Illinois survives Texas State scare 42-35

CHAMPAIGN — Trying to find a way to help Illinois hold onto a narrow lead Saturday, cornerback V'Angelo Bentley saw his opportunity in a fourth quarter pass thrown a little high.

Bentley jumped in front the receiver, snatched the ball and headed 45 yards to the end zone, delivering relief for the Illini and a 42-35 weather-delayed win over Texas State.

The head pats and hugs he got on the way to the sideline showed a degree of relief that's become all too familiar for Illinois.

Three times this season, the Illini (3-1) have headed to the fourth quarter trailing at home. And three times they've found a way, some way, to win.

But with Big Ten play starting next weekend at Nebraska, the Illini say they can't keep falling behind and desperately climbing back.

"We're still making too many mistakes to be successful," coach Tim Beckman, who delivered a couple of those pats, said. "That's what we have to strive to do. We have to play four quarters of football. That's very, very important to continue moving forward. We're practicing it, the kids are working to get better, but we have to continue to get better going into Big Ten play."

Texas State (1-2) led 21-6 in the second quarter but came up short against a team coach Dennis Franchione said he knew would come to life.

"You kind of know they were going to make a surge," Franchione said. He added that he didn't believe the almost two-hour delay for lightning changed the game, though Illinois clearly came to life after it.

Bentley's interception and running back Josh Ferguson's 190 yards and two touchdowns — one a 75-yarder — were just enough this week for the Illini. But that was only after Bobcats quarterback Tyler Jones threw and ran his team to that first-half lead.

Jones threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for another score.

Neither Jones nor Texas State made many mistakes Saturday. But two in the fourth quarter cost the Bobcats dearly.

Illinois trailed 28-25 and was faced with a fourth down at the Bobcats 16. Backup kicker David Reisner converted the field goal but Texas State's David Mims knocked him down, giving Illinois an automatic first down.

Four plays later Illini quarterback Wes Lunt hit receiver Mike Dudek on the run in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown and a 32-28 lead with 7:42 left in the game.

Even then, Texas State wasn't done.

An Illini field goal made the lead 35-28 but the Bobcats got the ball back with 3 minutes left.

Jones had been on so much of the day, making the right decisions in the Bobcats' option offense.

But on a first down at his own 39, he threw left and found Bentley. With the turnover, Illinois had breathing room at 42-28.

"That's one of the biggest things our coaches harp on. One is tackling, the other is taking the ball away and giving our offense as many opportunities as we can," said Bentley, who said he anticipated the pass because Jones had thrown it earlier.

Jones was a big reason a struggling Illinois team found itself down early.

On the Bobcats' first scoring drive on a third-and-12 at the Illini 28 yard line, the sophomore quarterback turned what was about to be a big sack by linebacker Mason Monheim into a first-and-goal at the 4. Monheim sprinted through on a screen and hit Jones, but the quarterback just managed to flip the ball to running back Robert Lowe who ran for the first down.

Two plays later, Jones looked ready to hand the ball off but instead pulled up and threw to a wide-open Ben Ijah in the back of the end zone. The Bobcats were up 7-6.

With 13:35 left in the second quarter, officials delayed the game, sending teams to their locker rooms fans into the stadium concourses just ahead of a driving rain and lightning storm.

And after the break, the Illini offense woke up.

Ferguson finished off a quick Illinois drive with a badly needed 2-yard touchdown that pulled Illinois to within 21-13.

Early in the third quarter, Bentley gave the Illini terrific field position with a 40-yard punt return to the Texas State 33.

Ferguson barreled all 33 of those yards to the goal line after a short pass from Lunt, diving into the end for a touchdown that pulled the Illini back to within two points, 21-19.

The Illini went for two and failed, but after trailing by 15 — and it could have been more — they were back in the game.