CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- When Ethan Kilmer came across the middle in the first Penn State possession, snagged a pass from quarterback Michael Robinson and outran the entire Illinois secondary 35 yards to the end zone, fellow wide receiver Deon Butler was not surprised.
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- It was the first time anyone could get Dan Connor to crack a smile in public since his return to the team.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Deon Butler, as if he were a forgotten entity in the middle of Illinois' Memorial Field, looked behind him and, for a moment, he almost dropped the ball.

No one could have guessed that on the whole, the Penn State men's tennis team would have a stronger showing in doubles than in singles in its highest level of competition thus far.

One of the biggest weaknesses a team can have is not being able to finish.

The top 10 streak continues for the Penn State women's golf team. The Nittany Lions finished ninth out of 14 teams in the elite Mercedes Invitational hosted by the University of Tennessee after shooting a combined score of 915. The event was played at the par-71 Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville.

Any worries that the Lady Icers would be reeling as they came into their conference opener this weekend were a distant afterthought once the puck dropped.

Entering Saturday's match the men's rugby team had not allowed an opponent to score more than eight points in any game this season. The new high is now 10 points, but the Ruggers again emerged victorious, beating Maryland 24-10.

The Penn State men's and women's fencing teams made a strong statement to the collegiate fencing scene over the weekend at the Garret Open in State College.

The last thing the Penn State field hockey team saw last year was a scoreboard that said, "Ohio State 3, Penn State 2," ending its disappointing 10-10 season in the Big Ten Tournament.

Walking through the Taco Bell drive-thru, Tiffany Weimer's teammates yelled, "We are Penn State!"

It's been 13 years and 17 days since the Penn State men's soccer team played its first Big Ten game, a time span in which it has never won the Big Ten regular season championship.

A combination of quality opponents, injuries and overall lackluster play created the perfect storm for the Minnesota women's volleyball team this weekend, as the Golden Gophers looked anything but infallible and were twice swept at home, with Saturday's loss coming to No. 3 Penn State (30-9, 30-17, 30-20).

After the first of a two game series against No. 10 Arizona State, a 4-2 loss, Penn State ACHA Division I Icers head coach Joe Battista called a private players and coaches only meeting in the East Area locker room, away from all distractions in the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.

Morrissey injures knee, will likely miss season

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Only this team could have bounced back from a crushing blow in Ann Arbor, Mich., to blow the "Orange Crush" off the prairie the following week.

The Big Ten's blue and white logo may as well have been representative of Penn State this weekend.

Penn State 63 Michigan State 10

Penn State 63 Michigan State 10

My Opinion: Sirage Yassin

Israeli study programs beneficial for students studying Middle East

My Opinion: Jennette Hannah

My Opinion: Kate Ericsson

• Portland better than insulting her players
• NCLR boasts proof; shows PSU nothing
• NCLR lacks evidence of Portland's biases
• Seniors should leave scholarships as gifts
• Scholarships tough for classes to award
• Smokers inconsiderate of nonsmokers at PSU
• PSU should add seats to necessary classes
• Class scheduling better than in previous years

In the midst of the downloading era, it is easy to get the most anticipated album weeks before it hits the shelves, ruining the age-old anticipation that comes with waiting for the local record shop to open its doors at exactly midnight so fans have a chance to be one of the first to own the new album.

Hardcore act Every Time I Die is looking to penetrate the eardrums of State College fans, along with the bands It Dies Today, Haste the Day, and A Life Once Lost tonight at Crowbar.

Bar Bleu, 114 S. Garner St., will feature Turn the Tables Night. Specials include half-priced happy hour from 9 to 11 p.m. and $1.25 Miller Lite drafts until midnight (237-0374).

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