Senior Daryll Clark has waited a long time for the opportunity to be Penn State's starting quarterback.

He'll finally get his first start Saturday when the 22nd-ranked Nittany Lions open their non-conference schedule against Coastal Carolina at Beaver Stadium.

As expected, coach Joe Paterno made the announcement yesterday during his weekly news conference call, choosing Clark over redshirt sophomore Pat Devlin. Paterno said he informed Clark, Devlin and third-stringer Paul Cianciolo of his decision during a brief meeting after practice Monday.

Clark, who has backed up Anthony Morelli the past two seasons, has been the front-runner for the job since the start of spring drills.

"We're going to start Clark and probably play Devlin for sure, some," Paterno said. "Clark's had a little bit more experience. He's had a good spring practice and a really good preseason. ... But I don't want him looking over his shoulder.

"... He's got to go in and play, take over the team, and we'll go from there."

Paterno said the competition between Clark and Devlin was "very close." But, in the end, Clark's limited playing experience earned him the job.

"He's worked hard to get it," Paterno said.

Clark, from Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio, was a non-academic qualifier as a freshman in 2004 and was forced to enroll at the Kiski School. He entered Penn State in 2005, but an academic issue with the NCAA Clearinghouse forced him off the practice field in early October of that year. He didn't work out with the Lions again until the following spring.

Clark, 6 feet 2 and 231 pounds, is on pace academically to earn back another year of eligibility. He has attempted just 36 passes for 147 yards in his career, but he did run for 50 yards and a touchdown in the Alamo Bowl victory against Texas A&M, his most significant playing time.

Devlin, who passed for a state-record 8,162 yards at Downingtown East, has just one incompletion in three career games.

Neither Clark nor Devlin were made available to reporters yesterday. A few players who appeared before Paterno's news conference yesterday had a hunch Clark would get the job.

"He played a big role in the Alamo Bowl last year and did pretty well then," safety Anthony Scirrotto said. "He's been looking real good all preseason."

Wide receiver Deon Butler also liked Clark's chances, but he said both quarterbacks "warrant playing time," in Penn State's new spread HD offense.

"Both of them can run the same offense, but their strengths are different," Butler said. "The coaching staff will have to adjust accordingly, and put the formations in, according to their strengths.

"Pat's more comfortable in the pocket. He's kind of the rollout guy, making some plays happen on the edge. Daryll's more of a get-him-out-of-the-pocket guy and let him make plays. He can't stay in the pocket and make all the throws we need him to make. He's more deadly moving around, doing options."

NOTES -- Safety Nick Sukay, a redshirt freshman from Greensburg Central Catholic High School, is out for the season after breaking a small bone in his right foot. Spokesman Jeff Nelson confirmed that Sukay had surgery last week. Nelson said the rehabilitation period for such an injury is between "three and 3 1/2 months."... Florida State is idle this weekend, meaning Paterno can tie Bobby Bowden for the most coaching victories in Division I-A at 373 with a win. "Who cares?" Paterno said. "When they bury me, are they going to put on my gravestone 'You're one more ahead of Bobby Bowden'? I don't think Bobby would feel any different than I do." ... Abe Koroma and Ollie Ogbu will start ahead of Jared Odrick at defensive tackle. "Odrick has been hurt a lot," Paterno said. "Odrick hadn't had a lot of practice until this last week. Koroma and Ogbu both really got better and better. And I think they deserve to start."

• Game: Penn State vs. Coastal Carolina.

• When: Noon, Saturday.

• TV: Big Ten Network.