Penn State University
By Neil Rudel

As Penn State attempts to rebound from a 3-9 season, they hope to gain from addition by subtraction.

Last year, the receiving position was the leading culprit in sending the program to the most losses in its history, dropping two dozen passes. Leading receiver Tony Johnson was arrested for DUI at midseason. His emerging backup, Maurice Humphrey, was arrested for aggravated assault. Speedster Ernie Terrell was told to pick between football and track. He picked track. Then receivers coach Kenny Carter left for Vanderbilt.

The reliable targets are gone, too. Fullback and offensive leader Sean McHugh and tight ends Matt Kranchick, Mike Lukac and Casey Williams were all drafted or graduated.

With plenty of opportunity available, the Lions turn to Gerald Smith, fifth-year senior Ryan Scott and redshirt freshman Terrell Golden. Each had his moments in the Blue-White game.

"We have to have four guys, so we're just waiting for one or two to step up and be go-to-guys," quarterback Zack Mills said.

One outside possibility is Michael Robinson, who enters another season backing up Mills. The versatile Robinson has played running back, too, but will get his chance at QB. Failing that, Robinson will be an option to help the Lions spread the field.

"My passion to win would help me swallow my pride and play receiver or tailback," Robinson said. "But the only thing that would totally satisfy me would be to be the quarterback."

The entire offense figures to benefit from the addition of coordinator Galen Hall. A 1962 Nittany Lion quarterback, Hall was the offensive coordinator on two national championship teams at Oklahoma and a former national coach of the year at Florida. He replaces Fran Ganter, who resigned to take a newly-created administrative position.

Jay Paterno remains the quarterbacks coach, and new receivers coach Mike McQueary, another former Lion QB, have their positions in the same meeting room for the first time.

How play-calling is handled is another issue. For many years, Penn State's quarterback coach has called the pass plays while the coordinator determines run or pass and calls the running plays.

It worked fine during Dick Anderson's tenure as quarterback coach, but the offense has underachieved since Jay Paterno became QB coach in 2000. Hall, if given the reins, should help.

"Galen's got a lot of different ideas," Mills said. "Some things he's tweaked, changed a few things like the play-action game we put in."

The running backs will be more stable. Sophomore Austin Scott led the Lions in rushing with 436 yards last year but the staff was reluctant to completely turn over the position to the gifted tailback. Senior fullback Paul Jefferson returns from a redshirt year.

The offensive line will be bolstered by the return of center E.Z. Smith, who sat out last year after being charged twice with underage drinking.

Last year's defense was trying to recover from the loss of three NFL players along the defensive line, so there were growing pains, and the linebackers were average.

The strength of the unit was the secondary, and it could be again. Cornerback Alan Zemaitis is one of the Big Ten's best and the latest in a growing list of top-notch PSU cover corners.

Punter Jeremy Kapinos and place-kicker Robbie Gould both return, but so does a scheme that struggled in many aspects of the return and cover games.

"Obviously, that wasn't a Penn State football team last year," Paul Pozluszny, a bright spot in '03 as a true freshman linebacker, said. "We're looking forward to getting Penn State football back to what it is."