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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Oh, to have been a fly on the wall in the coaches' booth in the press box at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

For the first time this season, Penn State offensive coordinator Galen Hall was not on the sideline. Both he and quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno were perched upstairs.

"I felt that (Hall) could do a little bit better job upstairs," coach Joe Paterno said. "The play calling was done exactly the same way (as usual). They consulted on different things."

Even though he is the coordinator, Hall defers to Jay Paterno on at least half of the offensive plays. Judging by his demeanor on the sidelines the past few weeks, the unusual setup has sometimes seemed to frustrate Hall.

Because the coaches' box has glass-sided walls, reporters in the press box could peek in on Hall and Jay Paterno at work. From the outside, at least, things appeared to go smoothly.

"It was a good change of pace," Joe Paterno said. "Galen didn't have to listen to me bitch all the time on the sideline, so that was a good break for him."

He's got leg

Jeremy Kapinos booted a 78-yard punt in the third quarter.

With a gusty wind at his back, Kapinos blasted a low kick that touched down near the 30-yard line. From there, the ball bounced and rolled along the left sideline. It was downed at the 1.

Coop French had an 89-yard kick against Iowa in 1930. Kapinos' was the second-longest punt in Penn State history.

"I wish it had happened under better circumstances," Kapinos said.

Injury report

Two Penn State players sustained potentially serious injuries.

Safety Andy Guman suffered a chest contusion in the fourth quarter and was taken off the field on a cart. Tailback Austin Scott sustained a head injury on his second carry and spent the rest of the game on the sideline.

According to Joe Paterno, Scott was having trouble remembering plays after taking a hard hit.

No further information on either player was immediately available.

Tailback Rodney Kinlaw and linebacker Tim Shaw injured their left ankles in the second quarter, but both were able to return. In the third quarter, linebacker Paul Posluszny (Hopewell) got another burner in his right shoulder -- his sixth in a five-week span -- but he missed just two plays.

Quarterback Zack Mills (concussion) did not play. He was on the sideline in uniform, wearing a headset. Wideout Gerald Smith (hamstring) did not make the trip and missed his second game in a row.

Ohio State freshman tight end Rory Nichol (Beaver Area) sprained his ankle midway through the second quarter. He returned for one play, then left for good.

"He just didn't have quite the push off that he wanted," Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. "I don't think (the injury) was that major."

Peppy Paterno

After practice Thursday, Joe Paterno gathered his players for an animated pep talk.

Paterno extoled the historic comeback by the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship Series. He talked about Curt Schilling, who pitched the Sox to an important win despite an injury.

At the end of his speech, Paterno slipped into a white t-shirt that bore the message "Why not us?" across the front.

Kudos to Harley

Ohio State honored three-time All-American Chic Harley by retiring uniform No. 47 during a halftime ceremony. Ohio Stadium, dedicated in 1922, often is referred to as "the house that Harley built."

Senior safety Rob Harley wore his great-great-uncle's number in practice last week. Unfortunately, Rob Harley was injured early in the game and will miss the rest of the season.

"A lot of stuff was going through my mind as I went down (with the injury)," Rob Harley said. "But I made sure I could use crutches so I could be out there at halftime. I was not going to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Nittany notes

Defensive tackle Scott Paxson got his fourth blocked kick of the season when he tipped a 49-yard field goal attempt by Mike Nugent in the fourth quarter. It was the sixth block of Paxson's career. ... Guman, a senior, recorded his first career sack. ... Linebacker Derek Wake forced his first fumble of the year. It was recovered by Calvin Lowry, who leads the Big Ten with four recoveries.

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