STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The onslaught began with the fiery 72-year-old coach pumping his right fist in the air as he led his team out of the tunnel at soldout Beaver Stadium.

Joe Paterno was pumped and soon we all would learn why.

“Last year I tied the hands of our offensive coaches,” Paterno acknowledged. “I wasn’t pleased with the experience of some of the guys we had. I thought this year we’d give them a chance to make plays and that’s what we did.”

Paterno opened his 34th season as the head coach here with a game plan that looked like something Steve Spurrier drew up. The Nittany Lions ran reverses. They threw for 242 yards on just 11 completions. Who were these guys?

“It was terrible,” said Arizona running back Trung Canidate. “I can’t even imagine what just happened to us today.”

What happened is that Penn State served notice that it is one of the nation’s best teams by waxing Arizona 41-7 in the Pigskin Classic. What happened is that the Nittany Lions took the wraps off a blistering offense to complement their blitzkrieg defense.

The Nittany Lions made Arizona regret every inch of the 1,700-mile trip it took to get to Happy Valley by racking up 504 yards in total offense, the most in two years.

“It wasn’t jet lag and it wasn’t the heat,” said Arizona coach Dick Tomey. “Their players, their team kicked our butts.”

Arizona, ranked No. 4 by The Post, looked like Penn State’s next opponent – Akron. Penn State, ranked third by The Post, was simply awesome in beating a top 5-ranked team for the first time since a 31-24 triumph over Michigan in 1994, the Nittany Lions’ last undefeated season.

“This was a statement,” said linebacker LaVar Arrington, who led a defense that held Arizona to its fewest points since 1996.

If you know Penn State, then you know every five years Paterno assembles a power. Yesterday, Penn State showed us more stars than the Hubble Telescope.

We knew about studs such as running back Eric McCoo and Arrington, but what about Cordell Mitchell, Aaron Harris, Rashard Casey and Chafie Fields?

Mitchell, who missed four games last season with a pinched nerve, opened at tailback and ran for 20 of Penn State’s 262 yards rushing.

Harris, a senior fullback who ran for 152 yards against Iowa in 1996 as a freshman before tearing up a knee the following year, was overpowering, barreling over Arizona defenders on a 15-yard scoring run that made it 31-0 in the second quarter.

Casey, the former Hoboken High star quarterback who has sat behind Thompson, was in the game for Penn State’s second possession and 46 seconds later the Lions were in the end zone. Casey passed for 107 yards, ran for 23 and might have pulled even with Thompson.

Fields, the senior wide receiver who scored one touchdown all of last season, exploited Arizona’s defense with ridiculous ease. On Penn State’s first possession he gained 20 yards on a reverse and ended the drive with a 37-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown from Kevin Thompson. Penn State’s second possession, with Casey at quarterback, ended in two plays with Chafie going 70 yards on another reverse.

“I’m happy whenever Joe gives me the ball,” said Fields.

Joe distributed the ball as if it were candy at Halloween. Thirteen different backs carried the ball. Eight plays accounted for the 11 receptions.

“We just got our butts kicked,” said Arizona linebacker DaShon Polk. “We were abused and violated.”

It could have been worse for Arizona. On Penn State’s third possession the Nittany Lions drove 77 yards to the Arizona 3. Facing a fourth-and-2, Paterno was willing to roll the dice with this team. Penn State went for it, but Casey tripped on his left guard’s leg and fumbled.

No matter. The curtain then went up on the Arrington Show. Arrington, who will gladly tell you he’s most talented outside linebacker in Penn State history, went on a seek and destroy mission before leaving the game in the third quarter because of dehydration.

On first-and-10 from the 8, Arrington swallowed up Trung Canidate for a one-yard loss. On second down, Arizona’s Keith Smith swung a pass to speedy WR Dennis Northcut. Arrington caught him from behind for a 2-yard loss.

“I’d hate to say they got their butts kicked,” said Arrington. “It’s so harsh.”

The cold, hard truth is that Arizona didn’t belong on the same field with Penn State. By halftime, Penn State led 31-0 and had scored on touchdown drives of 2:56, :46, 2:17, :12, 1:32.

This was Hazing Arizona.

“We had no delusions of grandeur,” said Tomey. “We knew they were good.”

So did Paterno.