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By Eric Thomas, July 20, 2007

Last updated: Friday, July 20, 2007 1:20 AM EDT

A year older and thicker skin.

That's how Anthony Morelli summed himself up in a nutshell a week ago.

Fair description.

There was a time last season when thick skin still wouldn't have been able to deflect the artillery fired by a throng of fans who labeled Morelli dumb and inadequate as a starting quarterback.

There were countless letters, postings on fan sites, people complaining on sports talk shows, and one dejected junior quarterback.

Anthony Morelli never once, by himself, accounted for a single loss on Penn State schedule a season ago. He also was never one who totally took the spotlight in a win either.

Still, with a year under his belt as a fulltime starter, and a pretty little bow on top of a tumultuous season, people still have doubts. National pubs wonder if he is a problem and still not ready for primetime.

But there is some history on Morelli's side. I'm a numbers guy, I'll admit, and nines times out of 10, they never lie.

Numbers are there for us to process however we desire, but facts are facts and these facts tell you that Penn State senior quarterbacks, since Chuck Fusina, way back in 1978, have exited stage left to standing ovations.

Consider these if you will.

-Senior quarterbacks at Penn State are a 129-40 under Joe Paterno since 1978.

-Senior quarterbacks have led Penn State to 11 bowl games, including the Sugar twice, Fiesta three times, Orange twice and Rose Bowl once. Included in that stretch are four national title appearances and one that should have been for the title. Penn State is 8-3 in those 11 games and has two national titles out of four chances.

-In seven of those seasons since 1978, the Nittany Lions won 11 or more games, including three undefeated regular seasons. Twice during this stretch they've finished 12-0. Eight times they won 10 or more.

-Two of the better quarterbacks during that stretch, John Shaffer and Kerry Collins, went a combined 45-3 in their final two years, respectively. In their senior years alone? 24-0.

Tell me, better yet, tell Morelli that the junior year doesn't mean a lot in terms of grooming a kid for what's to come.

A season ago Morelli and Jay Paterno sat down mid-season, the signal caller was discouraged at his performance and was the brunt of that nasty criticism.

Paterno, the Nittany Lions quarterback coach, sat him down and they went over the statistics of former quarterbacks like Collins, like Todd Blackledge, like Fusina.

As juniors, Morelli had better numbers than all of them. A morale booster on Paterno's part, maybe. Morelli was sharper against Temple and Michigan State before seemingly putting it all together against Tennessee in the bowl game.

Paterno has seen glimpses of Morelli's desire to end things on an up note this season already.

“I think the leadership is part of it,” Paterno said. “It comes with confidence. The minute you have some success confidence starts to compliment it.”

Paterno said one Saturday he was showing a recruit the practice facility and Morelli was inside throwing with receivers. A couple of guys missed on a few timing routes and Morelli told them to buck up and keep working instead of going out on a Saturday night and partying.

He wouldn't have done that a year ago.

“I know in the spring he made a lot of strides,” Paterno added. “Accuracy, decision making, he was even more decisive than he's been.

“You look at his numbers compared to all of those guys when they're juniors, all of them had started at least five games (from the previous season), Collins had started five or six, Fusina had seven starts, Blackledge had started six, seven or eight. They didn't have to go to Notre Dame or Ohio State in two of the first four weeks. I was very encouraged.”

And with good reason. Tennessee, while not on par with LSU or Florida a year ago still presented problems for the Nittany Lions with a speedy and shifty defense. Morelli moved better in and out of the pocket and avoided mistakes, his ball had more zip than usual and his confidence level was sky high.

“I think we're at that point now and I think we're in a situation where he's comfortable that that's going to happen for him. Believing it was obviously a big part of it and I think he believes it now.”

Paterno, as loyal as a position coach as you will find, is on Morelli's side. Good thing for Morelli, so is history.

(Thomas covers Penn State football for The Sentinel.

He may be contacted at ethomas@cumberlink.)