STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Every Tuesday and Thursday night this summer on Penn State's outdoor practice turf, Drill 6 was serious business.

	Kevin Thompson will start for Penn State in the opener, but he may not finish the season there.

So serious that just about every player showed up for a voluntary passing drill they had skipped in summers past. So serious that players reported no-shows to Joe Paterno.

"I've been here four years, and this is the best summer by far," said senior Derek Fox. "We had some summers, we'd cancel it, say 'We don't have enough guys, we don't have enough wideouts.' "

That kind of intensity is to be expected the year after your offense scores all of 12 points in three losses to Top-25 teams, after you score a meager six passing touchdowns all season long -- and when your first opponent is No. 4 Arizona.

In Saturday's Pigskin Classic, the No. 3 Nittany Lions find out whether all the work pays off against a team returning nine starters from a defense that was the Pac-10's best.

Paterno said his offense had a good training camp.

"But I think it remains to be seen how much they've improved," he said. "They're playing a team that takes away the run and dares you to pass the ball."

All offseason, he's talked about how he wants his offense to be more aggressive. Not even his players are exactly sure what that means in the staid Penn State offense.

"There's a lot of things we could do," the coach said with a sidewise glance earlier this month. "Maybe we'll throw on first down -- you never know."

Not likely. Neither should Arizona expect to see balls "flying all over the field," a scenario flanker Chafie Fields sees in his dreams.

What Paterno is really looking for is a couple of tough, fight-for-the-ball receivers to go along with the Lions' typically fine stable of running backs.

Tailback Eric McCoo led the Lions with 822 yards last season after Cordell Mitchell hurt his shoulder. Both are back. Larry Johnson will give chase at tailback, Mike Cerimele is a solid fullback and experienced Aaron Harris will see plenty of carries if he can shake off injuries.

They will run behind an experienced -- if slightly shuffled -- offensive line. John Blick, Eric Cole and Kareem McKenzie are the returning starters.

Now, all Penn State needs is even the threat of a passing game to keep defenses honest.

"What we've done all summer is work against our defense to be more consistent, more consistent, and even more consistent," said quarterback Kevin Thompson. "We worked on going out there and when one play is called, running it the right way every time, not running it five different ways."

	“	There's a lot of things we could do. Maybe we'll throw on first down -- you never know.  ”
		—  Penn State coach Joe Paterno

He knows they will be tested by Arizona's defense, which uses some formations unfamiliar to Big Ten teams.

"They like to jump around a lot," he said. "They like to move around and confuse the offense as much as possible. And they blitz a lot in certain situations."

If it takes a mature quarterback to handle that, Thompson thinks he's the one. He loyally logged his three years on the bench, then calmly took the abuse in his first year as starter. The radio callers were vicious, the e-mail even worse, and he got booed a lot -- once at a Penn State basketball game.

This season will be different, he promises.

"I've got 12 games under my belt," Thompson said. "Last year, I was in different situations on every down. I'll know how to face different things, whether we're second-and-5, third-and-2 or first-and-15."

He's also had all offseason to work with his receivers. Senior wideout Corey Jones, tight end Tony Stewart, junior college transfer Rod Perry and freshman Bryant Johnson worked out on campus this summer. Fields spent several weeks at school and more at a Boca Raton, Fla., speed camp with the likes of Desmond Howard.

"They're going to get better," Cole said. "They're going to be more fluid together. That just comes with time."

If not, Thompson knows the Penn State faithful would happily welcome his backup.

The bookstore is already prepared: Alongside linebacker and co-captain Brandon Short's No. 43 jersey in the display cases hangs not Thompson's No. 16, but a No. 12 uniform -- that of backup Rashard Casey.