STATE COLLEGE — Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson put on a performance worthy of all the pregame billing heading into Saturday night's game at Penn State, and set a Big Ten record in the process.

A little-known quarterback wearing blue and white that stole the spotlight from him, though.

Matt McGloin's name should be familiar now to Penn State fans after throwing for 250 yards and a score in the 41-31 win Saturday night over the porous Wolverines (5-3, 1-3).

What a debut for the first former walk-on to start at quarterback in coach Joe Paterno's 45-year tenure with the Nittany Lions (5-3, 2-2). McGloin seized on an opportunity that opened after freshman Bolden, who started the first seven games, was limited in practice this week while recovering from a concussion.

"It was a great feeling," the sophomore from Scranton said. "I'm glad the coaches believed in me, the players believed in me and, most importantly, the fans believed in me tonight."

He played against an early typecast as a go-for-broke gunslinger by effectively managing the game with screens and short passes to set up an occasional shot downfield. Evan Royster's 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns softened up an already mushy middle.

But the best runner on the field wasn't even a tailback.

Robinson threw for 190 yards and a touchdown and ran for 191 and three scores. The yards rushing gave him 1,287 through just eight games — enough already to break the conference record for season rushing by a quarterback held by Indiana's Antwaan Randle El in 2000 (1,270).

Still, there was no Michigan celebration in Happy Valley.

After opening with five straight wins, Michigan lost its third straight. This season is beginning to feel an awful lot like 2009, when a 4-0 start ended with a 5-7 finish.