There are big plays in every game.

If a team fails to convert these big plays, then they probably won't end up on the winning end when the final horn sounds.

Often these plays are called drive killers.

Against the Cornhuskers on Saturday, Tony Johnson could have been addressed in the post-game press conference as "Mr. Drive Killer."

With all the struggles the Penn State offense has had in the first two weeks, converting first downs early in the game are essential.

The ability to pick up first downs would give the offense some much-needed confidence and reduce some of the pressure on the defense.

On the opening drive of the game, on third and long, Zack Mills threw a strike to Johnson, who was running a slant. The ball hit him in the hands and then fell to the ground, forcing Penn State to punt.

"There's nothing easy with Tony and Zack," said Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said. "In all fairness, the whole tone was set with the first pass that Zack threw to Tony and Tony didn't handle it. That was a perfect pass ... We're still learning."

A senior, who has been playing since his freshman season shouldn't be learning anymore. He should already know.

Whenever the offensive line allows enough time to throw a pass and Mills delivers the ball on target, the pass needs to be caught.

There is no excuse. And he's not making any.

"I didn't have a good game, period," Johnson said.

Maybe Johnson was thinking about the hit that was coming from one of the Cornhuskers' defenders. Or he was looking up field before securing the ball in his hands.

This isn't something new for Johnson. He has been dropping passes all season.

But then he'll go up and make an amazing catch, like his 16-yard leaping reception in the second quarter.

Prior to the latest defeat, Paterno would give Johnson a free pass.

"He has to concentrate," said Paterno after the 23-10 victory over the Owls. "He has good hands. He dropped the one where Zack rolled out. He is in a hurry to catch it and run with it and doesn't look it in and doesn't concentrate. I think he is trying too hard, maybe."

Dropped passes are never a good thing, but in the first week they maybe -- just maybe -- can be forgiven. The only problem is that it has happened every week. It gets to a point where it becomes unacceptable.

And that happened on the first Penn State drive of the second half. Nebraska took the second half kickoff and marched 80 yards on 16 running plays for the go-ahead score.

The Lions needed to answer with a drive of their own. After picking up a rare first down on a third and long, Johnson dropped another Mills pass on the next set of downs, one that would have given Penn State a first down. Johnson had broken his route at the 50-yard line and was not covered.

As the ball hit the ground so did Penn State's chances of winning the game.

Johnson has not been able to adjust to becoming the No. 1 receiver. Last season, Johnson seemed comfortable being the No. 2 receiver behind Bryant Johnson, who was drafted No. 17 in the NFL Draft in April.

There was no pressure on him to make the big catches in 2002 and now that there is pressure to make the clutch catches, he hasn't handled it well. He knows that his play has been hurting the team.

"My dropping the ball on third down was crucial," said Johnson of the first third-down drop.

Just because he's knows that it hurt the team doesn't change the outcome.

Will he catch the passes in traffic against Kent State? Probably, but it won't be the same situation as the Nebraska game.

The true test will come in the big spots against Ohio State, Iowa or Wisconsin.

And the verdict is still out.

It says here he'll be guilty of another drop.