The first few weeks, things were moving along pretty smoothly for the Penn State receivers.

Dropped balls were rare, routes seemed to be run correctly and the passes that should have been caught were caught. Utility player Michael Robinson had become the dynamic receiver of the group, while Gerald Smith had a consistent connection with quarterback Zack Mills.

But then came the Wisconsin game, in which both Mills and Robinson were eliminated from the equation and no receiver, save true freshman Mark Rubin, caught more than a single ball. That's when Penn State coach Joe Paterno spoke up, publicly.

"I am a little disappointed that some of them haven't come to the front and made some catches," Paterno said. "In all fairness to [quarterback] Chris Ganter, he had a chance to do some things [against Wisconsin], and we dropped the ball and some people backed away from collisions over the middle and things of that sort."

Aggressive catching is what Paterno wants, because to win games, it isn't enough to catch the balls that should be caught, the team also has to pull down the passes that have no business being caught. This is usually where Robinson came in and, in his absence from the field, is what he knows he has to encourage the remaining receivers to strive for.

"I'm constantly saying what I can to the receivers," Robinson said. "Trying to get them to be a little more aggressive, attack the ball, because we gotta play smart football."

Of prime concern is the split end position, at which, despite promising moments from upperclassmen Terrance Phillips and Ryan Scott, there is yet to be consistency. Rubin, who played his very first collegiate contest Saturday, is listed second on the depth chart, but showed the most zest out of any of the contenders. That, in Paterno's mind, is reason enough to criticize the unit as a whole.

"When you have to take a true freshman and stick him in there in the clutch," Paterno said, "then you have some upperclassmen who have to bite the bullet and say, 'Hey, what is going on here?' "

With Mills' ability to last through the Minnesota game still questionable, and with two backups with limited playing experience behind him on the depth chart, it is the receivers that have the responsibility of running crisp routes and pulling down balls that might fall slightly off target.

"The bottom line is, people need to start making plays," fullback Paul Jefferson said. "The people fortunate to have the ball in their hands have to make plays. It doesn't get any simpler. Receivers need to catch balls they're not supposed to get. Running backs need to cut and get to holes they're not supposed to hit. We're a mediocre offensive football team until some people step up."

Jefferson, a fifth-year guy, doesn't care where those people that step up come from.

Freshman, seniors, anyone. Just as long as they can make those unlikely grabs. But does he endorse a changing of the guard at receiver?

"If that's what it takes, that's what it takes," he said.

And then he added: "In regards to Rubin, he practices 100 percent everyday. He makes special catches in practice."