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Northwestern on the wrong end of a landmark win for Joe Paterno is getting old to coach Pat Fitzgerald.
''I'm just kind of tired that it keeps happening against us,'' he said.
He's also in awe. And why not?
Paterno tied Eddie Robinson's Division I record with his 408th career victory Saturday night as Penn State beat Northwestern 34-24.
Silas Redd ran for 164 yards and a touchdown, Matt McGloin threw for 192 yards and two scores, and the Nittany Lions clamped down in the second half to give their storied coach another milestone victory as he watched from the coaches' box.
Paterno will try to move ahead of Robinson, the late Grambling State legend, when the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) host Illinois next Saturday. That starts a tough stretch that also includes a home game against Nebraska before trips to Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Paterno still has a long way to go to catch John Gagliardi of Division III St. John's, Minn. (481 and counting), the only other coach with more wins, but this was another big notch for an icon in his 46th season leading the Nittany Lions.
That he got it against Northwestern (2-5, 0-4) was fitting, too.
After all, when he tied Bear Bryant with 323 wins, he did it against the Wildcats. No. 400 came at their expense, too, last season in Happy Valley when Penn State rallied from 21 down to win 35-21.
''There is a reason why Coach Paterno is tied with Eddie Robinson; he is the best ever,'' said Fitzgerald, who also called him a ''great role model.''
Northwestern, meanwhile, is simply a struggling team that is in danger of missing out on the postseason after three straight bowl appearances.
The Wildcats (2-5, 0-4) have lost five straight, and they got a scare late in the game when quarterback Dan Persa left with a left ankle injury. Fitzgerald said he ''possibly'' could have gone back in.
The question for the Wildcats is can they come back from this?
''I just feel that this whole season, the offense is playing good and the defense is playing bad. Defense is playing good and the offense is playing bad,'' quarterback Kain Colter said.
Facing one of the nation's stingiest defenses, Northwestern racked up 406 yards but was largely contained in the second half. Penn State also came away with seven sacks - two by Jordan Hill - including two big ones on Colter right after Persa went down.
He came up grabbing his left ankle and limped off the field after a 4-yard run that put the ball on the Penn State 13.
A 17-yard sack by Hill on Colter and an 11-yarder by Sean Stanley drove the Wildcats all the way back to the 41 and forced them to punt, helping preserve the win.
Persa threw for 294 yards, completing 26 of 34 passes, but he got sacked four times and was largely a non-factor in the second half.
The same goes for Colter.
He ran for 51 yards, including a 46-yarder in the second quarter that led to his own 4-yard TD run. He also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass, his first scoring reception, but got shut down in the second half - just like the rest of the Wildcats.
''Everyone is getting frustrated,'' safety Brian Peters said.
