While trying to make sense of what had just gone so horribly wrong against Iowa as he changed out of his soaking-wet Penn State uniform, Daryll Clark saw he had received a text message.

"Call me when everything calms down," the message said, according to Clark. "I'm kind of feeling how you're feeling right now."

The text came from Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, who had experienced his own nightmare in the rain earlier Saturday when his team lost, 30-0, at Ohio State.

Clark appreciated the chance to talk to a fellow QB about the Nittany Lions' 21-10 defeat to the Hawkeyes. In July, he and Williams were roommates working as counselors at the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp in Aliso Viejo, Calif., and became close friends.

Clark said he called Williams late that night, about 12:30 or 1 a.m.

"That was really, really helpful," Clark recalled Wednesday. "After the game, a lot of things can creep into your head — what went wrong, why did it go wrong? It's hard to be in a situation like that after a tough loss.

"We talked about what happened. We talked about how we have to be leaders of our teams and have short memories, putting the game behind you."

The two senior quarterbacks will try to redeem themselves Saturday when their teams meet in Champaign, Ill., the first road game of the season for the 15th-ranked Nittany Lions.

Not only do Clark and Williams — the 2008 first- and second-team all-Big Ten quarterbacks, respectively — need to have short memories, they also need to cast aside the criticism directed their way.

Williams, a four-year starter, is being hit particularly hard because the Fighting Illini (1-2) have lost their two games against Division I-A opposition by an aggregate 67-9. He completed 13 of 25 passes against Ohio State, but for only 77 yards.

Clark has not been immune, either. In Penn State's first loss of the season, he completed only six of his final 24 throws against Iowa and threw three interceptions. Coach Joe Paterno pointed out, however, that two picks came on tipped balls, and the Lions' receivers dropped several passes.

"Juice hit it on the head," Clark said. "He said no matter what happens, everybody has to point the finger somewhere, and that's usually the quarterback. You just have to let it go. It comes with the territory when you lose a football game."