Suddenly, Illini like Zook's look
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ron Zook stood for the obligatory postgame TV interview. You know, the one the victorious coach gets asked to do.
Then, as he headed off the steamy turf Saturday afternoon at Indiana's Memorial Stadium, he squinted up at the orange mass of fans in the southwest corner of the stands and pumped both arms high in the air four times.
As the fans chanted "Zook! Zook! Zook!," Illinois' third-year boss gave the sky one final punch with his right fist.
Hmmm. Reaching for the stars instead of scraping the cement floor. Looks like the Illini are headed in a whole different direction.
For the first time since wrapping up the 2001 Big Ten title, Illinois owns a share of the league lead after its 27-14 Big Ten win over the previously unbeaten Hoosiers before a sun-drenched crowd of 34,707.
Immediately after Zook disappeared into the giddy visitors locker room, more than a few Illini types started to count how many more wins are needed to become bowl eligible for the first time in six seasons.
The answer? Three for eligibility, but four to ensure a bowl.
"Oh, yeah, yeah," said backup defensive end Will Davis, who earned 4 sacks and forced a fumble. "That's all we've been thinking about.
"This was a big game. This was one of the games that we had to win. This was a must-win for us and we came through with it."
The Illini (3-1, 1-0), riding their first three-game winning streak since 2001, earned their first win in a Big Ten opener since 1993 for two reasons: The defense piled up 7 sacks and 4 turnovers -- and junior running back Rashard Mendenhall did as he was ordered.
"I talked to him before the game during warmups," Zook said. "And I said, 'Put this team on your back and go.' "
That's exactly what the Niles West product proceeded to do, starting with his 18-yard option sprint on the game's first snap.
Mendenhall finished with a career-high 214 yards -- the most by an Illini back against a Division I-A opponent since Robert Holcombe's 315 at Minnesota in 1996 -- on a career-high 27 carries.
"That's a good game," Mendenhall said demurely.
Not only did he all but clinch the game with his 5-yard touchdown blast with 12:45 to go, one of Mendenhall's 3 receptions went for a 15-yard score to cap a sterling two-minute drill that gave Illinois a 20-7 halftime lead.
"That's how it was in high school," Mendenhall said. "I'd go out there and I'd know if I wasn't going to do it, then it wasn't getting done.
"The team was on my back and I just had to chop and chop away and do the best that I can. I went out there with the mentality that I wasn't going to let them down, I wasn't going to let myself down, I wasn't going to let anybody down."
The story was different on the other side of the ball. Due to the intense heat, Illinois kept rolling in fresh defensive linemen to deal with super scrambler Kellen Lewis.
While he completed 26 of 51 for 263 yards and posted 93 positive rushing yards, he gave back 58 of those yards on Illinois' 7 sacks.
Davis' 4 sacks finished 1 behind Simeon Rice's school record, while starting end Doug Pilcher, backup tackle Mike Ware and nickel back Justin Sanders also crunched Lewis.
"I don't know if you can ever truly contain him," said co-defensive coordinator Curt Mallory, who seemed extra pleased to win on the same field where his father, Bill, earned so many victories as Indiana's head coach.
"We just tried to keep some presence in the middle and get guys in his face. The upfront guys did a great job."