STATE COLLGE -- Evan Royster dropped to the grass at Beaver Stadium, an injured man before the game even started. Laying in a heap near the 5-yard line, teammates rushed to his side moments before the game. Penn State's starting running back needed help getting to his feet and leaned on a teammate in a rush to return to the team locker room.

Penn State officials believed Royster injured his ankle before the game when he ran into teammates, but Royster said after the game he hurt his knee.

He returned to the field moments later, shaking out his legs as his teammates finished stretching.

"I haven't seen the docs yet," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said, "but I know he walked off the field and they were concerned. Actually, I didn't see it, but coaches were saying he ran into a couple of kids who were watching during warmup. (They were) a couple of our players who wouldn't necessarily be playing. That's one of the problems you get when you dress everybody. "I don't think it affected his play, but I haven't seen the doctors yet."

Paterno said the team dressed 112 kids. The Lions ran their customary pregame drills, with players working out and covering much of the 50 yards at the south end of the field. The question remains how much did Royster's injury play a role in the game?

Royster started, and he carried the ball 13 times for 36 yards -- his lowest one-game total of the season, snapping a three-game string of 100-yard performances. He never produced the big run Penn State needed. But Royster's off night might be more a result of a poor effort by Penn State's offensive line.

"We just couldn't handle (Ohio State's front seven)," Royster said. "They were getting pressure on (quarterback) Daryll (Clark). They were getting to me in the backfield."

Ohio State's Cameron Heyward had two sacks, totaling a loss of 13 yards. And the Buckeyes combined for four tackles for loss. Ohio State's defense allowed 95 rushing yards and 201 yards of total offense. Penn State just had no protection for Clark, and Clark had no time to find his receivers.

Penn State's offensive line had been a concern much of the season. Even in some of Penn State's laugher non-conference games, Clark struggled to keep his jersey clean. Paterno admitted he never expected an easy game against Ohio State.

"I knew (our offensive line) would have troubles," Paterno said. "We had felt that the front seven of Ohio State played the run about as well as anybody we had seen, including Iowa. We knew we would have our hands full."

jseip@ydr.com; 771-2025