Penn State notebook

Senior tailback Austin Scott, who redshirted this season and was playing with the scout team in previous bowl practices, returned home Sunday for reasons that are still unclear.

"He's got some family things," Paterno said Thursday.

Spencer Ridenhour, a sophomore reserve safety, did not make the trip to Tampa.

"Spencer has broken a team rule," Paterno said. "I told the guys, 'We have a long way to go, and I'm not going to be putting up with any nonsense.'"

Filling the middle: With Ed Johnson suspended for a violation of team rules, Penn State will look to several players to line up alongside Jay Alford at defensive tackle.

Freshman Phillip Taylor, redshirt freshman Chris Baker, senior Steve Roach and redshirt sophomore Mike Lucian have battled for playing time during bowl practices. The foursome has nine combined tackles this season — 24 fewer than Johnson made.

"I feel confident playing next to those guys, just as confident as I feel playing next to Jay and Ed," said Penn State defensive end Josh Gaines. "We don't have a set starter right now, but we're just working in a couple more practices give them some more time to get polished. We'll see what happens when game day comes around."

Teeing it up: The hero of Penn State's last bowl game hopes to finish 2006 just as strong.

After missing his first two attempts, Kevin Kelly connected on a 29-yard field goal in the third overtime to beat Florida State 26-23 in last year's Orange Bowl. Kelly will enter the Outback Bowl having overcome plenty of adversity this season as well.

First, the Lions had chronic problems simply getting snaps down for Kelly to kick. Then, nagging injuries to his hip and back began to make any sort of kicking painful.

Team trainer George Salvaterra designed a series of exercises to stabilize Kelly's core.

"Within the first three weeks I could see a lot of differences," he said.

Kelly, who said he is at 100 percent, spent Thursday fielding several questions about his Orange Bowl game-winner.

"The first thing I remember is that there was a fake on," said Kelly, adding that holder Jason Ganter called it off and set up the biggest kick of the Neshaminy native's career. "I was just kind of making sure I knew what I was doing."

Texting a former teammate: Many Tennessee and Penn State players will exchange who-are-you looks Monday.

That's not the case with Tennessee senior linebacker Marvin Mitchell and Penn State junior wide receiver Terrell Golden. Mitchell and Golden both attended Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Va.

"I was pretty excited when I found out we were playing Penn State because I know somebody on their team," Mitchell said. "We have been sending text messages back and forth."

Mitchell also lined up against Penn State offensive tackle Levi Brown, another Norfolk native, during his high school career.

Praising Paul: It has become a routine this season.

Before every Penn State game, beat writers ask the opposing coach about senior linebacker Paul Posluszny.

Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer floated the usual praise in Posluszny's direction Thursday.

"He's a great football player, with great speed, great quickness, great pad leverage and he's a great tackler," he said. "It's everything that you would want in a linebacker. We have had some good players and they have had some great players at that position and he's as good as any of them."