Sep 9, 2007, 2:03 GMT
University Park, PA - Austin Scott rushed 28 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns, as 14th-ranked Penn State routed Notre Dame, 31-10.
Highly touted freshman Jimmy Clausen, making his debut as a starter for the Fighting Irish (0-2), struggled to a 17-for-32, 144-yard performance, with no touchdowns and an interception. The anemic Notre Dame offense scored only three points, as Darrin Walls' 73-yard interception return produced the only touchdown.
The Fighting Irish have been outscored 64-13 in two games, and have a total of negative-eight yards rushing on the season. The Golden Domers will try to crack into the win column when they travel to rival Michigan next week. The Fighting Irish and the Wolverines are both 0-2 for the first time ever.
Anthony Morelli completed 12-of-22 passes for 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Penn State (2-0). Derrick Williams had a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown, and Jordan Norwood added three catches for 20 yards and a score for the Nittany Lions.
'We feel real good,' Morelli said. 'It was another one down, now we are going to look to Buffalo. We are going to keep rolling one play at a time, one game at a time.'
A close defensive battle broke open late in the third quarter. A 51-yard strike from Morelli to Chris Bell down the middle of the field put the Nittany Lions at the Notre Dame eight-yard-line. Scott dove over the pile from one yard out to cap the drive, pushing Penn State to a 24-10 advantage with 4:47 left in the quarter.
The Nittany Lions salted the win away with a punishing 10-play, 62-yard scoring drive early in the fourth quarter. PSU went to a steady diet of Scott, who gained 50 yards on eight carries during the drive, capped by a five-yard jaunt into the end zone, giving Penn State a 21-point lead with 7:40 left.
Notre Dame did have one good scoring opportunity in the fourth, when it drove deep into PSU territory but, on fourth-and-goal from the 10, Clausen's pass was a bit too high, and Penn State's Justin King made the interception in the back of the end zone.
A Morelli mistake gave the Fighting Irish the early advantage. The PSU quarterback overthrew his receiver on a deep pass, and Walls came up with the interception before turning and taking it back 73 yards for the score, giving Notre Dame a 7-0 lead with 8:23 left in the first quarter.
Williams gave Penn State some instant offense late in the quarter, taking a punt back 78 yards for a score. Williams almost dropped the ball as he fielded the punt, but he stepped through one tackle, cut to his left, and got behind the wall set up down the left side of the field and took it back for the tying touchdown.
'I think everything was set up right,' Williams said. 'The other guys on the touchdown return did a great job. I had the easy part of just running. One thing that the coaches always stress is just getting the ball down the field. I just tried to make something happen.'
The Nittany Lions offense got on track midway through the second quarter, marching on a six-play, 51-yard drive. Morelli completed a 16-yard pass to Deon Butler to start the drive, and finished it with a 10-yard completion to Norwood, giving PSU a 14-7 lead with 6:37 left.
A.J. Wallace electrified the crowd with his 65-yard return of the opening kick of the second half, setting Penn State up at the Notre Dame 27-yard-line. The Nittany Lions only managed seven yards in three plays, though, and settled for a 37-yard field goal by Kevin Kelly.
Tom Zbikowski gave the Golden Domers great field position later in the third quarter, as he rumbled 43 yards on a punt return, almost scoring, but stepping out at the PSU seven. The anemic Notre Dame offense managed only a two-yard Armando Allen rush sandwiched by two Clausen incompletions, and Brandon Walker converted a 22-yard field goal to make it a 17-10 game.
Game Notes
Penn State honored the 1982 national champion Nittany Lions at halftime...Attendance was 110,078, the second-largest in Beaver Stadium history...This was Scott's fourth career 100-yard rushing game...The Nittany Lions host Buffalo next week, before a September 22 visit to struggling Michigan to open it's Big 10 schedule.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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