Austin Scott

Penn State coach Joe Paterno refused to discuss the status of Austin Scott yesterday, a day after the suspended running back was charged with rape and other crimes. "I'm not going to even make a comment on it," Paterno said after the Nittany Lions beat Wisconsin, 38-7. "I'm annoyed, simple as that. I had a bunch of kids play a good football game today against a good team. That's what I thought we ought to talk about. " Scott, a redshirt senior, was arraigned Friday on charges of rape, sexual assault and two counts of aggravated indecent assault, all felonies, along with several misdemeanors in connection with an Oct. 5 encounter with a woman.

A federal judge has dismissed former Penn State running back Austin Scott's civil lawsuit against the university, police and a female acquaintance over a rape charge against him that was later dropped. No evidence supported Scott's accusation that the woman, the school, police and prosecutors conspired against him, U.S. District Judge William Caldwell in Harrisburg said in the ruling. Caldwell ruled there was probable cause to arrest Scott in October 2007. Prosecutors withdrew the charges in 2008, and Scott filed the civil suit the following year.

Coming out of high school in Alexandria, Va., Tony Hunt did not have the statistics of and did not receive the accolades bestowed on Austin Scott, the running back from Allentown who was a Parade all-American and was considered a gem of Penn State's 2003 recruiting class. Nonetheless, when the Nittany Lions open the season Saturday against Akron at Beaver Stadium, Hunt will start at tailback. "Hunt will start," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said yesterday during his weekly teleconference.

Maybe the ear-to-ear smile that brightened Austin Scott's face Saturday as he meandered through the postgame tangle of Penn State and Temple players was one of relief that a burden had been lightened. Or maybe it was simply the result of pure teenage jubilation that comes with a successful debut. It's hard to know for certain because Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno keeps the lips of his true freshmen tightly zipped. But Paterno couldn't keep Scott from satisfying the curiosity of the more than 101,000 spectators at Beaver Stadium.

Austin Scott, who established Pennsylvania high school rushing records by compiling mind-boggling statistics at Parkland High near Allentown two years ago, has shown he has the speed and elusiveness to be a successful tailback at Penn State. But punctuality seems to be a shortcoming, which is why he didn't play in Saturday night's 21-7 loss at Boston College. Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno acknowledged yesterday that Scott missed a team meeting. As a freshman last season, Scott, who led the Nittany Lions in rushing, missed at least one team meeting and was late for another.

Penn State running back Austin Scott and his parents spoke with the Daily News in their first extensive interview since charges were brought against him. The wide-ranging interview lasted more than 2 1/2 hours and took place Sunday in the Allentown office of Scott's lawyer, John Karoly. The interviews occurred before a Centre County judge issued a gag order on all parties involved in the case. That session and interviews with others associated with the case and with Scott during his high school and college football careers resulted in a two-part series that began yesterday.

Is tailback Austin Scott an ex-Nittany Lion? That's what ESPN sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein said Penn State coach Joe Paterno told her during a production meeting Friday. Bernstein reported during Saturday's win over Wisconsin that Paterno told her Scott is "off the team. Period. End of conversation. " She confirmed that discussion yesterday when contacted by the Daily News . Scott is still on the roster but remains suspended, Penn State spokesman Jeff Nelson said Friday.

If John J. Karoly Jr. were a football coach instead of a lawyer, you'd have to believe his philosophy would be that the best defense is a good offense. Karoly, the lead attorney for Penn State tailback and accused rapist Austin Scott, said he will seek to introduce into evidence the fact that Scott's accuser brought similar charges in 2003 against a Moravian College student who was later acquitted. The next preliminary hearing for Scott at the Centre County Government Courthouse, in Bellefonte, is Nov. 15, at which time the fifth-year senior will formally enter a plea of not guilty.

With Michigan susceptible to the pass, many expected Penn State to come out firing. But on its first two plays, it was Austin Scott off left guard and fullback Matt Hahn off right guard. At the half, pass calls slightly favored the run, 16-13. "You don't go in there with the idea you're going to throw the ball 100 times or 40 times," coach Joe Paterno said. With the Lions stacking the line against Michigan running back Mike Hart (44 carries for 153 yards), freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett was able to complete some key third-down passes.

Austin Scott's sexual-assault trial is set to begin today - maybe. The trial of the former Penn State running back could be delayed, because the Centre County District Attorney's Office filed a notice of appeal yesterday, according to court documents. The district attorney was appealing a recent ruling by County Court Judge Thomas King Kistler that would permit the defense to cross-examine Scott's accuser on similar allegations the female student made while at Moravian College in 2003.

A federal judge has dismissed former Penn State running back Austin Scott's civil lawsuit against the university, police and a female acquaintance over a rape charge against him that was later dropped. No evidence supported Scott's accusation that the woman, the school, police and prosecutors conspired against him, U.S. District Judge William Caldwell in Harrisburg said in the ruling. Caldwell ruled there was probable cause to arrest Scott in October 2007. Prosecutors withdrew the charges in 2008, and Scott filed the civil suit the following year.

Austin Scott's sexual-assault trial is set to begin today - maybe. The trial of the former Penn State running back could be delayed, because the Centre County District Attorney's Office filed a notice of appeal yesterday, according to court documents. The district attorney was appealing a recent ruling by County Court Judge Thomas King Kistler that would permit the defense to cross-examine Scott's accuser on similar allegations the female student made while at Moravian College in 2003.

Austin Scott was wearing his Penn State blue and white yesterday. For the former Nittany Lions running back, it was a long time coming. In early October, Scott was suspended from the team for violating a team rule. A week later, he was charged with rape and sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty but never played another game for Penn State, missing the final eight games of his senior season. Scott, 23, was back on campus yesterday to participate in pro day - with 10 other former Lions, including Dan Connor of Wallingford, Delaware County - hoping to impress NFL eyes even as his April 16 trial looms.

With a rape and sexual assualt trial looming in April, Austin Scott will attempt to convince scouts that he is an NFL talent at Penn State's pro day on March 18. Although there was some previous ambiguity over whether the former Nittany Lions running back would be permitted to participate, Scott is slated to attend the event in State College, according to his agent. "We have a letter of invitation," said Chris Lencheski, president and CEO of SKI & Co. "And Austin will be there ready to go. " Penn State team spokesman Jeff Nelson said he had received an "indication that [Scott]

Suspended Penn State running back Austin Scott has waived today's scheduled arraignment and pleaded not guilty to felony charges of rape and sexual assault and a simple-assault charge and two counts of indecent assault, all misdemeanors. A redshirt senior from Allentown, Scott's next court appearance is a pre-trial conference set for Jan. 17. Jury selection is scheduled for Feb. 4 before a formal trial begins. Scott's waiver, which included his plea, was faxed yesterday to the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. "We expected a waiver since 90 percent normally waive the arraignment," Centre County assistant court administrator Barb Gallo said.

Penn State running back Austin Scott and his parents spoke with the Daily News in their first extensive interview since charges were brought against him. The wide-ranging interview lasted more than 2 1/2 hours and took place Sunday in the Allentown office of Scott's lawyer, John Karoly. The interviews occurred before a Centre County judge issued a gag order on all parties involved in the case. That session and interviews with others associated with the case and with Scott during his high school and college football careers resulted in a two-part series that began yesterday.

If John J. Karoly Jr. were a football coach instead of a lawyer, you'd have to believe his philosophy would be that the best defense is a good offense. Karoly, the lead attorney for Penn State tailback and accused rapist Austin Scott, said he will seek to introduce into evidence the fact that Scott's accuser brought similar charges in 2003 against a Moravian College student who was later acquitted. The next preliminary hearing for Scott at the Centre County Government Courthouse, in Bellefonte, is Nov. 15, at which time the fifth-year senior will formally enter a plea of not guilty.

The defense team for Austin Scott had claimed since the Penn State running back was charged with rape on Oct. 12 that his accuser had a "troubled past. " According to court documents, that past includes a similar charge the woman made against a fellow Moravian College student in 2003 that resulted in an acquittal the following year. Many of the details surrounding both accusations are similar. The woman, now a student at Penn State, said that the alleged attacks occurred after she was drinking, that she willingly went to the man's bedroom, and that she awoke to find him trying to have sex with her, court records show.

THE AGING EMPEROR said he was wearing a loud necktie - "Every color in the Big Ten is in here," he guessed - but Joe Paterno spoke softly, or not at all, on the subject of Austin Scott. It was a simple enough question. Scott, the team's star running back, has been charged in a sexual-assault case. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for today, and his attorney has loudly professed Scott's innocence. He is a non-person on the depth chart, but the team roster still has Scott's name on it. According to ESPN's Bonnie Bernstein, though, Paterno told her that Scott was finished, done, kaput.

The preliminary hearing for suspended Penn State running back Austin Scott, charged with rape and sexual assault, is set for today at 11 a.m. at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. "If you put things in proper perspective, the odds [of dismissing the charges] are way against us," said Joseph Amendola, Scott's lawyer. "We anticipate that if [the alleged victim] testifies what she said in her deposition, charges will be held. " Scott, a redshirt senior from Allentown, was charged Friday with rape, sexual assault, and two counts of aggravated indecent assault, all felonies, after an alleged encounter with a woman in his on-campus apartment early Oct. 5. He also has been charged with simple assault and two counts of indecent assault, all misdemeanors.