The last thing the Penn State football program needs less than a week into the 2008 season is yet another off-the-field distraction. But that is, apparently, the case after an incident which took place Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

A story in Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Collegian reported that marijuana was seized from a State College apartment that is -- according to Penn State’s online directory – the residence of four prominent PSU players: Maurice Evans, Abe Koroma, Andrew Quarless and A.J. Wallace.

According to the Penn State University Police Department’s daily activity report for Sept. 2 – obtained by the Daily Local News -- officers were dispatched to the Nittany Apartments complex at 10:19 p.m. on Tuesday to investigate a report of loud music. The odor of burning marijuana was detected coming from inside apartment No. 5204.

After the residents of the apartment declined a consent search, a search warrant was applied for and executed. The subsequent search by police yielded a small amount of marijuana. The report indicates that charges will be filed.

The Collegian reported that police spent at least two hours investigating the incident. At about 11:45 p.m., an unidentified woman taped a piece of notebook paper over the number on the door of the apartment and that the curtains were drawn. At about 1:30 a.m., four police officers left the apartment, one carrying two paper bags and another carrying a cardboard box.

The search warrant listed Wallace, Quarless and a third PSU student who is not a member of the football squad as being present in the apartment on Tuesday evening. Evans and Koroma were apparently not present.

Evans is a junior defensive end from Brooklyn, a first team All Big Ten selection last season and a preseason All-American for 2008. Koroma, a sophomore from Hershey, is a starting left defensive tackle for the Lions. Wallace was involved in an intense preseason battle with teammate Lydell Sargeant for the starting right cornerback position. Sargeant won the spot but Wallace, a junior from Waldorf, Md., saw plenty of action last Saturday in the opener against Coastal Carolina.

Quarless is a junior tight end who started seven games last season but was suspended for two games after being charged with underage drinking last fall. He was listed as the No. 3 tight end in the most recent depth chart.

“I don't even know what happened,” quarterback Daryll Clark said during a teleconference on Wednesday. “All I know is that the police were out at someone’s apartment. I really don't know why.”

Head coach Joe Paterno has yet to comment on the situation. PSU Sports Information Director, Jeff Nelson, says that the football program is aware of what happened and is investigating. -- NEIL GEOGHEGAN.