Paterno at a Loss Again

Joe Paterno, in his 36th season as coach of Penn State, was trying to gather his wits after Saturday’s historic 20-0 loss to No. 15 Michigan at State College, Pa.

Not only are the Nittany Lions (0-4, 0-3 Big Ten) off to the worst start in their 115-year history, but the Wolverines became the first team to shut out a Paterno-coached team at Happy Valley, a span of 212 games.

“I’m a little baffled now,” Paterno said.

John Navarre threw two touchdown passes and B.J. Askew ran for 122 yards as Michigan (4-1, 2-0) prevented Paterno from equaling Bear Bryant’s major-college record of 323 victories. Paterno, 74, is stuck on 322, and might be for a while.

The Nittany Lions play at No. 14 Northwestern on Oct. 20. The rest of the schedule is Ohio State, Southern Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State and Virginia. Only Indiana, which defeated Wisconsin, 63-32, on Saturday, has a losing record.

For a team with two national titles and five perfect seasons under Paterno, Penn State has taken a mighty fall the past two years. The Lions have won only six of their last 20 games beginning late in the 1999 season.

“They’ve definitely lost a lot of respect in the context of being a national powerhouse,” Askew said. “Either you win, or you lose.”

Michigan has beaten Penn State five times in a row, outscoring the Nittany Lions, 145-46. The last time the Lions were shut out at home was 1965--Rip Engle’s final season before Paterno took over.

No. 21 Purdue 23, Iowa 14--Ashante Woodyard returned an interception 86 yards for a score and Travis Dorsch kicked three field goals at West Lafayette, Ind., as the Boilermakers remained undefeated.

The Boilermakers gave up the second-fewest yards (207) in a game since Joe Tiller took over as coach in 1997.

Boilermaker quarterback Brandon Hance completed only 12 of 26 passes for 80 yards through three quarters and Purdue (4-0, 2-0) trailed, 14-13.

Hance started the fourth quarter with 25-and 14-yard completions to Seth Morales that helped the Boilermakers move the ball to Iowa’s four.

After two incompletions, Hance dropped back to pass before scrambling down the middle for a four-yard touchdown run with 12:07 remaining.

The Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-1) finished with only 215 yards.

Illinois 25, Minnesota 14--Brandon Lloyd had 168 yards receiving and caught two touchdown passes from Kurt Kittner at Champaign, Ill., as the Fighting Illini ended a two-game losing streak to the Golden Gophers.

Lloyd, who reached 100 yards for the third time this season, scored on a 59-yard pass in the second half to put the Illini (4-1, 1-1) ahead for good. Minnesota defender Justin Fraley slipped and fell on the play, leaving Lloyd open for the touchdown.

Minnesota (1-3, 0-2) failed to score in the first half.