COLLEGE FOOTBALL : BIG TEN ROUNDUP : Win Doesn’t Cool an Angry Paterno

After Penn State beat No. 12 Michigan, 27-17, on Saturday at State College, Pa., a hoarse Joe Paterno, battling flu, lashed out at fans for pelting the opponents and referees with snowballs.

“I think it was very childish,” he said. “When some of our kids act like a bunch of jerks, it’s embarrassing.”

With 2:40 remaining in the game, holder Joe Nastasi took the snap and ran untouched into the end zone on a fake field goal try to give No. 19 Penn State, 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, a 27-17 lead.

“I thought we were going to win the game right up until they converted on the fake field goal,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said. “It was a great call.”

After the score, Paterno ran into the corner of the end zone and tried to yell at the fans who started tossing snowballs, but his voice was gone.

“All we needed was a 15-yard penalty at that time and the referee had every right to call one,” he said.

But the referees didn’t call any unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Nittany Lions, even when one official was hit in the back of the head after an interference call against Penn State.

The victory puts Penn State into position to go to its fifth consecutive New Year’s Day bowl. If the Nittany Lions can beat Michigan State next Saturday, they will probably be invited to the Outback Bowl in Tampa.

Outback Bowl officials, who have the third choice of Big Ten teams, can still pick Michigan (8-3, 4-3), which faces Ohio State next Saturday. The Alamo Bowl in San Antonio gets the fourth Big Ten selection.

Wally Richardson threw two touchdown passes in the game, and Penn State won despite losing two fumbles inside Michigan’s 10-yard line.

“We had our chances in this ball game to win,” Michigan quarterback Brian Griese said. “We just didn’t capitalize and a lot of the time we stopped ourselves.”

Illinois 48, Minnesota 14--The Illini offense finally erupted from a season of doldrums while star linebackers Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice enjoyed big games as Illinois (5-5, 3-4) defeated the Gophers (3-7, 1-6) at Champaign, Ill.

Illinois, which kept its bowl hopes alive, finishes the regular season at Wisconsin next Saturday.

Illinois quarterback Johnny Johnson was inconsistent, with several passes sailing over receivers’ heads. But he also threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.

Running back Robert Holcombe ran for 206 yards and a 29-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Iowa 33, Wisconsin 20--Junior tailback Sedrick Shaw carried 41 times for 214 yards and three touchdowns as the Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-4) snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Badgers (4-5-1, 3-4) at Madison, Wis. Shaw scored on runs of seven, one and four yards.