Morelli’s big day leads PSU

Rodney Kinlaw added 129 yards rushing as the Nittany Lions beat Buffalo.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Rodney Kinlaw has made a career out of standing on the sidelines, waiting for a chance to prove he can produce at Penn State.

Saturday, the career backup finally got a chance to be star.

Kinlaw jump-started a sputtering offense with 129 yards and a touchdown, and Anthony Morelli threw for a career-high four scores as the 12th-ranked Nittany Lions defeated Buffalo 45-24.

“It’s all about patience and being prepared when you get called on,” said Kinlaw, who came into the game after starter Austin Scott had two early fumbles.

Penn State (3-0) also got a lift from a couple of lucky bounces that led to 17 points in the last 6:29 of the first half.

Jordan Norwood’s 5-yard TD catch on a reviewed play gave Penn State a 17-3 lead with 59 seconds left in the half, swinging momentum the Nittany Lions’ way.

“We weren’t as sharp as we liked to be, but you got to give the other guy credit,” said coach Joe Paterno, who won his 366th career game.

Getting it going

With the defense solid early, Kinlaw finally got the offense going after Scott’s miscues.

One fumble came on the Penn State 8 when the ball appeared to slip out of Scott’s hands without a defender nearby, setting up a Buffalo field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Kinlaw, a senior who had 326 yards on 80 carries in his first three seasons at Penn State, stated his case Saturday by slipping and slashing through Buffalo. He had just two attempts in the Nittany Lions’ first two games this season.

“Nobody’s a No. 1 tailback when you got two kids as equal as they are,” Paterno said. “They’re both first-stringers as far as I’m concerned.”

It wasn’t an entirely lost afternoon for the Bulls (1-2), which has won just 13 games the last eight-plus seasons. Drew Willy was 28-for-39 for a career-high 330 yards and a touchdown, directing a passing attack that moved the ball with ease in the second half.

James Starks’ 5-yard scoring run with 11:55 in the fourth quarter was the first touchdown allowed this season by the Penn State defense.

“I’m still not going to pat myself on the back, but there’s good things there,” Buffalo coach Turner Gill said. “I’m more proud of the effort they put forth because that’s something they can always control, no matter what’s happening on the scoreboard.”