Former Nittany Lion Dodd leads the way

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Horace Dodd always knew he could run the ball in Beaver Stadium. Unfortunately for Penn State, Dodd is running for Boston College these days.

The former Nittany Lion ran for 62 yards and a touchdown to help Boston College beat his old team 27-14 Saturday.

"This was the first time I ran in this stadium -- the very first time," Dodd said. "That's one of the things Coach (Tom) O'Brien said when I came off the field is, 'You got to score a touchdown in Beaver Stadium.' I was like, '... It's about time."

Dodd scored on his first carry. Boston College (1-1) put him in after Tom Martin intercepted a pass by Zack Mills and returned it 25 yards to inside the 1-yard line. Dodd's touchdown gave the Eagles a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

"That was just his series to go in. I told him, 'After two series, you're in the game," O'Brien said. "Horace had a great day, too. He did a great job running the football. It helped us -- and I'm sure it helps his confidence -- that we have two solid tailbacks."

Sandro Sciortino's 31-yard field goal made it 24-0 early in the second quarter, Penn State's biggest deficit to start a game since Miami led 30-0 in the 2001 season opener.

Dodd redshirted at Penn State in 1999 and played on defense and special teams in all 11 games in 2000. He transferred to Boston College after it became apparent he would not play running back at Penn State.

Dodd started the first two games last year before Derrick Knight took the job. Most of Dodd's carries Saturday came late in the first quarter when Knight was sidelined with an injury.

Knight returned in the second quarter and finished with 156 yards on 26 carries, his second-straight game over 140 yards. Quinton Porter completed 10 of 21 passes for 145 yards -- 118 of them in the first quarter -- with two touchdowns and one interception.

"We felt we could throw the ball," O'Brien said. "We were able to throw the ball early on them, and that helped us untrack the running game a little bit."

Penn State (1-1) pulled to 24-7 on Austin Scott's 10-yard touchdown run just before halftime.

Sciortino's 30-yard field goal in the third quarter made it 27-7.

Michael Robinson engineered a 54-yard drive, running in from 2 yards out to pull Penn State to 27-14 with 6:12 remaining.

Mills completed 15 of 28 passes for 144 yards with one interception, but was pulled in favor of Robinson for most of the fourth quarter. Tony Johnson had 89 receiving yards on a career-high seven catches.

Boston College went up 7-0 when Porter threw an 18-yard TD pass to Grant Adams. The Eagles made it 14-0 when Tony Gonzalez caught a 37-yard touchdown pass.

"They came out sharp and hit a couple of passes early," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "One play our safety was out of position. We just didn't come out ready, then I look up and it's 14-nothing."