Paterno one victory from 300

"I don't want to sound like I'm not grateful that we're going to have an opportunity to win 300 games," said Paterno, who would become just the fifth coach to reach that plateau. "I don't want to sound like a big phony up here. I do feel good about it, but I really don't have time to say, 'Boy, oh boy!'

"You haven't got time. You fight for minutes now to look at one more detail, one more tape, get one more thing done," he said Tuesday.

Paterno, 71, improved to 299-77-3 with last weekend's win over Southern Mississippi, but he'd be remiss to stop preaching "team, team, team" to celebrate his impending milestone victory.

AP PHOTO Longtime Penn State coach Joe Paterno is getting closer to No. 300. This is Paterno's 49th season in Happy Valley. Saturday the Nittany Lions host Bowling Green.

Do that, he warns, and the Falcons - coming off a 37-0 drubbing to Missouri - may just delay the party.

"That Missouri game, you've got to be careful," he said. "Nobody knows how good Missouri is. They may be an outstanding football team. They were just a little bit better than Bowling Green last Saturday in most areas."

He's talking Bowling Green, not No. 300 in the locker room, and the players said they're trying to avoid getting distracted.

With all the hoopla around Paterno's 300th win, it certainly makes it harder for players.

"He's told us in a couple of meetings to focus on our plan," quarterback Kevin Thompson said. "We just have to downplay it. Playing Bowling Green is a lot easier than trying to get Paterno's 300th win."

Penn State jumped four spots to No. 9 in the polls with its 34-6 defeat over then-No. 21 Southern Mississippi.

Paterno figured out who his starting quarterback is, watched a solid performance by his offensive line and saw a bevy of inexperienced backs step up.

His defense held the Golden Eagles to nine yards rushing and stopped the big passing plays.

But Paterno wouldn't be a coach if he wasn't still concerned. He knows the big test is two games away: No. 1 Ohio State at Columbus on Oct. 3.

"I'm just as concerned, because regardless of what somebody does in one game, that doesn't get you home free. I'm still concerned about the fact that we don't have any experience," Paterno said.

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