Well, the Nittany Lions aren't undefeated in the "second half" of their season any longer. Saturday's 33-28 defeat at Illinois ended Penn State's inspired three-game win streak, though, with a few exceptions, the loss didn't have quite the same feel as the team's first four.

Doesn't make it any easier to swallow, though.

"All losses feel the same — they all suck," tailback Eric McCoo said. "This one is just unfortunate. We were on a roll, we were playing well. We're going to go out and continue to play hard-nosed football, we're not going to give up just because we lost one game."

The attitude and resiliency the Lions displayed while turning their season around, a stark contrast to the sluggish play and head-hanging of the previous four losses, were present Saturday afternoon. The Lions did resort to some old bad habits — numerous dropped passes, big plays allowed on third-and-long — but believed they were in it until the end.

But unlike the last three games, Penn State couldn't find a way to pull it out.

"This is definitely one we had a chance of winning. We were right there the whole time," safety Shawn Mayer said. "It's a lot different from the first four."

Though the Lions' margin of defeat was just five, compared to losses by 26, 12, six and 20, they couldn't help but feel they gave this one away after owning a 14-point lead at the end of both the first and second quarters.

"I feel we should have won that game, and as a team that's the most disappointing thing," said quarterback Matt Senneca, who led the offense to just 131 yards after replacing Zack Mills early in the second quarter. "We had it, and we should have won."

How Penn State will respond to the narrow defeat will be crucial with a surging Indiana team heading into town this Saturday. Is head coach Joe Paterno worried about how his troops will respond?

"You always worry," Paterno said. "I think they've got to suck it up and see if they can win the next three."

After super-athlete quarterback Antwaan Randle El leads a smoldering Hoosier offense into Happy Valley this week, the Lions go on the road, with dates at Michigan State and Virginia. To win all three and earn a bowl berth, Penn State will have to use the frustrating loss as a motivating springboard.

"I think we have enough talent and character on this team that we can bounce back from it and keep this thing going," Senneca said.