Back to the pack

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- As the final seconds ticked away Saturday afternoon, crestfallen backup quarterback Eddie McGee sat on the Illinois bench and stared at the grass.

Team chaplain Marcellus Casey sat to his left offering comfort. Starting quarterback Juice Williams stood guard slightly behind McGee, suggesting literally that he had the redshirt freshman's back.

This tight formation summed up Illinois' sorrow on a day when illegal formations -- and their ramifications -- led directly to Iowa's 10-6 upset of the 18th-ranked Illini before 70,585 at Kinnick Stadium.

Neither Williams, who came out of the game after a fourth-quarter fumble, nor McGee, who fired an interception at the goal line with 1:12 to go, wanted to discuss the heartbreak they clearly shared with their peers.

"That was probably as devastated of a locker room as maybe I've been in after a loss," said Illinois coach Ron Zook. "Which I think is good."

Consider that the lone orange-tinted positive on a gray day that ended with thousands of Iowa fans leaping around on the field to celebrate the end of their team's eight-game Big Ten losing streak.

Meanwhile, Illinois (5-2, 3-1), coming off a pair of hard-earned wins over ranked foes that led to the program's first national ranking since 2001, found itself outgained, outmuscled and outwitted by the Hawkeyes.

"It wasn't that we weren't trying," Zook said. "We were trying and we were playing hard. But we weren't quite as sharp as we've been maybe the last two games."

The Illini's brain synapses certainly didn't fire as well as they've been.

Mental blunders led to Iowa's game-winning touchdown late in the third quarter, but also took away Illinois' go-ahead score with 8:51 to go.

The Hawks trailed 6-3 when they faced third-and-2 from Illinois' 15. Quarterback Jake Christensen's pass went for no gain, which suggested the Hawks might have to settle for a field goal.

But Zook, fearing Iowa would go for it on fourth down for the fourth time in the game, opted to accept a 5-yard illegal formation penalty and set up a third-and-7.

The Hawkeyes (3-4, 1-3), who all but admitted afterward that they planned to try a field goal, gleefully accepted Zook's choice.

"That helped us out," said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. "Gave us a shot."

Christensen took advantage by drilling a pass to wide-open tight end Brandon Myers for a 20-yard score and a 10-6 lead. Why was Myers uncovered?

"It was a little miscommunication," said senior safety Justin Harrison. "Last week, we were doing things to stop (two-tight end alignments) against Wisconsin. Where this week, Iowa does things a little bit different where they send their receivers out in different patterns.

"It was just confused coverage. (Linebacker) Brit Miller thought he had a guy and I thought I had a guy. We ended up having the same guy."

With a quarter to go, Illinois still had plenty of time to reverse its first second-half deficit since the opener against Missouri.

But their first drive ended when Williams fumbled the ball on a scramble at Iowa's 46.

That's when Zook and offensive coordinator Mike Locksley opted for McGee, who gave the Illini the lift they needed. At least for a moment.

From his own 18, McGee pump-faked a short curl to split end Joe Morgan on the right. Cornerback Adam Shada bit on the fake, McGee lobbed a deep pass to Morgan and he took it the distance for an 82-yard score.

But Illinois' longest touchdown pass since 1985 didn't stand up thanks to a penalty that had nothing to do with the play's outcome.

Flanker Jacob Willis, lined up wide to the left, started the play on the line of scrimmage instead of behind it as the formation demanded.

That meant he covered up tight end Michael Hoomanawanui, who became an illegal receiver downfield when he ran his pattern.

"Those are the little things," Zook said. "Those are the things you can't let happen."

Yet Illinois had one final chance to overcome itself. McGee fired to Arrelious Benn for 28- and 24-yard completions to speed to Iowa's 11 with 1:21 to go.

But McGee, trying to find Rashard Mendenhall across the middle in the end zone on second down, passed directly to free safety Brett Greenwood.

"We talked about it right before we broke the huddle," Locksley said. " 'Hey, hang on that back foot. Allow Rashard to win. If he ain't open, throw it out the back of the end zone.'

"Obviously we didn't execute that. Me being the quarterback coach, I let us get into the situation."

Now Illinois finds itself in a situation where it must sweep Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State and Northwestern to become Big Ten champs.

"Like I told 'em," Zook said, "we still control our own destiny."