Bend but don't break -- that's been the credo of Penn State defenses for years. The Nittany Lions would surrender opponents plenty of yards -- until they reached the red zone. Then, the Lions would stiffen, holding their foes to a field goal or worse.

The 2001 Lions seem to be of the same mold. Penn State's 'D' has been leaky between the 20's, but gets more ferocious the closer opponents get to its goal line.

"When teams get closer to goal line, our communication level gets better," said defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy. "I think we've just got some guys that have a lot of pride right now, who have the attitude that we're not going to break."

Penn State will need to continue that stubbornness inside the red zone, and maybe outside of it, this Saturday, when it will face an Illinois offense that can hurt you in a number of ways.

Senior three-year starter Kurt Kittner quarterbacks a unit averaging 146 yards per game on the ground and 217 through the air. Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd has injected a big-play threat, while the Fighting Illini's experienced tailback combo of Rocky Harvey and Antoineo Harris is another big reason why Illinois is off to a 7-1 start.

"They're a well-balanced team," Kennedy said. "If we're going to shut the run game down, we're going to have to put a lot of hits on Kurt. We can't focus on the run or pass because they're a balanced team."

Last week, Illinois overcame four Kittner interceptions to score 28 second-half points and bury Purdue, 38-13. The Illini are hot on both sides of the football and, not surprisingly, drew rave reviews from Penn State head coach Joe Paterno.

"Illinois is better offensively than Michigan, very close to Miami," he said. "They're not quite as good, but right in that class with Miami."

The Illini haven't beaten the Lions since 1960, but appear as though they have the arsenal to snap their seven-game series slide this time around. To ensure that doesn't happen, Penn State will need to step up its intensity level -- no matter where the ball is on the field.

"I think we're going to have to be more aggressive," said linebacker Shamar Finney. "In the middle of the field we kind of sit back and hope they make a mistake. We have to be more aggressive in all aspects of the field."

Getting off to a strong start will also be crucial for the Lions, especially on the road. Penn State hasn't taken the lead first in any of its games this season, and though it has the confidence in its comeback ability, it knows that it can't get too far behind early on.

"It's going to be real important just to keep it close and be in the game," Kennedy said. "If we keep it close I believe we'll win this game."

If they're to keep it close, the Lions will have to be just as balanced as their counterparts, keeping up the pressure on both the run and the pass.

"We're going to have to be on our toes in both aspects," Finney said.