STATE COLLEGE — Joe Paterno keeps encountering younger foes every year he returns to the Penn State sidelines.

Perhaps no opposing coach exemplifies the widening generation gap more than 31-year-old Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern.

On Saturday, Fitzgerald, the youngest head coach in major college football, will face Division I-A's oldest coach in the 79-year-old Paterno when the Wildcats visit the Nittany Lions (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at Beaver Stadium.

"To take on a living legend, I'm glad we're not playing against each other. It's about our players," Fitzgerald said. "But at the same time, it's going to be very humbling and a great experience to be on the same field in my first Big Ten football game with coach Paterno."

Fitzgerald was born Dec. 2, 1974, when Paterno was already eight years into his 41-year head coaching career. Paterno offered some friendly advice to the rookie coach when he was seated next to Fitzgerald at a preseason Big Ten luncheon two months ago.

"They hustle, play with emotion, and I think they will continue to play that way," Paterno said this week about the Wildcats (2-2), playing their conference opener. "I think Pat will probably do a great job at Northwestern."

Paterno, the dean of college football coaches, still has a spring in his step. He proved as much when he jogged off the field in the second quarter during last week's loss against top-ranked Ohio State, startling fans. Paterno said lingering flu symptoms forced him to leave the sidelines during a game for the first time in his career.