Cameras turned toward the press box when Joe Paterno moved upstairs after halftime.
College football newsCameras turned toward the press box when Joe Paterno moved upstairs after halftime. By the end of day, the Hall of Famer had reclaimed the lead on the career victory list for major college coaches.
Oh, and Penn State improved to 4-0, too.
Its never dull in Happy Valley.
Whether the attention is on his contract (its up after this season), his milestones or his health, Paterno hates it when the spotlight is on him.
Absolutely! he exclaimed when asked if the commotion about his move to the press box bothered him after his Nittany Lions had routed Temple, 45-3, on Saturday for Paternos 376th career win.
After Florida State lost Saturday night to Wake Forest, 12-3, Paterno stayed ahead of Bobby Bowden .
The Nittany Lions moved up four spots Sunday to No. 12 in the AP poll, leapfrogging Big Ten preseason favorite Ohio State, which fell one spot to No. 14. Wisconsin is the Big Tens top-ranked team at No. 9.
Paternos right leg has been sore since he made an onside kick several weeks ago as part of a fun ritual at the end of practice each game week. Paterno has walked more gingerly since after the win over Syracuse on the artificial turf of the Carrier Dome.
Now if you were a bunch of good-looking girls, Id feel better about it, the 81-year-old Paterno told a room full of mostly male reporters seeking news about the leg.
JoePas son and quarterbacks coach, Jay Paterno, said his father didnt mention anything to him about the leg until after the Syracuse game. After monitoring practices from a golf cart, JoePa told his team late last week there was a possibility he might not be on the sideline at all for the Temple game.
He hasnt really talked about it, Jay Paterno said. Hes not a guy that says, Oh, Im hurting. He just sucks it up.
The Paterno watch, though, likely wont go away with JoePas coaching future still uncertain following this season.
By all accounts, Paterno is overall in great shape, especially for an octogenarian.
Yet the little things that might get dismissed as random aches and pains for most other senior citizens take on added attention when they happen to JoePa.
Like the one-day bout with dehydration earlier this year that sent Paterno to the hospital for several hours. He was back on his feet that night, and resumed his normal schedule the next day, allowing the blue-and-white faithful to breathe easier.
Paterno injured ligaments in his left knee at Wisconsin in 2006 during a nasty sideline collisionsimilar to the injury sustained by Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis earlier this month. A recovering Paterno was absent from the sidelines for the last three games of that season, though he did coach from the press box for the final two contests, including the Outback Bowl.
Jay Paterno said his stubborn father slacked off on taking his pain medication after that injury.
Hes not made of the same stuff the rest of us are made of, I can tell you that right now, Jay Paterno said. Whether its alien or some titanium, I dont know what it is.
In the end, his whereabouts Saturday likely didnt have a big effect on Penn State against overwhelmed Temple. After a scoreless first quarter, the Nittany Lions erupted for 31 points in the second to take a commanding halftime lead.
Upstairs went Paterno, putting on a headset to monitor the second half next to his assistants. Jay Paterno joked the staff did some last-minute reshuffling of seats to try to position themselves away from Paternos yelling.
The players on the field noticed a difference, too, with JoePas absence.
You dont hear him yelling, thats kind of nice sometimes, center A.Q. Shipley quipped.
Paterno wasnt pleased that Penn State gave up an average of 36.8 yards on kickoff returns to Temple or that the Nittany Lions fumbled five times.
Odds are that players wont be smiling much in practice this week as they prepare for the Big Ten opener with No. 22 Illinois, Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.
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