The only disappointment associated with Penn State’s 13-6 road victory at Ohio State last Saturday was the reaction back in State College.

A rowdy crowd estimated at 1,500 gathered in the downtown area to celebrate PSU’s first triumph at Ohio Stadium in 30 years. And to nobody’s surprise, things quickly got out of hand. Fires were set, street signs were damaged, cars vandalized and storefront windows were smashed in the ensuing two and half hours.

“I don’t really (want to) call it a riot, but that’s what it turned into,” said Lydell Sargeant, PSU’s senior cornerback.

“We have the best fans in the country. It started out as a celebration, but a couple bad things happened and it turned into more. The majority of the fans who were out there didn’t do anything wrong. Just a couple rotten eggs in the bunch turned it sour.”

By the time the crowd finally dispersed at about 4 p.m. Sunday morning, 20 people had been arrested, 14 police officers were injured and the damage was estimated at $50,000.

“To destroy property and that kind of stuff is really not something that ought to be identified with a celebration,” said Penn State head coach Joe Paterno. “I was young once and probably did something stupid once in a while but you just hate to see them do that kind of thing.”

The unbeaten, third-ranked Nittany Lions need just three more wins to secure sole possession of the program’s second Big Ten Conference championship and a possible berth in the BCS National Championship Game. The next potential trouble date is Nov. 22, when PSU closes out the regular season against Michigan State, which is currently in second place, a full-game behind the Lions. And Paterno is already thinking about trying to head off a repeat of what happened last weekend.

“I think one of these days I’ve got to do something and talk to the kids and say: ‘Hey, look, it’s a big game,” Paterno said. “‘If we win it, everybody have a lot of fun, but don’t go downtown.’” – NEIL GEOGHEGAN.

bbIt’s not like Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark needs any extra motivation to beat Ohio State on Saturday. It’s the biggest game of his career, it will almost certainly determine the Big Ten champion and a loss would knock the unbeaten, third-ranked Nittany Lions out of the national championship picture. In addition, Clark hails from Youngstown, Ohio and was not recruited very hard by the Buckeyes.

But Clark did give a brief glimpse into his feelings about PSU’s unsuccessful recruitment last spring of a certain big-time quarterback prospect out of Western Pennsylvania. Terrelle Pryor ended up signing with Ohio State and will be Clark’s counterpart on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

When Pryor picker OSU over Penn State (and Michigan), he said that State college was too rural for his tastes. He also mentioned that the lack of a succession plan for 81-year-old head coach Joe Paterno was an issue.

“I don't like that place,” he said of Happy Valley last March. “It's the country.”

On Wednesday, Clark certainly didn’t sound all that disappointed that Pryor spurned the Lions and ended up in Columbus.

“I resented (the comment about State College) being country and whatnot,” Clark said. “But that’s his though of this place. He decided to go to another school and it’s working out for him.

“I don’t have any bad blood. I went to one of (Pryor's) basketball games and talked to him after the game to try to get him to come here. He had other plans. You can only tell him what you want to tell him and the rest is up to him. He made his decision, and I can’t say it’s a bad one. He’s playing right now as a true freshman and doing well.”

It also worked out pretty well for PSU with Clark at the helm and Pat Devlin as a solid back-up. And Paterno is always talking up No. 3 Paul Cianciolo. Who knows what would have happened if Pryor had been added to an already crowded situation? – NEIL GEOGHEGAN.

Michigan football has a long standing and well earned reputation for arrogance. And it’s not just within the fan base but with the program itself.

That’s why it came as a surprise to absolutely no one when a Michigan player guaranteed a victory over No. 3 Penn State this Saturday in Happy Valley. It doesn’t matter that the 2-4 Wolverines lost to Toledo last weekend, that the unbeaten Nittany Lions are a whopping 24-point favorite or that the overconfident player is a wideout on a unit that ranks 109th in the nation in total offense. Arrogance is arrogance.

The player in question is freshman Daryll Stonum, who made the silly guarantee on his Facebook page this week. Stonum is a backup, and through six games he has a grand total of five receptions for 48 yards and zero touchdowns.

When asked about it, PSU’s senior wideout Derrick Williams offered a rather politically correct response, but it is one that Stonum could have used before posting his innermost thoughts on the world-wide web.

“If (Stonum) was on my team and he had that kind of confidence, I would want him to say it, but not publicly,” Williams said. – NEIL GEOGHEGAN.

He is a tri-captain and team leader, he leads all Penn State defensive linemen in solo tackles, he ranks among the top six in the Big Ten in sacks and he is probably the most versatile performer on a unit that is ranked eighth in the country in total defense.

So why isn’t more recognition and publicity coming Josh Gaines’ way?

“I’ve increased my play a lot since last year,” said Gaines, a fifth year senior from Fort Wayne, Ind. “I feel like I’m an all-around better player.”

The statistics back him up. But the 6-foot-1, 275-pound Gaines is playing under the radar and in the shadow of speedy ends Aaron Maybin and Maurice Evans.

“I do think he is (underappreciated),” agreed Nittany Lions’ head coach Joe Paterno.

“He does a good job. He’s a quiet, sure, very confident kid who rubs off in the rest of the football team. He rarely makes a mistake.”

When told about Paterno’s comments, Gaines said: “I haven’t heard or seen much recognition but coming from coach, that means a lot.”

Maybin leads the conference in sacks and is second nationally with seven. Evans was a pre-season All American and then garnered a lot of attention when he was suspended for three games – along with defensive tackle Abe Koroma – after police seized a small amount of marijuana from their apartment.

“I think (Gaines) is probably not gotten the kind of credit the other kids get because they are free-lancing most of the time on the outside,” Paterno explained.

Gaines is also an end, but his game just isn’t flashy. Plus, he’s played plenty of snaps at tackle, especially while Koroma was sidelined.

On Saturday at Purdue, Gaines made the 26th start of his career. So far this season, he is eighth on the team with 20 tackles, but 16 have been solo stops. And he’s added 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry.

And then there are the intangibles you simply can’t measure.

“Half the people around here don’t even know who Gaines is,” Paterno said. “But he’s probably one of the stronger leaders on the team.” – NEIL GEOGHEGAN.