The funny thing is, Penn State's sophomore wide receiver doesn't care for that same quality from an opponent's defensive backs. The more trash talk he hears on the other side of the football, the better.

From that standpoint, one of Moye's better performances of the season - six catches for 120 yards and one touchdown in last weekend's 20-0 win over Minnesota - was rather noteworthy because of the lack of a trash-talker in the Golden Gophers' secondary.

"I don't really like to play against guys like that because they were kind of nice," Moye said after Saturday's game. "If I made a catch, they were like, 'Good catch.' I don't really like that. I like it when people talk because it gives me more of a reason to want to burn them."

Moye's performance vs. Minnesota marked the latest chapter of his emergence as the deep threat of the 13th-ranked Nittany Lions' crop of receivers who replaced last year's outstanding trio of Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood, and Derrick Williams.

The 6-foot-5, 198-pound resident of Rochester, Pa., near Pittsburgh, leads the team in four categories - 27 catches, 472 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns through the air, and a 17.5-yard average per catch. That last mark ranks first in the Big Ten among players ranked in the top 10 in receiving yards.

For a quiet guy, that's making quite a lot of noise.

"There are times when you play where people talk and try to get me off my game," Moye said. "If I talk back, it means they've been successful at it. I just like to go out there and let my performance do the talking."

Moye gives the Lions a multitalented combination of size, strength and speed. The speed comes from his track days when he won the 2007 PIAA state championship at 200 and 400 meters. He has run 4.38 seconds for the 40-yard dash at Penn State.

He usually towers over the cornerbacks he faces and he has developed a knack for making catches when quarterback Daryll Clark needs him in a vital situation.

"He definitely has worked hard to improve," Clark said. "When his number is called, he does a tremendous job of getting open and making plays. And I feel he's going to get better."

One of those plays came Saturday when Moye stretched out to catch a fade pattern at the right sideline of the end zone. Officials initially ruled the pass incomplete but overturned the decision upon review. Moye got the toes of his right foot down in bounds for the touchdown.

In addition to football and track, Moye also lettered in baseball and basketball at Rochester High School. It was his play on the court that convinced Joe Paterno the high school star could be a good fit for the Lions.

"If you had seen him play basketball," the coach said, "you know what kind of an athlete he is. He's a really good basketball player.

"We've had high hopes for him and he's done well. Once in a while he gets a little careless and takes his eye off the football. But each week he gets better. He blocks well. He's a big man. He's a tough kid and he's got the making of a real good one."

Moye and the Lions will face a stern test Saturday on the road at Michigan, and Clark might ask him to make a play or two once again.

"I didn't really anticipate being the go-to guy," Moye said. "I knew I'd have a chance to go to camp this summer and improve myself. I knew there would be voids to fill and that I'd have to work hard.

"My route-running has improved throughout the year. My strength is getting better. I've worked on my blocking a lot."

And it's all been done - quietly.