Illini QBs fall short

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- There's breaking news destined to sweep across the Big Ten -- at least among those that still must play Illinois.

Do your best to stop running back Rashard Mendenhall and force quarterbacks Juice Williams and Eddie McGee to make plays to beat you.

That's one of the valuable lessons learned from No. 18 Illinois' 10-6 loss at Iowa on Saturday afternoon.

Mendenhall, the nation's No. 7 rusher and tied for the nation's second-most touchdowns entering the game, carried just 15 times for 67 yards and didn't find the end zone for the first time all year.

Why?

More often than not, Iowa's defense forced Williams and McGee to keep the ball on the option.

"The (defensive) ends flared out more on the option," Mendenhall said. "When I was releasing, there were people coming with me.

"Even on the last play of the game (when Mendenhall was the intended receiver on McGee's intercepted pass into the end zone), I felt like there was a hovering safety over me as well as a linebacker."

Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley certainly noticed. He probably also knows this stat: The Illini are 5-0 this year when they produce more rushing yards than passing yards, but 0-2 when they finish with more yards through the air.

"(Juice) didn't come into the game 100 percent," said Locksley, referring to the strained ligament in Williams' left knee. "I think they were going to make it a game where our quarterbacks were going to have to win it.

"When you look at the outcome of the game, obviously as quarterbacks coach that falls on me to have both guys prepared. They didn't make the plays today that they needed to make for us to win the game."

In Locksley's eyes, Williams made at least two mistakes that caused harm.

The first came on the opening drive on the third quarter. After earning a first-and-goal from the 2, the Illini backed up until they had third-and-goal from the 6.

Slot receiver Brian Gamble got open over the middle, but Williams overthrew him so badly that a male Iowa cheerleader caught the ball just in front of the stands.

Then Williams fumbled on a fourth-quarter scramble in Iowa territory. That combo suggested it was time to bring in McGee with 9:16 to go.

Not including the 82-yard bomb that was called back due to an illegal-formation penalty, McGee clicked on 3 of 5 passes for 52 yards.

But he also threw a second-down interception at the goal line after Locksley instructed him to throw it out of the end zone if nobody was open.

So who starts next week against Michigan? Both Locksley and head coach Ron Zook say Williams remains the guy.

"Right now, Juice is the starting quarterback," Zook said. "And that doesn't mean Eddie won't play next week. (He needs to improve on) taking care of the football."

Local products make good: Neither sophomore Dan Doering (Barrington) nor freshman Bryan Bulaga (Marian Central) started on Iowa's offensive line Saturday, but they offered valuable contributions off the bench. Both played more than they ever had before during crunch time, and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz lauded them for it.

"We've got a lot of young guys stepping in all over the place," Ferentz said, "but Dan is a guy that's improved, I think, weekly since last spring, and he's continued that through the fall.

"And Bryan is a guy who had a great camp and our plan was to play him and he knocked the shoulder out the Tuesday after our first ballgame. So that put a month derailment on that plan."

Injury woes: Starting flanker Kyle Hudson left the game in the third quarter after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit on a punt return. Starting fullback Russ Weil missed the second half after injuring his right ankle. Neither player's status for Michigan is known.