Young Running Back Star Lifts Penn State Past Usc

Curtis Enis learned he would make his first start for Penn State during pregame warmups.

Boy, did he ever warm up!

The sensational sophomore had one of the greatest days in Penn State history, running for 241 yards and three touchdowns as the 11th-ranked Nittany Lions cruised to a 24-7 victory over No. 7 Southern California in the Kickoff Classic.

“My job was to run the ball hard and do what I’m supposed to,” Enis said. “My blockers just came out and gave me the holes to run through.”

Sure, Penn State’s young blockers opened a few holes, but the 6-foot-1, 231-pounder created a lot of his own running room.

If he wasn’t bouncing off USC safety Rashard Cook en route to a 24-yard scoring run in the first half, he was blowing past linebackers and cornerbacks on his way to 9- and 4-yard TDs in a 1:40 span early in the fourth period.

“Curtis had a great day,” said Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who on Tuesday wasn’t sure if Enis would start against the Trojans. “He’s obviously a much improved football player.”

Enis said Paterno came up to him during pre-game warmups and said “‘Let’s go.’ And I knew that I was starting.”

Rarely does Paterno play freshmen, but last season Enis was an exception. He didn’t start - in fact, he opened the year at linebacker - but still led the team with 683 yards rushing and three 100-yard games.