Nits' Connor has eyes on Temple

STATE COLLEGE - It wouldn't be a huge shock if fans attending this Saturday's Penn State-Temple game saw Dan Connor holding a hand-lettered sign outside of Lincoln Financial Field that read, "Will tackle for tickets."

Now that he's the Nittany Lions' new career recordholder for tackles, the gold standard for individual accomplishment in Happy Valley, the senior linebacker and Strath Haven High graduate can busy himself this week accumulating items of a different sort.

"I've been looking forward to [the Temple game] since I saw it on the schedule," said Connor, who is anxious to play for the first time at the Linc. "I'll be going back home, I'll have all my friends there. It's going to be fun. I've been trying to round up all the tickets I can."

Connor was in on 11 stops in Saturday's 26-19 escape over Purdue on Senior Day in Beaver Stadium, giving him 379 for his career, surpassing the previous mark of 372 set only last year by Connor's good friend and former teammate, Paul Posluszny, now a rookie with the Buffalo Bills.

Posluszny called Connor with a congratulatory message after the game, possibly to tell him to enjoy the moment because records don't last. Only memories do.

Another senior, Anthony Morelli, also claimed a record - he is the first Penn State quarterback to have at least 2,000 yards passing in multiple seasons - but he said the thing that will stick with him is coming through the tunnel for his final home game and looking up at the standard sellout crowd of 108,318.

"I just wanted to soak it all in," Morelli said. "It was my last time ever to play in this stadium. It's sad that it's all over."

It would have been sadder had the Lions (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) not bounced back from the previous week's 37-17 embarrassment by visiting Ohio State, the nation's No. 1 team, a game in which the Buckeyes did not punt even once and converted 12 of 16 third-down plays.

Purdue (7-3, 3-3) scored its only touchdown after an elapsed time of only 14 seconds as Dorien Bryant took the opening kickoff and raced 98 yards to the end zone, the second time this season Penn State has been burned for six points on a kickoff. Illinois' Arrelious Benn went the distance on Sept. 29, a backbreaker in the Lions' eventual 27-20 loss.