JoePa sets wins record

A sixth consecutive win last weekend moved Penn State coach Joe Paterno within one of becoming the all-time leader in Division I history.

While that accomplishment is on the minds of most everyone else, the 84-year-old Hall of Famer seems more concerned about avenging last season's loss to Illinois.

The 21st-ranked Nittany Lions look to extend their longest winning streak in more than three years when they face the Illini at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

Paterno, now in his 46th season with Penn State (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten), tied Eddie Robinson for the Division I wins lead with his 408th career victory, prevailing 34-24 at Northwestern last Saturday.

Matt McGloin threw for 192 yards with two touchdowns. Silas Redd, who ranks third in the conference with 108.6 rushing yards per game, had a career-high 164 yards and a TD - his fourth consecutive 100-yard effort.

Paterno, however, remained the center of attention.

"Joe's always talked about Eddie with a great deal of respect, nothing but admiration for him," said quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, his son. "When you're in that kind of company, that's pretty elite company."

"Joe's the kind of person that during the season - it's the seventh win, we're 7-1, we're still in first place in the conference, and we've got to work on staying there. Joe will be on the plane asking us about Illinois. He doesn't pay a lot of attention to that stuff. In the offseason, he might talk about it here and there."

While it's hard to ignore the magnitude of win No. 409, Paterno's focus remains on Illinois (6-2, 2-2), which had dropped five of six in this series before winning 33-13 at Penn State on Oct. 9, 2010.

"We got a good lickin', is what I remember. I thought they kicked our ears in. Hopefully you learn from every game, even when you lose," he said.

"Generally speaking, Illinois is the (second) best football team we've played ... It's a solid football team ... You don't just stare at any one part of their game. You've got to be ready for good solid all around squad. We've got to play a better football game than we've played all year."

The Nittany Lions' only defeat this season came against then-No. 3 Alabama, 27-11 on Sept. 10.

Paterno will try to guide Penn State to its first seven-game win streak since opening 9-0 in 2008. His starting quarterback, however, remains uncertain. McGloin likely has the upper hand over Rob Bolden thanks to last week's impressive showing.

"I just feel good that we are in a position (where we have) a couple of quarterbacks (who) I think - in different situations - can help us win a game," Paterno said.

The Illini, who opened 6-0 for the first time since 1951 and were ranked as high as No. 16, have since looked like anything but one of the better teams in the country. After falling 17-7 to Ohio State on Oct. 15, Illinois dropped out of the rankings with a 21-14 loss at Purdue last Saturday.

Coach Ron Zook's team trailed 21-0 at halftime before scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter.

"We just came out slow," receiver Hayden Daniels said. "We need to come out and play better. If we start out slow, that affects the whole game. We need to be playing hard from the get-go."

Illinois would surely love to see Nathan Scheelhaase pick up the pace. The sophomore quarterback threw for 217 yards with no touchdowns and ran for just 16 yards on 13 carries. He was also sacked four times.

"I tell him it's not all on him, it's not all his fault," Zook said. "He missed some throws, but all quarterbacks do that. It may be that he is pressing and pushing too hard, but I like this team. This is a good team.

"We're 6-2. Do we have to play better? Yeah, absolutely, you know, we've got to play better than we have the last two games. I think that's the challenge that our guys are taking. I think we've got to go out there and play, we're going to go out - we are going to go out and play loose. Let `er roll."

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- In bright white letters against a blue background, the electronic sign boards around Beaver Stadium took note of another milestone for Joe Paterno long after the stands had cleared.

"Congratulations Coach Paterno," the signs read. "Winningest Coach In Division I College Football."

It took all 60 minutes on a snowy, sloppy Saturday in Happy Valley, but JoePa broke Eddie Robinson's record with victory No. 409 as No. 21 Penn State defeated Illinois 10-7.

The Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten) overcame six fumbles - losing two - with Silas Redd's 3-yard touchdown run with 1:08 to go. Penn State's only touchdown came after Illinois corner Justin Green was whistled for pass interference while breaking up a fourth-down pass for Derek Moye in the end zone.

Illinois (6-3, 2-3) drove from its 17 to the Penn State 25 on the next drive, but Derek Dimke's 42-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright as time expired.

Even JoePa was nervous in the press box before Penn State's last drive. Paterno coached upstairs since he's still got a sore right leg, shoulder and pelvis following an accidental preseason hit.

"Did I have any doubts," he asked rhetorically with a chuckle. "Sure I had doubts ... but it worked out anyway."

In a common occurrence over his remarkable 46-year career, Paterno was feted again with a postgame ceremony. School president Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley presented JoePa with a plaque that read, "Joe Paterno. Educator of Men. Winningest Coaach. Division One Football."

Among all coaches, Paterno now only trails John Gagliardi, still active at Division III St. John's, Minn., with 481 victories.

"It really is something I've very proud of, to be associated with Eddie Robinson," Paterno said in a brief postgame ceremony in the media room broadcast to fans still waiting in the stands 10 minutes later. "Something like this means a lot to me, an awful lot. But there's a lot of other people I've got to thank."

Start with Redd, the budding star who had a career-high 30 carries for 137 yards for Penn State, none bigger than his late TD run.

An early-season snowstorm had fans bundled up in winter parkas and hoodies. The offenses seemed to be frozen stiff.

After struggling most of the afternoon, quarterback Matt McGloin drove Penn State from their own 20 to the Illini 32 on three long completions before the pass interference call gave the Nittany Lions a second chance.

"I thought it was a good play myself," frustrated Illini coach Ron Zook said. "But obviously (the referee) thought ... I don't know, I didn't ask him."

Redd capitalized four plays later by barreling into the end zone, the crowd erupting in delight.

Jason Ford rushed for 100 yards on 24 carries but Illinois couldn't capitalize on a slew of Penn State mistakes in a defensive slugfest.

Illlinois outgained Penn State 286-209. After a quiet start, Illinois' pass rush turned up the heat in the second half, getting 2.5 sacks combined from standout ends Michael Buchanan and Whitney Mercilus.

Still, the Illini's offense wasn't much better than Penn State, but they got just got enough in the third quarter from scrambling quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase to scratch out a 10-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Harris for a 7-0 lead.

Illinois' defense held firm from there until Penn State's late TD drive.

Moye, back after missing two games because of a left foot injury, dropped a third-down pass to groans from the crowd on the winning drive. McGloin went for Moye on fourth down with 1:31 left, and the ball bounced off the receiver's hands in the end zone - but there was contact and the interference penalty gave Penn State another chance.

Zook could only wince on the sideline as a once-quiet Penn State crowd burst back to life.

"They were just able to find their receivers. They weren't able to do that all game, we pretty much got them all game," Buchanan said. "As a D-line, we weren't able to get pressure on the quarterback that we wanted to. So it was pretty much on us."

Illinois' struggling offense couldn't get untracked again early, going scoreless in the first half for a third straight game. They wasted opportunities deep in Penn State territory following fumbles by Redd at his own 37 in the first half, and quarterback Rob Bolden at the 29 late in the second half.

On that drive, Illinois receiver Ryan Lankford made a pretty tiptoe catch along the sideline from backup quarterback Riley O'Toole for a 12-yard gain to the 12. The play was upheld by replay - and fans in the student section showed their displeasure by tossing snowballs on the field.

The snowballs missed the players - much like most of the passes Saturday. McGloin was 9 of 24 for 98 yards, while Bolden missed all four of his pass attempts, all in the second quarter.

Scheelhaase finished 9 of 16 for 63 yards, and ran 14 times for 89 yards.

After the game, Paterno had one last message to the frigid fans outside before they headed to the exits in relief.

"For all the fans out there, thanks for sitting through that today," Paterno said half-jokingly, "You've got to be nuts!"

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