His performance almost went unnoticed. With Craig Fayak getting playing time at quarterback, backup Mike Archie running for 173 yards and the defense stifling Northwestern in the second half, recognizing Bobby Engram's output wasn't easy.

But in the Lions' 43-21 victory in Dyche Stadium last Saturday, Northwestern noticed -- especially just before the first half ended.

From 16 yards out, quarterback Kerry Collins spotted Engram's No. 10 flashing across the end zone. As Coach Joe Paterno said, sometimes the quarterback gets so excited that he tends to overthrow the ball.

The ball was overthrown just a bit. But that didn't stop Engram, as he dove in an all-out effort to haul in the touchdown. Just another day at the office.

"I went up and made the catch," a workmanlike Engram said about his grab afterwards.

Collins appreciated the effort. He appreciated Engram's effort seven other times that afternoon, for 132 of Penn State's 278 total passing yards.

"I threw it to Bobby, he's been making catches like that all year long," Collins said.

The redshirt sophomore has already surpassed former Lion O.J. McDuffie's record for touchdowns in a season, 11 to McDuffie's nine, and with his 132 yards tied McDuffie's mark of four 100-yard games in a season.

The touchdown was a big play for the Lions, as it put them up 26-14 with 18 seconds remaining in the half. As far as having to make the big plays, Engram wants the spotlight squarely on his shoulders.

"I always like going up and making the big catch," Engram said. "A lot of guys don't like to go across the middle much less jump for the ball. Those are the tough ones, and to be a good receiver I feel that you have to make those kinds of catches."

Those kinds of catches, like he had against the Wildcats, pleased his coach, who said that his team really hasn't been coming up with some of the so-called big catches this season. But he also said that Engram was a great performer in the clutch last Saturday.

"Engram's an awfully good player," Paterno said. "Great clutch play, a great competitor, he does a lot of things really, really well."