Penn State dismantles Michigan State

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Daryll Clark was watching television in his hotel room, waiting to go downstairs for Penn State's pregame breakfast yesterday, when he heard ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay say, "Daryll Clark is an interception machine in big games."

"I'm like, 'Did he really say that? Wow, that was a low blow,' " the senior quarterback said. "I was really upset about it, but I couldn't let it bother me. I still had to play a football game."

Several hours later, Clark went out and, after a slow start, played one of his best games of the season. He burnished the BCS bowl credentials of the 13th-ranked Nittany Lions by throwing for 310 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-14 victory over Michigan State at Spartan Stadium.

The Lions finished the regular season 10-2 - their 21st 10-win season in Joe Paterno's 44 years as head coach - and tied for second in the Big Ten Conference at 6-2 with Iowa. They must wait to see whether they or the Hawkeyes - or neither - will receive an at-large bid to a BCS bowl when the bids come out in two weeks.

Clark, a 6-foot-3, 232-pound senior, helped the Lions break open a tight game in the third quarter, completing all six of his passes for 130 yards and three scores in Penn State's 28-point period that turned a nail-biter into a 35-7 laugher over the Spartans (6-6, 4-4).

After completing just two of his first seven passes, Clark went 17 of 20. His four TD throws gave him 23 for the season and 42 for his career, both school records, and his season total of 2,787 passing yards was another new standard.

And he didn't throw any interceptions yesterday.

"I guess [McShay] knows the game of football," Clark said, "but you get a lot of people, a lot of so-called fans, trying to coach from the couch and most of them don't realize how much goes into an offense. I don't pay attention to it."

Paterno, who had been boosting Clark as one of the nation's better quarterbacks, tried again yesterday.

"In the first quarter he struggled a little bit," Paterno said. "But when we got some things pinpointed, he was fine. He's been fine all year. The kid has lost what, four games in two years? He's a darn good quarterback."

Clark fired two touchdown passes to wide receiver Graham Zug, one to tight end Andrew Quarless, and one to fullback Joe Suhey. The throw to Suhey came on a play that saw Clark roll to his left looking to find a receiver before stopping and throwing back to his right to Suhey all alone at the sideline.

Former West Catholic quarterback Curtis Drake, now a freshman wide receiver, accounted for a Lions touchdown. Lined up in the backfield, Drake took a pitchout from Clark, rolled to his right, and hit Quarless in the end zone on a 14-yard pass.

Paterno said the play was put in just this week for Drake, who saw significant action in place of the injured Chaz Powell. Clark said that the Lions ran the play "about four or five times a day" in practice, and that it worked every time.

"I told him, 'Great throw, man,' " Clark said. "They gave us the exact look we've been practicing with the entire week. For it to work in the game and in a clutch situation, it really meant a lot."

Evan Royster rushed for 114 yards in 13 carries to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season. The Nittany Lions rolled up 512 yards of offense.

Defensively, the Lions capitalized on third-quarter interceptions by safety Nick Sukay and linebacker Sean Lee, both of which led to touchdowns in a span of less than five minutes.

The Lions would love to play in a BCS bowl but they are at a disadvantage because of their loss at home to Iowa, a game in which Clark threw three of his season total of nine interceptions.

"You've got to give credit to Iowa; they came in and they beat us at home," Lee said. "So that's definitely got to be added into the equation. But I know our team is a team that's going to get better, and we're going to be able to play with anybody."

Penn State must finish in the top 14 to have a shot at being selected by the BCS, maybe for the Fiesta or the Orange Bowl. If the Lions don't make it, they will likely play in the Capital One Bowl (Orlando, Fla.) or the Outback Bowl (Tampa).

Paterno joked he could "jump off the roof of my house" to call attention to Penn State. He also was asked what he would say to get his team in a BCS bowl.

"I'd say, 'Pick us, pick us!' " he said.