the field.

Things are back to normal in Happy Valley.

Linebacker Sean Lee led a furious defense with a forced fumble and a sack and Anthony Morelli threw for three touchdowns and a career-high 295 yards as the 17th-ranked Nittany Lions welcomed JoePa back to the sidelines with a 59-0 rout Saturday of Florida International.

Wearing his trademark black sneakers and rolled-up khakis, the 80-year-old Paterno jogged out of the tunnel to lead his team on the field with his face plastered on the giant stadium video screens.

The 107,000-plus packed into Beaver Stadium cheered on his first appearance on the sidelines since breaking his left leg last November at Wisconsin.

“It felt like your dad was gone,” receiver Derrick Williams said about Paterno’s absence. “It showed today how important it is he’s on the sideline.”

Offseason rehabilitation

Paterno hoped offseason rehabilitation and long walks during his annual vacation at the beach would get him ready to return to the sideline for Saturday. He said he wasn’t sure until several weeks ago that he was going to be able to run on to the field.

“I felt good about my ability. I got tired ... but I’ll get stronger as I go along,” Paterno said. “That felt good to be able to do that whole thing.”

The defense made Paterno smile, too, helping to give JoePa a win in his record-breaking 42nd season as head coach.

Penn State outgained Florida International 549-114. The defense had seven sacks and flustered FIU quarterback Wayne Younger, a redshirt freshman making his first career start. An overwhelming edge in talent helped Penn State overcome any mysteries with FIU’s new spread offense.

Preparation is factor

“We saw a lot of different tapes, we saw a lot of different looks, so really that’s a credit to the coaches,” Lee said. “Athletically, we might have been a little better, and that made up for some mismatches.”

With Penn State leading 7-0, linebacker Dan Connor recovered a fumble by FIU’s John Ellis on the Golden Panther 20, six-plus minutes into the first quarter.

Three plays later, Morelli found Mickey Shuler wide open down the right sideline. The sophomore barreled over safety Cory Fleming before tiptoeing into the end zone, pushing the lead to 14-0 lead.

The win improved Paterno to 35-7 in season openers and early in the fourth quarter, with the final score already posted, fans yelled “Joe Paterno!”