Paterno ties wins record as Lions outgun Wildcats

Associated Press

EVANSTON, ILL.

Joe Paterno tied Eddie Robinson’s Division I record with his 408th career victory Saturday night as Penn State beat Northwestern 34-24.

Silas Redd ran for 164 yards and a touchdown, Matt McGloin threw for 192 yards and two scores, and the Nittany Lions clamped down in the second half to give their storied coach another milestone victory as he watched from the coaches’ box.

Paterno will try to move ahead of Robinson, the Grambling State legend, when the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) host Illinois next Saturday. That starts a tough stretch that also includes a home game against Nebraska before trips to Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Paterno still has a long way to go to catch John Gagliardi of Division III St. John’s, Minn. (481 and counting), the only other coach with more wins, but this was another big notch for an icon in his 46th season leading the Nittany Lions.

That he got it against Northwestern (2-5, 0-4) was fitting, too.

After all, when he tied Bear Bryant with 323 wins, he did it against the Wildcats. No. 400 came at their expense, too, last season in Happy Valley when Penn State rallied from 21 down to win 35-21.

This one wasn’t quite as dramatic, although it was wild in the early going.

Penn State led 27-24 at halftime after Stephfon Green scored on a 1-yard run in the closing seconds, and Redd made it a 10-point game early in the third when he ran it in from the 19 after Gerald Hodges returned an interception 63 yards. A defense that got picked apart in the first half took over from there, sending Northwestern to its fifth straight loss in a miserable season.

That had to make Paterno feel a little better being away from the sideline, still recovering from right shoulder and pelvis injuries suffered after a receiver ran into him in practice Aug. 7.

The Wildcats simply couldn’t stop Redd, who has four straight games with 100 or more yards. He also had a 44-yard run late in the second quarter that set up Green’s TD.

McGloin wasn’t bad either, completing 17 of 26 passes. Devon Smith had six catches for 110 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown, and once the defense got going, Northwestern had no chance.