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Mills hopeful that he can play
Rob Biertempfel is the Pirates beat writer. He can be reached via e-mail. Also check out Biertempfel's blog, Pirates Q&A or follow him on Twitter.
Mills sustained a concussion last week, causing coach Joe Paterno to initially rule him out of Saturday's game.
Mills is scheduled to take a concussion test today to determine how well he has recovered. The 90-minute exam evaluates memory, progression and reaction time.
"I took the test on Monday, and the results weren't good," Mills said. "As far as I know, if I do OK on this test (today), I'll be cleared."
Still, even if Mills returns to practice today, he might not be deemed adequately prepared to play by Paterno.
"That's a decision the coaches are going to have to make, if I can go without taking as many reps (as usual)," Mills said.
Mills was injured midway through the second quarter when he was blindsided by Iowa defensive end Matt Roth. Mills was unable to brace himself as he fell, and the back of his head thudded off the turf.
"After that, I stumbled maybe three or four times coming out of the huddle," Mills said. "Everything got a little bit slower and foggier."
Even after a flurry of position changes, the offensive line did little against Iowa to help its quarterbacks.
"Do we deserve the heat? Yes," left guard Charles Rush said. "We made mental mistakes. We made physical mistakes. We made every kind of mistake you can make."
Right tackle Andrew Richardson and guard Tyler Reed, who were assigned to protect Mills' blind side, were demoted to the second string. Tackle Levi Brown was moved from the left to the right side, but looked inept against Roth, who had two sacks.
"Levi came to me after practice and said, 'I should be ashamed of myself,' " backup quarterback Michael Robinson said.
Let Mike be Mike
Tuesday, Paterno hinted that it might be time for Robinson to focus on one position, as the junior has not flourished in his "slash" role. Robinson, not wanting to cause trouble, declined to answer when asked about it.
Yesterday, Mills voiced the opinion that most observers already agree upon.
"I think the best thing for (Robinson) would be to stick to one position," Mills said. "(That way) he can get settled, he can feel 100 percent comfortable, he can be more relaxed.
"It's tough when you move around to several different positions. But I give Mike a lot of credit for adapting to it and going out and doing it."
Poz plays in pain
Linebacker Paul Posluszny played through what he called a "little" stinger in the second half against Iowa.
Two weeks earlier against Purdue, he had to be carted off the field and hospitalized when he sustained a massive stinger in his right arm and shoulder. It was his fourth burner in a 10-day span.
Posluszny said the medical staff is aware of the recurring problem, and has prescribed extra exercises to strengthen his neck and shoulder.
"I feel pretty good right now," Posluszny said yesterday.
Dear Zack ...
When asked about the level of frustration among fans, Paterno said reporters "would be amazed how many letters I get telling me to hang in there." However, some of the players have not been as lucky.
"I've gotten some mixed emails," Mills said with a chuckle. "I've gotten some that say, 'Hang in there.' I've gotten some that say, 'Hang it up.' I got a message on my phone about two weeks ago that just said, 'You suck.' Stuff along those lines."
Boo birds
There were increasingly loud boos in Beaver Stadium on Saturday each time the offense went three and out.
"That's very disheartening, especially at your home stadium," center E.Z. Smith said.
"I feel bad for the guys on our team," safety Andrew Guman said. "But the fans should expect more from us."
The discontent was not expressed only in the bleachers.
"You hear it riding on the bus around campus," tight end Isaac Smolko said. "They're fans. Fans are critics. I really don't care what anyone says."
