CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- As a dejected Anthony Morelli lifted himself off one knee, the defensive lineman who had just knocked him to the ground stood nearby, his arms stretched above his bright orange Illinois helmet.
Morelli's final desperation pass of the day had just been intercepted, and the Fighting Illini offense prepared to take a knee of its own: one to run the clock out and seal a 27-20 win against the then-No. 21 Nittany Lions.
When Penn State's first loss to Illinois since 2001 was made official, Morelli walked from his sideline toward the locker room, head down and eyes focused on the Memorial Stadium turf on which he threw three inceptions and coughed up a fumble.
While he silently made this slow journey, Illini players excitedly began a more enjoyable trip -- ascending a short flight of stairs to celebrate in the concrete aisles of their student section.
Penn State (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) dropped its second consecutive game Saturday, failing to score a second-half touchdown despite starting four of its final six offensive drives in Illinois territory.
"We had a lot of chances. That's the tough part of it," head coach Joe Paterno said. "We just didn't take advantage of some of the chances we had."
Following a fast-paced first half that ended with the Illini (4-1, 2-0) ahead 21-17, both teams were unable to muster anything other than field goals during the final two quarters.
But the Lions' finish, in particular, was downright defective. They turned the ball over four times on their last four offensive possessions.
Penn State's penultimate drive ended when Morelli lost the ball while diving for a would-be first down with little more than two minutes remaining, abruptly ending what was a possible game-tying charge about 10 yards short of the end zone.
"It was an unfortunate event," wideout Terrell Golden said.
Morelli finished 21-of-38 passing for 298 yards and one score. But he also tossed three interceptions, the last confirming Penn State's first 0-2 conference start since 2004, when members of this year's senior class were freshmen.
That was long ago, and the Lions were supposed to be past those days. Perhaps this is why the locker room was silent after the loss.
The mood was "pretty quiet, pretty frustrated," in the visitor's room, wideout Jordan Norwood said, holding in tears minutes after leaving it. "That's the way it is, I guess, when you lose two back-to-back in the Big Ten."
So where do they go from here?
Perhaps first, back to reality. The team that had national title hopes on its mind since the end of last season is now tied for last in the Big Ten standings through two weeks of conference games.
Where the team will go from there is anyone's guess.
"I haven't got the slightest idea," Paterno said. "We just have to go home and regroup. Take a look at everything."
