Green-Ellis' record- breaking performance overshadowed by blowout

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Amid another blowout loss for IU, a bright spot emerged on the Hoosier horizon in the form of freshman running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.\nWhile Penn State pounded the Hoosiers 52-7 Saturday, Green-Ellis pounded the Nittany Lion defense 42 times for 203 yards. \nDuring this performance, records fell and rankings were climbed.\nGreen-Ellis' 42 rushing attempts broke Tony Dorsett's record for attempts by a Penn State opponent and set a new Beaver Stadium record. He was the first player to rush for 200 yards against PSU since 2001 and tied for seventh for yards by a Penn State opponent.\nThe New Orleans native moved into fifth on the IU rushing list for yards by a freshman in a single game. It was the 23rd time a Hoosier had eclipsed the 200-yard barrier and marked the first time since Levron Williams did it in 2001.\nGreen-Ellis said he wants opponents to remember him after the game.\n"Every play I play I want to leave a lasting impression when I come back again or when they come to our field next year," Green-Ellis said. "For them to be like, 'that's that kid.' I want them to be thinking about that in the back of their mind so I can damage them in a lot of different ways."\nIU's leading rusher damaged the Nittany Lions in different ways Saturday, either between the tackles or on the perimeter. He didn't waste time doing it either.\nOn IU's opening drive, Green-Ellis darted for 45 yards on eight carries and nearly broke a long run for a touchdown but a shoe-string tackle by PSU's Yaacov Yisreal prevented the score. The Hoosiers scored anyway on senior Glenn Johnson's 12-yard touchdown reception.\nGreen-Ellis delivered more than half his damage in the first half as the workhorse gained 117 yards on 24 carries. The Hoosiers trailed 21-7 though.\nIn the third quarter, a relatively close game turned into a complete route. Penn State scored 31 points in the third to put the game well out of reach.\nIn the meantime, Green-Ellis kept plugging along. A 9-yard gain up the middle, a 24-yarder around left-end, an 8-yard run off the right side. While the Lions kept scoring, Green-Ellis kept running.\nHe credited the offensive line, the fullbacks and junior Matt LoVecchio for changing the play at the line when necessary.\n"The offensive line did a good job of picking up all the blitzes and Matt did a good job of checking into good plays," Green-Ellis said. "They put me into good position to get the right amount of yards."\nIU's running back's coach Gerald Brown said he expects nothing less for the talented freshman who chose IU over Florida State.\n"He's a strong guy and a very talented player," Brown said. "He's capable of doing that any Saturday."\nPenn State coach Joe Paterno, who's seen quite a few running backs in his 38 years of coaching at PSU, said Green-Ellis caught his eye.\n"He's a good back," Paterno said. "I was impressed."\nFor Green-Ellis, he hopes Saturday's effort won't be his last record-setting afternoon as the freshman has his eye on bigger prizes.\n"First of all, being a running back, the Heisman," Green-Ellis said. "I want to break all the IU rushing records. All the rushing records you can think of, I want to break them all."\n-- Contact staff writer John Rodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu.