UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Indiana State opened the 2011 season at Big Ten Conference foe Penn State, who entered the game as the nation's No. 25 ranked team and the Nittany Lions earned a 41-7 victory in front of 96,461 fans at Beaver Stadium.

It was the season opener for both teams as Penn State improved to 1-0 while ISU fell to 0-1. The 96,461 fans are the largest amount of fans to ever witness a Sycamore football game.

Indiana State's most successful drive was their final one of the contest as an 11-play, 62-yard drive that used 5:56 of the clock ended at the 2:16 mark of the fourth quarter with a 20-yard scoring pass from Ronnie Fouch to Justin Hilton over the middle of the field.

Penn State got on the scoreboard just 13 seconds into the contest as Chaz Powell returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and the 7-0 lead. Penn State added a Silas Redd nine-yard touchdown run with 8:20 left in the opening stanza to cap an 11-play, 77-yard drive that chewed up 4:59 off the clock.

In the second quarter, a one-yard touchdown run by Michael Zordich capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with 8:55 on the clock to make it a 21-0 Penn State lead. The Nittany Lions added another Redd touchdown run -- this one four yards -- with 4:41 left in the first half to make it 28-0.

Indiana State's best drive of the first half began as a result of a Ryan Roberts quarterback sack on fourth down which gave the Sycamores the ball at their own 42-yard line. Ronnie Fouch found Alex Jones open for a 29-yard pass which sent the ball down to the Penn State 29-yard line. ISU continued to move the ball down to the 25-yard line before Cory Little missed a 43-yard field goal with 14:15 left in the second quarter.

Penn State added a touchdown with a one-yard run by Joe Suhey with 8:29 left in the third quarter to stretch the lead out to 34-0. Penn State's lead grew to 41-0 with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter on a three-yard touchdown run by Shane McGregor.

Fouch led Indiana State offensively with 105 yards passing on 11-of-23 attempts for 105 yards. Hilton caught five of those passes for 45 yards and the TD pass from Fouch. Shakir Bell churned out 43 yards on the on 13 rushing attempts.

Two Sycamore defenders reached double digit tackles as senior Alex Sewall and junior Jacolby Washington each posted 10 stops. Aaron Archie, Larry Carter and Larry King each had a quarterback sack.

The Sycamores open the home portion of the 2011 schedule against Butler next Saturday, September 10 at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 2:05 p.m. (ET).