Pair of key decisions help seal Illini fate
CHAMPAIGN - In a game made more emotional than a normal Big Ten affair because of Illinois' win at Ohio State last year, two critical decisions helped to derail any chance for an Illini rally Saturday afternoon.
The first came with Illinois trailing 23-13 with 5:28 left in the third quarter.
Facing fourth-and-10 from Ohio State's 37 - but with a 25 mph gust at his back - Illini kicker Matt Eller went in for an apparent 54-yard field-goal attempt.
Instead, Eller pooched a punt that snapper Tad Keely downed at the 1-yard line. But Ohio State was flagged for a 12th man on the field, so Ron Zook could have accepted the penalty and tried a 49-yard field goal.
He chose to stick with the punt that backed Ohio State against the wall.
"I just didn't have a real good feel. I mean, the wind," Zook said. "You say, 'Well, you get the 3, but what if you don't?' Now they have the ball.
"The whole reason I took the wind in the third quarter was I didn't want to give them a chance to get another touchdown up."
As it turned out, Illinois never got that close to Ohio State's goal line again until Juice Williams' 24-yard touchdown pass to Chris Duvalt with 0:42 left against the Bucks' second-team defense.
The second half's other crucial play came early in the fourth quarter and the score still 23-13.
Facing third-and-4 at Illinois' 49, OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor threw a high pass that tipped off running back Dan Herron's hand and flew over teammate Dane Sanzenbacher's head.
Shortly after the ball whizzed above Sanzenbacher on the sideline, Illinois safety Donsay Hardeman drilled him with a helmet-to-helmet blow.
An official tossed a flag and assessed Hardeman a 15-yard penalty for a late hit, but didn't indicate it was for the helmet-to-helmet contact.
Zook and middle linebacker Brit Miller complained bitterly, but the penalty stood and Ohio State went on to earn a clinching touchdown.
"You're going to have some good calls," Hardeman said. "You're going to have some bad calls."
Juice still the man: Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley removed Juice Williams in favor of backup quarterback Eddie McGee for three fourth-quarter possessions,
Locksley, though, said Williams will make his 34th straight start at Northwestern.
"I wanted to get Juice settled down a little bit," Locksley said. "They brought a couple of fire zone pressures in there. I think on his last sack, he kind of froze up a little bit.
"They brought the blitz from the field (side) and his hot read got picked up and I'd like to see him get rid of the ball."
Injury watch: Backup quarterback Eddie McGee left with 1:36 to go after aggravating his turf toe.
Defensive tackle Josh Brent suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee. Though he returned to the game, Ron Zook labeled him "questionable" for the Northwestern game.