Wind was a factor in Penn State-Nebraska game

LINCOLN, Neb. - A strong southerly wind that gusted to 35 m.p.h. made for some interesting football Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Penn State scored 16 of its 23 points, including all three of Sam Ficken's field goals, with the wind at its back. Nebraska, however, kicked a field goal and scored two touchdowns into the wind, and had the breeze at its back in the fourth quarter when it posted the final 12 points in a 32-23 victory.

"At the end of the day I believe our kids handled it pretty well," Penn State coach Bill O'Brien said. "I don't think there were any bad plays because of the wind. It did factor in to certain play calls depending on which way we were going."

One of the bigger plays came on a 69-yard punt, with the wind, by the Cornhuskers' Brett Maher, that went out of bounds at the Penn State 2. Two plays later, Matt McGloin was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone, giving the Huskers a safety with 5 minutes, 2 seconds to play.

Regarding the wind, McGloin said, "A couple of times the ball carried on two corner routes I tried to throw to the tight end. It got caught up in the air on one to Allen [Robinson] deep. It was the same wind for them. You've got to deal with it and keep playing."

Tight end Kyle Carter, who returned after missing last week's Purdue game with a foot injury, suffered an injury to his right arm or wrist going for a pass in the end zone in the third quarter and didn't return.

"He was doing fine and then he got jacked there at the end in the end zone pretty good," O'Brien said. "He did something, but I'm not sure what it is right now."

The Lions also lost safety Malcolm Willis and defensive tackle James Terry to injuries during the game. O'Brien said he would have more information Tuesday at his weekly news conference.

Penn State was penalized 15 yards for sideline interference late in the second quarter as the officials tried to mark the ball after a windblown Nebraska punt out of bounds.

The penalty appeared to be on secondary coach John Butler, who was lobbying for a good spot of the ball. But O'Brien said that wasn't the case.

"I guess the ref was running down the sideline and ran into a player and I guess that is sideline interference," he said. "But it wasn't on John Butler."

Instead of starting the drive at the Nebraska 41, the Lions went from their own 44 and ended up with a 38-yard field goal by Ficken.

Sophomore Allen Robinson caught six passes to tie the Penn State record for most receptions in a single season with 63, equaling the mark set in 1992 by O.J. McDuffie and tied in 1995 by Bobby Engram.

"To know the prestige of the receivers who came through here, to be up there with those guys, it definitely means a lot," said Robinson, who caught just three passes last year. "I don't know those guys personally, but I've definitely heard of them. So as far as that goes, it definitely means a lot."