Mendenhall continues to develop
BLOOMINGTON, IND. -- So much for Indiana owning one of the nation's top-10 rushing defenses and a chance for its first 4-0 start since 1990.
Junior running back Rashard Mendenhall shredded the Hoosiers for a career-high 214 rushing yards -- the sixth-best single-game total in Illini history -- in Saturday's 27-14 win.
Indiana entered the game having allowed 196 rushing yards in its first three games combined.
Mendenhall, who owns three consecutive 100-yard games and 8 touchdowns on the season, impresses Illinois coach Ron Zook more each Saturday.
"What we all saw today was a little bit more toughness," Zook said. "He's not running out of bounds. He's running like a good, big, strong back that he is."
On more than one occasion, Mendenhall lowered his shoulder and punished a defender on the sideline rather than skipping out of bounds.
However, he didn't relinquish his twinkletoes credentials entirely. On his 39-yard carry in the fourth quarter, Mendenhall performed a beautiful pirouette that left a defender grasping at air.
"I just saw, the angle that he was coming down at, I knew it was going to be able to work," Mendenhall said. "A lot of guys were joking around with me in the locker room, saying they didn't know I had it in me. I'm just doing whatever I can to get by."
Vontae again: Sophomore cornerback Vontae Davis got the last laugh in his game-long battle with NFL-bound receiver James Hardy.
In the first half, Hardy caught a 7-yard inside slant pass for a score as Davis complained that Hardy had pushed off.
But with 1:10 left and Indiana desperately trying to make up a 13-point deficit, Davis stepped in front of a slant pass to Hardy and earned his first interception since his first game.
Davis looked like he wanted to bring out the ball, but senior safety Kevin Mitchell all but tackled him as he approached the goal line.
"I remember in the spring, I was about to run out and Coach Zook, he got so mad at me and saying, 'Take a knee,' " Davis said. "The first thing (I heard) when I started running out and didn't see nobody right there was Coach Zook in the back of my head saying, 'Take a knee! Take a knee!' "
It capped a sterling game for Davis, who posted 9 tackles and blocked his second punt in four games.
A turnover win: Vontae Davis' interception with 1:10 to go gave Illinois its first turnover-margin victory since Nov. 5, 2005, during a 40-2 loss at No. 12 Ohio State.
The Illini forced 4 turnovers for the first time since the 2002 season finale at Northwestern.
Defensive end Will Davis, safety Justin Harrison and cornerback Dere Hicks forced fumbles that were recovered by safety Juice Mitchell, Harrison and tackle Chris Norwell.
Two hot minutes: Sophomore quarterback Juice Williams directed a sterling two-minute drill in the first half as he hit 6 of 7 passes for 59 yards.
Sparked by two big slant passes to Arrelious Benn, including an 18-yarder on third-and-6, the drive moved Illinois 68 yards in just 1:20 for a score.
Aside from that, though, Williams completed just 7 of 21 passes for 39 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.