Mcqueary Answers His Critics

College football

Teammates congratulated Mike McQueary on his record-setting performance as he came off the field. McQueary wasn’t sure what they were talking about.

“I was actually wondering on the field if I had 200 (passing yards),” the fifth-year senior said after throwing for 366 yards in his first start and leading No. 1 Penn State to a 34-17 victory over Pitt Saturday in State College, Pa.

“They said, ‘You broke (the school record) by 20 (yards) and I thought they were just making fun,” McQueary said. “I’d never even thrown for more than 100 in high school.”

McQueary actually broke Penn State’s single-game passing record, set by Todd Blackledge in 1981, by eight yards, and the school record for total offensive yards, John Hufnagel’s 363 yards in 1972, by seven. It was an emphatic reply to the critics who asked why, if he was any good, he sat on the bench for four years.

“I’m kind of happy about the critics,” he said. “The last four years I’ve heard it, and you don’t know what it’s done for me. I’ve come out every day and tried to get better because I heard that. I wasn’t going to be a kid that failed.”

Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who said all along that he knew McQueary could do the job, didn’t go overboard in his praise of his new quarterback, perhaps wanting to keep him hungry.

Florida gains in poll

Florida’s 82-6 romp over Central Michigan brought the defending national champions closer to No. 1 Penn State in The Associated Press’ Top 25 college football poll.

The Nittany Lions opened the season with a 34-17 victory over rival Pittsburgh and received 22 first-place votes and 1,620 points Sunday from the 70 sports writers and broadcasters who vote in the poll.

The Gators (2-0), with Doug Johnson tying a school record by throwing seven first-half touchdown passes Saturday, had 15 first-place votes and 1,590 points. Last week, Penn State led Florida in first-place votes, 23-14, and in points, 1,616-1,543.

Washington moved up a spot to No. 3.

The complete Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls can be found in the Stat Sheet on page C4.

Hawaii defeats Northridge

Tim Carey passed for 328 yards, Quincy Jacobs, like Carey a transfer from Stanford, scored a pair of touchdowns and the Hawaii defense accounted for another 10 points Saturday night as the Rainbows defeated Cal State-Northridge, 34-21 at Honolulu.