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STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania (Ticker) -- Fourth-ranked Penn State appeared ready for a major letdown until dominating the final 10 minutes of the first half and coasting to a 70-24 romp of Akron. Mike Cerimele had one of his two touchdown runs in the second quarter, which safety Askari Adams capped with a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown that gave Penn State a 35-10 cushion. Akron had pulled within 14-10 when Brandon Payne scored on a five-yard run with 10:03 left before halftime. Kenny Watson took the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the Zips 47-yard line, then Eric McCoo ran twice for 31 yards to help set up Cerimele's three-yard touchdown run. "We kept our poise when things weren't going perfectly and I think that's a good indication of the kind of team we have," Cerimele said. That began the domination by the Nittany Lions, who had not scored this many points in a game since a 70-7 shellacking of Maryland on October 2, 1993. On Akron's next possession, Penn State linebacker Maurice Daniels intercepted Greg Gromek and return it 15 yards to the 10. Three plays later, Rashard Casey completed a 10-yard slant to John Gilmore for a touchdown and a 28-10 lead and the rout was on. Casey also scrambled for a 23-yard score in the first quarter for Penn State, which was coming off an impressive 41-7 victory over No. 4 Arizona last week. Fellow quarterback Kevin Thompson came on in the second half and threw a pair of touchdown bombs, finishing 5-of-8 for 188 yards. "I'm not trying to create a problem for myself by trying to establish one guy as the quarterback," said Penn State coach Joe Paterno. "I think both those kids are handling it well and both those kids add something when they go in." "This system helps us win," Thompson said of splitting time with Casey. "It's hard for defenses to prepare for us." McCoo rushed nine times for 53 yards, Cerimele had five carries for 45 yards and Omar Easy entered in garbage time to collect 64 yards on three carries. McCoo, Cerimele and Easy were three of nine players that reached the end zone for Penn State, which improved to 11-0 all-time against Mid-American Conference foes and posted its 21st straight non-conference win. The Nittany Lions did not need another big game from Chafie Fields, who had 186 yards of total offense and scored two TDs in the win over Arizona. The star wideout had just one catch for 20 yards. The Zips were no match in the second half for the Nittany Lions, the highest-ranked opponent in school history. Akron began the 1997 season with a 59-14 loss to then-No. 6 Nebraska. "This is a great Penn State defense (and) they continue to show an offense," said Zips coach Lee Owens. "They have every bit as good a chance to win the Rose Bowl or a national championship." The Nittany Lions seemed primed to post another blowout in the early going, taking the lead on a two-yard TD run by Cerimele with 6:40 left in the first quarter. Their next possession began with a 40-yard run by Eddie Drummond and ended with Casey sweeping to the left for his 23-yard score and a 14-0 lead. Akron showed some mettle, as Jimmie Gray returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards, helping set up a 39-yard field goal by Zac Derr. A fumble by Aaron Harris gave Akron the ball at Penn State's 32, leading to Payne's touchdown run. But the Zips managed just 22 yards of offense the rest of the half and watched the Nittany Lions roll. "We were a little sloppy early on both sides of the football and we played a little better in the second half than the first half," Paterno said. "I think overall, we got a little better in certain areas." The first play of the third quarter saw Thompson hit Drummond for a 71-yard score. Akron's next possession resulted in a punt and three plays later, Thompson fired a 65-yard bomb to Bryant Johnson to push the advantage to 49-10. "I saw the safety cheating and I put the ball out there and let the receivers go and get it," Thompson said of his TD tosses. Lions safety James Boyd picked off James Washington at the Zips 47 midway through the third. A 16-yard scamper by Cerimele on the ensuing drive led to McCoo's one-yard touchdown plunge with 6:33 left. The Zips put together their best drive of the day on the ensuing possession, holding the ball for the rest of the quarter. They cashed in with 62 seconds gone in the period as Washington hit Tim Ritley with a five-yard touchdown pass. Penn State answered immediately, with Mick Blosser scoring on a four-yard run to make it 63-17. Easy added a 58-yard touchdown with 4:57 to go. Washington contributed a 31-yard TD toss to Lavel Bailey and finished 12-of-24 for 116 yards. Gromek was 3-of-7 for just 21 yards and two interceptions. The Nittany Lions gained 332 yards on the ground compared to 144 for the Zips.
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