It was simply a strange game in which the Nittany Lions had the opportunity to leave the 500-pound gorilla that's been on their backs looking for bananas on State Street.

Losing to Iowa in overtime was tough, but this loss stung more.

Paterno refused to let his players talk after the game and he only spoke 2 1/2 minutes before exiting the postgame news conference.

"We played a tough football game and Michigan played a tough game,'' Paterno said. "Our kids played hard and their kids played hard and they made one more play than we did.''

Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said he understood that kind of pain.

"That's a tough loss,'' Carr said. "It would have been a tough loss for either team, because I thought every single guy on that football team played their hearts out. That's what college football is all about.''

The pain that many Penn State faithful will point to was that felt by quarterback Zack Mills and running back Larry Johnson on Saturday.

Although proclaimed healthy most of the week, the two were less than 100 percent and that was obvious from the start.

Penn State's first couple of series resembled an Abbott and Costello routine.

"Who's at quarterback? Wait a minute, who's at running back. I don't know.''

The Nittany Lions opened with backup quarterback Michael Robinson playing tailback for Johnson. Robinson later replaced Mills under center for a few plays.

Paterno said the Chinese fire drill was designed to protect both injured players.

Johnson entered the game late in the first quarter and scored on his first carry. He played the rest of the way.

"He's hurt. I really didn't want to play him that much," Paterno said. "He made up his mind he was going to stay in there and I thought he did a great job. ... Larry's going to be an awfully sore kid for a while.''

Before intermission, Mills threw for just 39 yards, his worst first-half performance of the season. As a result Penn State had just 90 total yards and 7 points.

"Early in the game I was afraid to use him too much because he's not 100 percent,'' Paterno said of Mills. "That's why Robinson was in there. We were trying to finesse our way through a couple of things early. Then, when we got into it, we had to play.''

Mills and Johnson both gutted out fine performances in the final 30 minutes. Mills passed for 225 yards and two touchdowns after the break, hitting on 10 consecutive passes at one point.

Johnson finished with 78 hard-earned yards rushing and 46 more receiving.

"He's a good back,'' Michigan's Chris Perry said of Johnson. "If he's injured, I didn't know it. He ran like he always runs. If he's better than that, then he's pretty good.''

But in the end, neither Mills' nor Johnson's gutsy performance could stop what seems to be the inevitable against the Wolverines.

Despite playing so well in the first half, Penn State's defense folded when the Nittany Lions needed a stop.

Michigan overpowered Penn State twice in the final quarter and left no doubt in the extra period.

"You've got to finish to win,'' Perry said

Instead, Penn State got to hear choruses of "The Victors" and Michigan players yelling "That's Number 6'' outside the locker rooms, which are close in proximity.

"It's a great rivalry and they're a great ballclub," Michigan quarterback John Navarre said. "They want it as bad as we do. We've got the will and it works out our way. We both have the will and that's the way it works out. That's just the Michigan-Penn State rivalry."

The good news for the Nittany Nation is that Michigan is now off the schedule for two seasons.

Maybe by 2005, Penn State can find a way to align the stars so that they hear its own chants of "Hail to the Victors.''

Walt Moody is assistant sports editor of the Centre Daily Times. He can be reached at 231-4630 or wmoody@centredaily.com.