One game in the books and one victory for Penn State.

The 23-13 win over South Florida should be the first of three non-conference wins for Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions still have a ton of questions on offense, but they clearly have one of the most powerful and intimidating defenses in the Big Ten.

That should be more than enough to get the job done against a very young Cincinnati team that edged Eastern Michigan 28-26 in the season opener. The Bearcats have 16 freshmen on the roster, seven of whom saw significant action against EMU.

The idea of a young team going to Happy Valley can be very intimidating, according to Bearcats head coach Mark Dantonio. "My advice to our players is enjoy the moment," Dantonio said. "Don't get uptight. These are the things that you've dreamed about when you were a young person growing up."

But going up against the Penn State defense -- linebackers Paul Posluszny and Tim Shaw, defensive backs Anwar Phillips, Calvin Lowry and Alan Zemaitis and DE Tamba Hali -- could be very painful to Cincinnati.

That Penn State defense limited South Florida to 97 rushing yards and forced the action throughout the game. Zemaitis punished the Bulls with a 16-yard fumble return for a score in the first quarter and that's the kind of big-play ability the Penn State defense has demonstrated on a regular basis.

Will the offense step up? That's still a work in progress. Freshman WR Derrick Williams is one of the fastest players in college football and he caught three passes for 38 yards in the opener. If Michael Robinson get the ball to him accurately, look for Williams to become an impact player.

Paterno, meanwhile, has decreed he no longer likes dealing with the media. "I can't trust you guys anymore. I am just being honest with you. It is no fun," the 78-year-old Paterno said Tuesday. "If I have to go and be guarded about everything I do, it is no fun."

Penn State is 27-33 over the past five seasons.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Michael Robinson is a questionable commodity at quarterback. He's a top athlete, but he is an inconsistent passer. He was 9-of-15 against South Florida, but he missed several open receivers. He needs to step up. Tony Hunt started the year with a 140-yard game and is a solid runner. The offensive line is unproven and was unable to protect Robinson against South Florida.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Look for Tim Shaw, Paul Posluszny, Anwar Phillips, Alan Zemaitis and Tamba Hali to step it up all season. They should be able to punish a green Cincinnati team that will be in over its head against the Nittany Lions.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I always say that we're the backbone of the team. We're our toughest critics. ... It's just that we've got so many expectations for our defense, and we really want to go out there and not have anybody score -- not even have anybody come into our territory." -- Penn State CB Alan Zemaitis on the defense's goals.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: vs. Cincinnati, Sept. 10 -- The Nittany Lions should be able to come up with their second win of the season because Cincinnati lacks experience and will have a tough time handling the Penn State defense. However, Penn State is still looking for a cohesive attack and if they can't come through in clutch situations on offense, they could be in trouble once the Big Ten season starts.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Michael Robinson -- He had decent numbers in the opener -- 9-of-15 for 90 yards and a rushing TD -- but Robinson missed open receivers with his inconsistent passes. If he doesn't step up quickly, he could be replaced by Anthony Morelli.

LB Tim Shaw -- He had a career-high 10 tackles against South Florida. He forced a fumble that Alan Zemaitis picked up and returned for a TD in the first quarter.

RB Tony Hunt -- A fine runner between the tackles who bulled his way for 140 yards in the opener. He should be a big part of the game plan against Cincinnati.

WR Derrick Williams -- The speedy freshman from Greenbelt, Md. is the fastest player the Nittany Lions have had in years. He caught three passes in the opener and Joe Paterno wants to get him as many touches as possible.

ROSTER REPORT: Penn State defensive tackle Jim Shaw, who suffered an injury to his right knee against South Florida, is listed week-to-week and is not scheduled for any surgery. Shaw injured the medial collateral ligament in his knee. ... Running back Rodney Kinlaw (knee) and defensive lineman Jim Shaw (knee) are questionable against Cincinnati.