Not only did Penn State improve to 4-0 on the season after recording losing records in four of the past five years, it gave them a huge psychological boost on three fronts.

Penn State showed the kind of offensive firepower the team hasn't seen in years. The speed of WRs Derrick Williams, Justin King and Deon Butler have given Joe Paterno the comfort of knowing his team is no longer inept when it comes to the passing game. That trio has given new life to QB Michael Robinson, who didn't have speed receivers when he was called on to fill in for Zack Mills in 2003 and 2004.

The Nittany Lions fell behind 23-7 in the first half, but they were unfazed and scored an important touchdown late in the first half when Robinson threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Butler in the final minute. The coaching staff adjusted after falling behind and that allowed Penn State to tack charge in the second half and win the game when Robinson hit Williams with the game-winning 36-yard scoring pass with just 51 seconds remaining.

Winning on the road was a huge step for Penn State. The Nittany Lions hadn't won a conference game away from Beaver Stadium against an opponent other than Indiana since winning at Wisconsin in Oct. 2002.

Penn State meets Minnesota at Beaver Stadium this week and both teams are perfect on the season. The Gophers overcame a psychological barrier of their own when they came from behind to defeat Purdue 42-35 in double overtime in the Big Ten opener.

Look for a tight game with the winner being thrust into the role of surprise Big Ten contender.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Nittany Lions found themselves in serious trouble against Northwestern as the defense gave up 23 points in the first half and could not contain the Wildcats' balanced attack. However, Penn State limited Northwestern to two second-half field goals as defensive coordinator Tom Bradley tightened up the coverage and kept the Wildcats from putting the game away.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "That's why I came to Penn State. I think I'm a great football player. If I get the opportunity to shine, I'm going to shine." -- Penn State freshman WR Derrick Williams, who caught the game-winning TD pass vs. Northwestern in the Big Ten opener.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: LB Paul Posluszny -- A sensational tackling machine who is coming off a sensational 22-tackle effort vs. Northwestern. Posluszny was named the Big Ten defensive player of the week.

QB Michael Robinson -- He only completed 17-of-36 passes in the win vs. Northwestern, but he had three TD passes and also ran for another score. Robinson had TD passes in the last minute of the first half and the final minute of the game to get the road win for the Nittany Lions.

WR Derrick Williams -- The highest profile player of Penn State's outstanding crew of WRs. He caught two passes for 42 yards against the Wildcats, including the game-winning TD with 51 seconds remaining.

RB Tony Hunt -- He had 99 yards vs. Northwestern and if Penn State is going to have a balanced offense, he has to help Robinson out by picking up key yards between the tackles.

ROSTER REPORT: WR Mark Rubin (ankle), FB Adam Senk (knee), TE Brennan Coakley (knee) and OG Greg Harrison (foot) will not play against Minnesota. CB Brent Wise has a knee problem and is listed as possible.