Paterno accepts blame for Penn State’s defeat

The Nittany Lions’ struggles resulted in a 14-9 conference loss.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Anyone looking to assign blame for Penn State’s sputtering offense should start at the top.

Now, coach Joe Paterno hopes he can get his 21st-ranked Nittany Lions turned around as they prepare for a potentially tricky trip to Illinois this weekend.

“It’s got to come from me first,” Paterno said Tuesday when asked who he’s relying on to rally the team after the Wolverines handed Penn State (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) its first loss of the season.

“When you lose a game like that, you can only point the finger at one person. You’ve got to point at the head coach,” Paterno said. “It starts with me. I have to get across to the kids that we’re going to get better, and we are going to get better.”

Michigan won, 14-9

Fumbles, a middling ground game and spotty play by quarterback Anthony Morelli contributed to a struggling offense in the 14-9 loss to Michigan, after Penn State had outscored its first three opponents 135-34.

“You’d like to have about six more points Saturday,” Paterno said when asked to grade the offense. “I think overall, we’re about where we thought we’d be. ... Sure, you want to be better.”

That began in earnest after the team watched lowlights from the Michigan loss Sunday, linebacker Sean Lee said. The defense, while solid overall, had some troubles too, such as allowing 10 third-down conversions by the Wolverines.

“Yesterday, we put it behind us,” Lee said Tuesday.

For tailback Austin Scott, that means taking extra practice holding onto the ball after another fumble last week — his fourth in three games.

Illinois next

Paterno said that while the fifth-year senior is working hard to correct his problem, he will wait and watch practice this week before determining whether Scott or Rodney Kinlaw will start against the Illini.

Some Penn State fans turned to the Nittany Nation pastime of calling for a quarterback change following Morelli’s showing against Michigan — 15-of-31 for 169 yards passing and a fumble deep in his own territory at the Big House.

The question didn’t directly come up Tuesday, though Paterno was loud and clear that he backed Morelli.

“One big mistake he made obviously was when he fumbled in our own territory,” Paterno said. “I think other than that he did a good job.”

Play-calling also came into question by some fans eager to see Penn State air it out more to receiving threats like tight end Andrew Quarless and wideouts Derrick Williams and Deon Butler — arguably the strength of the team.