CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois may be winless in the Big Ten and on a four-game losing streak but don't tell Penn State coach Joe Paterno the Illini will be pushovers on Saturday.

"Yes, I am concerned about Illinois," Paterno said. "I think Illinois is a good football team."

The 12th-ranked Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-1) are coming off a gut-wrenching 27-25 loss to Michigan last Saturday, while the Illini (2-4, 0-3) enjoyed a weekend off.

Penn State players say the last-second loss at Ann Arbor already is far behind them, but Paterno worries about the cumulative effect of that game, a tough defensive battle against Ohio State the previous week, and a come-from-behind thriller at Northwestern two weeks earlier.

"We have played a lot of tough games in the last four or five weeks and I have to be careful that ... we are not tired," said the coach, who is seeking his 350th career victory. "Illinois certainly isn't going to be tired. Illinois had a week off and they are playing at home."

The Illini haven't played at Memorial Stadium since Sept. 24, when Michigan State set three school records, including 705 yards of offense, in a 61-14 thrashing that caused coach Ron Zook to publicly apologize for his team's performance. Illinois then lost 35-7 at Iowa and 36-13 at Indiana before last week's bye, letting both games get out of hand by making costly mistakes.

"If you look at our games, other than the Michigan State game, all of them are much closer than they appeared," Zook said. "A play or two here or there and it's completely different."

Saturday night's game (6 p.m. CDT), Illinois' 95th homecoming game, will be nationally televised by ESPN2. It also will be the first meeting between Illinois and Penn State since an 18-7 Nittany Lion's win on Nov. 2, 2002.

Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson will attack a defense that is last in the Big Ten against the run and next-to-last overall, allowing almost 458 yards per game. But the Illini record and statistics belie their ability, Robinson said.

"They do some things on defense that can confuse the offense," he said. "If you are not aware of it, they can hit you in the mouth. You have to be extra careful."

Robinson accounts for 60 percent of Penn State's offensive output this season, passing for 1,347 yards and rushing for 405 more. It's a dual threat the Illini will have to work hard to contain.

"He is big, strong and fast," Zook said. "His decisions are smart. He knows what he's doing. There's not a lot of confusion."

Robinson did lose a big-play threat last week when wide receiver Derrick Williams broke his left arm against Michigan. But Paterno said fellow freshmen Jordan Norwood and Justin King are ready to fill in. Sophomore Terrell Golden also may see more action.

"You can't lose a player the caliber of Derrick Williams without trying to figure out what you can do to offset the loss of a guy that can make the big plays as he can," Paterno said. "We have some other fine young players and we are going to have to plug them in and go from there."

Illinois has escaped serious injuries this season and last week's bye helped several players heal their bumps and bruises and strains.

"It felt really good Saturday just to relax," said quarterback Tim Brasic. "I'm going to be excited to go into a game fresh."

The Illini have not won since they defeated San Jose State 40-19 on Sept. 10, but Zook continues to see progress in his young team, he said. The Illini start four freshmen and nine sophomores.

"I am encouraged," Zook said. "We can get to where we need to get to maybe faster than people think."