NO. 17 WISCONSIN 13 PENN STATE 3
Knee injury knocks Paterno out of game
Legendary coach tries to stick it out but gets carted off
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Chris Jenkins
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Joe Paterno is carted off the field in the third quarter. He initially tried to watch the game from the bench after having his knee wrapped.
Joe Paterno suffers a knee injury while getting rolled into by Penn State tight end Andrew Quarless.
MADISON, Wis. ? Joe Paterno was his feisty self, arguing with officials and brushing off a television interview just before halftime.
But the 79-year-old coaching icon had to leave the sideline after being hit by a player and suffering a knee injury in the second half of Penn State?s 13-3 loss at No. 17 Wisconsin yesterday.
"It was sad to watch," said Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who took over for Paterno. "But he?ll probably be back chasing officials next Saturday."
Paterno stood with his hands on his knees for several minutes after freshman tight end Andrew Quarless rolled into him after catching a sideline pass early in the third quarter. Paterno eventually was escorted to the bench.
As trainers wrapped Paterno?s leg, Penn State safety Donnie Johnson dropped a potential interception with nothing but open field between him and the end zone that would have tied the score.
"He just had to catch it," Bradley said.
Instead, Wisconsin punted and the ball bounced off Penn State returner Anthony Scirrotto and was recovered by the Badgers at the Penn State 20-yard line. Taylor Mehlhaff kicked a 20-yard field goal to extend Wisconsin?s lead to 13-3 with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter.
Bradley tried to keep his boss in the loop. But once Paterno was carted back to the locker room near the end of the third quarter, NCAA rules forbid him from wearing a headset.
Paterno flew back to State College, Pa., ahead of the team with a member of the school?s medical staff and was expected to have X-rays last night and a magnetic resonance imaging today or Monday.
Wisconsin (9-1, 6-1) scored the first touchdown given up by Penn State?s defense in more than two games, and kept the Nittany Lions offense under control for most of the afternoon.
"All week, we had a little chip on our shoulder," Badgers safety Joe Stellmacher said. "All we heard about was Penn State?s ?D? and how good their linebackers were. We can play a little ball too."
Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco also was hurt, leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. Coach Bret Bielema said he wasn?t "overly concerned" about the injury.
Stocco led Wisconsin on a nine-play, 68-yard drive in the final five minutes of the first half, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to receiver Paul Hubbard despite tight coverage by Scirrotto. The score gave the Badgers a 10-3 lead with 23 seconds remaining before halftime.
Paterno got upset on the ensuing kickoff when the Badgers tried to run out the last 23 seconds of the half by intentionally going offsides on two straight kickoff attempts to take advantage of a new rule that starts the clock when the ball is kicked. Paterno stormed onto the field to complain to officials, then emphatically waved off a television reporter as he headed to the locker room.