UNIVERSITY PARK -- Quarterback Zack Mills was limited to throwing short passes in Penn State's initial two practices this week as the team's medical staff kept a close eye on a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder.

"It's something that is sore," Mills said Wednesday morning. "It's going to be pretty sore for a while but it's not going to prevent me from playing Saturday (against Michigan).''

Mills practiced sparingly Monday and was limited to short passes in practice on Tuesday. Mills hoped to increase his workload Wednesday and to be throwing his normal assortment of passes by practice today.

"I haven't really tried to throw anything deep,'' Mills said. "They don't want me to yet. By Saturday it won't be a problem. It won't stop me from throwing anything.''

Mills said he feels pain when he sleeps on his left side since he injured the shoulder in Saturday's 34-31 victory over Wisconsin.

Mills injured the shoulder in the first quarter when Wisconsin's Erasmus James slammed Mills onto the artificial turf on a quarterback draw. Mills connected with Gerald Smith on a 22-yard gain on the next play but hung his left arm from the injury. He completed the drive, scooping up a Paul Jefferson fumble at the 1-yard line and scoring to put Penn State up
7-0.

Mills went to the locker room to be examined. He took pain relievers throughout the game, which Mills said helped limit discomfort.

Penn State's medical staff told Mills that he should be able to throw without pain by Saturday.

"They said as far as the pain I'm feeling when I'm throwing it, that should go away in the next couple of days,'' Mills said. "The AC joint, around the spot, as far as touching it and being tender, it's going to last for a week or two. That's fine I can deal with that soreness, if the pain when I throw it goes away.''

Mills, who was bothered by elbow tendonitis earlier this season, said limiting his throwing is a "blessing to relax my elbow.''

"Hopefully, by Thursday I'm throwing normally,'' Mills said.

Johnson sits out Tuesday

Penn State coach Joe Paterno said Tuesday that he expected tailback Larry Johnson (pulled hamstring) to play Saturday against Michigan but Mills said Johnson did not practice on Tuesday.

"I would definitely expect to see him start,'' said Michigan linebacker Victor Hobson, who played at St. Joseph's Prep and was a teammate of Johnson in the Big 33 game. "Larry's a tough kid. I think he'll be fully ready for this game.''

Practices don't lighten up

Coming off physical games against Iowa and Wisconsin, Paterno was faced with the question of just how much to push his players in practice this week.

"That is a dilemma you have every week,'' Paterno said, "when you are playing teams that are as strong physically and as aggressive and tough play after play as we have faced the last couple of weeks in Iowa and Wisconsin and will face this week at Michigan.''

Defensive lineman Michael Haynes and Anthony Adams said practices haven't let up this week.

Haynes says Paterno leaves it up to position coaches to decide who gets practice repetitions.

"Our bodies are feeling good,'' he said.

Penn State is 1-4 the week after playing Wisconsin since joining the Big Ten.

Let them go

Penn State and Michigan don't play in 2003 and 2004, so Mills was asked whether he would like to see the Michigan game remain on the schedule every year. "If we keep losing, I don't think so,'' Mills said. Michigan has won five straight in the series.