Paterno misses first bowl game sideline in Penn State win

January 01, 2007 06:18 pm

— TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Joe Paterno watched Penn State's 20-10 win over No. 17 Tennessee in the Outback Bowl from the press box Monday, the first time in his 41-year head-coaching career he was absent from the sideline for a bowl game.
Otherwise, he seemed his usual fussy self _ frowning over penalties, conferring with assistants about a fourth-down play and smiling when his secondary batted down a desperation fourth-quarter pass.
"I don't like it up there," Paterno said. "It's not much fun."
But his team gave him a big lift with the Nittany Lions' best win of the season. Paterno heaped praise on his veteran coaching staff for helping him garner his 22nd bowl victory in 33 appearances _ both career coaching records.
"I have a great staff. ... They need me like I need a hole in my head," Paterno joked after the game. "All I do is get in the way and yell."
The 80-year-old coach hasn't been on the sideline since Nov. 4 at Wisconsin, when two players barreled into him. He had surgery the next day to fix a broken shinbone and two torn knee ligaments in his left leg.
Paterno watched the next game against Temple from home, Penn State's first contest without the iconic coach since 1977. He returned to Beaver Stadium on Nov. 18 to watch the season finale against Michigan State from the press box.
On Sunday, he said he was sore from walking through "agility drills" trying to get ready for the game. He tested out the leg again Monday as his team warmed up, but got concerned that he would not have good traction on a field wet from a light rain.
"It was getting a little muddy and I was a little nervous, and I got worried about not being able to stand for three hours," Paterno said.
So, after exchanging handshakes with Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer and other well-wishers, Paterno headed upstairs to the coaches' box. Television cameras showed him taking notes and leaning over to talk to his assistants during the game.
An angry Paterno slammed his hand on a table after wideout Deon Butler was whistled for pass interference. He smiled when Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge's pass was batted down late in the fourth quarter on fourth down.
Instead of encouraging his players on the sideline, the best he could do was relay messages to his team. He said be briefly entertained thoughts of talking to his team at halftime after Tennessee regained momentum on a 42-yard touchdown run by LaMarcus Coker with 1:15 left in the second quarter.
But he decided against it and remained in the box, where he took in a halftime routine by the Penn State marching band entitled "Ode to Joe."
His assistants and players didn't miss a beat. The defense grounded the Volunteer passing attack and got a score on Tony Davis' 88-yard fumble return, and tailback Tony Hunt pounded out tough yards on offense.
After the game, one of Paterno's first thoughts turned to food. This was a bowl game sponsored by Outback Steakhouse, after all.
"Couldn't get a good steak anywhere," he joked, before relenting later. "I think I had one good steak."

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