"The only thing I had to do was run,'' Williams said. "I saw a highway that a big truck could go through.''

As the nation's most sought-after recruit coming out of Eleanor Roosevelt High in suburban Washington in 2004, Williams seemingly was on the express route to superstardom with the Nittany Lions before he ever tugged on a blue jersey. But although he has had a productive career in Happy Valley, some might say he has taken detours along too many side roads. Williams had been eclipsed, at least statistically, by fellow senior wide receivers Deon Butler, a former walk-on defensive back, and Jordan Norwood, a local kid from State College High who arrived on campus with a fraction of Williams' advance publicity.

But with Norwood, Penn State's leading receiver this season, out with a sore hamstring, Williams - who had been advised earlier in the week by coach Joe Paterno that he was "due for a big game" - found his way back onto the main thoroughfare against the Illini. He became the first player in Paterno's 43 years as Penn State's head coach to score on a kickoff return (he also had an 89-yarder in the season opener against Coastal Carolina), on a pass reception (a 21-yarder from quarterback Daryll Clark) and on a rush (a 5-yard end-around).

All in all, Williams amassed a career-high 241 all-purpose yards.

Given the stage and the setting - the prime-time game, the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams, was televised by ABC, with 109,626 white-clad fans screaming themselves hoarse - Williams' hat trick made perfect sense, as all sorts of sports analogies were trotted out to categorize Penn State's most important, and possibly most impressive, victory of the season.

"We stepped up to the plate and let it happen,'' said Clark, who also noted that, "we needed to be in a 12-round fight.''

This one, however, was no slam-dunk. Illinois, which came in ranked No. 22, took 7-0 and 14-7 leads in the first quarter, the first times this season the Lions had trailed. But whenever the Illini got uncomfortably close, Penn State accelerated until it got the checkered flag.

Ranked 22nd in the preseason, Penn State has moved up weekly to Nos. 19, 17, 16, 12 and now 6. The Lions' latest rise was spurred in no small part by a raft of upsets involving teams that had been ranked higher than them.

Next up is a trip Saturday (noon, ESPN) to pass-happy Purdue (2-2), which lost, 38-21, at Notre Dame, a game in which Boilermakers quarterback Curtis Painter completed 29 of 55 passes for 359 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

NITTANY LINE PLUS

After every Penn State game, Daily News beat writer Bernard Fernandez will provide Nittany Line Plus with his observations and analysis. Here is his take on Saturday's 38-24 victory over Illinois.

DID YOU NOTICE?

-- That defensive coordinator Tom Bradley cut down on his d-line rotation in order to keep his better players on the field against Illinois' dual-purpose threat quarterback, Juice Williams? Only three defensive ends saw action - starters Josh Gaines and Aaron Maybin as well as Maurice Evans, just reinstated after a three-game suspension. Evans, first-team All-Big Ten in 2007, was in on three tackles and sacked Williams for a 9-yard loss late in the second quarter.

-- That Illinois coach Ron Zook, perhaps unwisely, went for it on a fourth-and-2 play from the Illini 48-yard line early in the third quarter and his team trailing, 21-14? Williams was stopped for no gain and the Lions promptly made use of the short field, scoring on Kevin Kelly's 24-yard field goal. "I thought the spot [after third down] was a lot closer than it turned out to be,'' Zook said. "When you go fast like that [Illinois went no-huddle], you don't have a chance to change your mind.''

-- That the Lions benefited from two of three key plays that were reviewed by replay officials? A pass from Williams to Arrelious Benn, originally ruled incomplete, was overturned and Benn awarded a 33-yard touchdown, but an apparent lost fumble by Daryll Clark at the Penn State 19 was overturned, as was another apparent Penn State turnover on a punt when it was decided the ball first had hit an Illinois player before grazing the Lions' Knowledge Timmons.

"I'm the guy that's been pushing instant replay for 10 years,'' Joe Paterno said. "I can't exactly gripe when they go to it.''

-- That senior placekicker Kevin Kelly has connected on a field goal in 25 consecutive games?

-- That backup quarterback Pat Devlin was on the field for just three snaps in the fourth quarter, and only because Daryll Clark left the field, limping, after taking a helmet-to-knee hit?

-- That former Penn State defensive tackle Jay Alford, now a member of the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, was on the sideline enjoying the atmosphere? The Giants had an open date this weekend.