So apparently Michael Robinson is human after all.

When the backup Nittany Lion quarterback replaced golden boy Zack Mills for Penn State late in the third quarter, he tucked the ball under his arm on third and three to rush for the first down. And he came up short, gaining two.

That wasn't Robinson's only foul-up. On his first drive leading the team after replacing Mills in the fourth quarter, Robinson ran to the outside on an option (does anyone think he might actually pitch the ball?) heading for the first-down marker. He needed two yards. He lost one.

Other than that, all Robinson did was score three touchdowns while gaining 36 rushing yards, mostly lined up either at split end or tailback, and powering the Lions to a 49-17 win. Robinson also stepped in at quarterback to throw the ball, something Penn State coach Joe Paterno has been saying he's been trying to do all season.

Besides serving as a dangerous running threat, Robinson acted as a decoy that helped tailback Larry Johnson pile up 147 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson was best used as a diversion, running a fake end-around to let either Mills or Johnson pick up big yards on the ground.

"It keeps the secondary alert because they have to find the football," Paterno said. "If Robinson has it, they have troubles if they don't pay attention to him."

When Robinson did get the ball, it usually translated to a touchdown.

On his first carry of the game, where the redshirt freshman lined up in the backfield as a running back, he scored after an 18-yard run on a perfectly executed option pitch by Mills that left nothing but open field before him.

More trickery was involved in Robinson's second score. With Mills lining up as a split end, Robinson took the snap and immediately broke for the end zone. Juking two Bulldog defenders with a lateral move that more closely resembled something from the Matrix than college football, the quarterback walked in for a score.

At that point in his Penn State career, Robinson had carried the ball nine times for four touchdowns.

"I expect to score, always," Robinson said. "Every time I get the ball I think I can score. When I go to the sideline I tell [offensive coordinator] Fran [Ganter], 'Put me in there, I can score.' "

After adding yet another touchdown on the ground, Robinson finally got to do what his job description calls for -- throwing the football.

After lining up under center in the Central Florida game, Robinson got to throw his first pass as a Nittany Lion, a six-yard completion to tight end Mike Lukac early in the fourth quarter. The play might not have made a big impact in the final score, but for Robinson, six yards was enough.

"It felt great," Robinson said. "I wish I could throw the ball a little bit more, there was another pass play but my receiver got knocked down so I had to run it."

Robinson might be making headlines and highlight reels around the field, but Paterno wants him to remember that his first duty is to back up Mills, not act as a utility infielder.

"The danger we have with Robinson is he's still our second quarterback and he's still got to be ready if something happens to Zack," Paterno said.

If the best second-string quarterback in America keeps playing like he is, Paterno won't be the only one who views him as a danger.