PITTSBURGH — Eddie Drummond walked off the Three Rivers Stadium turf with an inexplicable look across his face.

The Penn State wide receiver buckled his hushed lips, held his helmet in his right hand as sweat dripped down his face.

Drummond raised his head as the sweat continued to flow like a river, glancing into the stands as crazed Pittsburgh fans cheered in bedlam after the Panthers had shutout the Nittany Lions, 12-0, in heated contest.

"I was probably more emotional than the other guys," he said.

It was an emotional end to an emotional day for Drummond, a Pittsburgh native who had been sidelined since the Lions' season-opening drive with a sprained knee. But Drummond, Pittsburgh's prodigal son, vowed to return Saturday with aspirations to turn Penn State's dismal season around before his team would enter the grueling Big Ten campaign this week.

Drummond was the same player Saturday who carried Penn State's passing game after Corey Jones went down last season. He caught eight passes for 54 yards on a day when Penn State struggled to move the chains, could not catch passes and the rushing game averaged two yards per carry.

"Actually, I didn't even know how many times I caught the ball," the 5-foot-9, 182 pound receiver said. "I was just out there trying to win the game, if I could.

"I was in there full-go. I was trying to win the game."

Perhaps a little too much.

Drummond picked two Panthers defensive backs on a pass that was completed to fellow receiver Kenny Watson, but had to be called back because of the penalty.

At times, though, Drummond was hesitant. Like in the third quarter when Rashard Casey lofted a pass over Drummond's head in the middle of the field, but Drummond did not leap for the passing attempt.

"He's rusty," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "Eddie favored that leg a little bit, protected it a little bit."

But No. 20 was Casey's favorite target all game long as he appeared to be the lone Lions receiver that held onto the football in a game that featured four dropped passes — the same formula that led to the Lions' demise against Southern California and Toledo.

But with Drummond, Penn State's most experienced returning receiver, Penn State will hope to get the passing attack (and the offense in general) back on track before the Lions face Ohio State and its dynamic receiving duo Saturday in Ohio Stadium.

"He will bring speed," tailback Larry Johnson said. "Automatically, they will try to double-team him. He is going to open the game up for us down the road."