Illini roll right over Gophers

MINNEAPOLIS -- Whaddya think of spending the holidays at Disney World? How 'bout ringing in the New Year near Phoenix?

"We all just want to be somewhere warm," said Illinois junior running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Well, after five winters of nothing but cold prairie nights to show for its football troubles, Illinois finds itself in great shape for a lovely late-December business trip to a Florida resort or the sumptuous Arizona desert.

With Mendenhall shredding his way to 201 yards and 2 scores on the ground and quarterback Juice Williams rolling for 340 total yards, the Illini clinched their first bowl berth since 2001 with an overpowering 44-17 triumph Saturday night to ruin Minnesota's homecoming.

Illinois rolled up 34 points and 429 yards in the first half -- both totals eclipsing its per-game averages this year -- to cruise to its first victory at the Metrodome since 1994.

The Illini (7-3, 4-2) blitzed the Big Ten's worst defense for 655 total yards, good for the fourth-best performance in school history.

Sound like a decent momentum-builder heading into next week's visit to No. 1 Ohio State and its 100,000-plus fans?

"It was a little bit intimidating last time," junior linebacker Brit Miller said. "But when you're prepared, things don't seem as daunting. Hopefully we'll go out there ready to go. We're not going to be intimidated by anyone."

Certainly Minnesota (1-8, 0-6), with its six-game losing streak and freshman-heavy lineup, wasn't going to stop Illinois from earning its all-important seventh win.

Sophomore cornerback Vontae Davis set the game's tone on the first play from scrimmage when he picked off Adam Weber's deep pass to Ernie Wheelwright.

Illinois needed just 5 plays to capitalize as Williams capped the drive with a perfect 47-yard bomb to senior Jacob Willis on a post pattern.

After a Minnesota punt, Williams directed an 88-yard march that concluded with his 22-yard needle over the middle to wide receiver Jeff Cumberland.

Williams completed 14 of 21 passes for a season-high 207 yards and those 2 scores. He also rushed 18 times for a season-high 133 yards and another score, but he liked his throwing results better.

"It feels even better that the passing game is starting to click now," said Williams, who spread the wealth among five wideouts. "It lets us have the capability to throw the ball when teams try to load up the box on us to try to stop the option."

Minnesota held Mendenhall to just 19 yards in the first quarter, but the Skokie native broke free in the second quarter when he shrugged off two Gophers clinging to his white No. 5 jersey and sprinted down the right sideline for a 64-yard score.

He added a 33-yard jaunt in the fourth quarter for his 16th score of the year. That broke Howard Griffith's single-season record.

"The thing about it is, Rashard Mendenhall, Isiah Williams, we just didn't tackle them," Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said. "We just did not tackle them."

Now the Illini get to tackle the nation's best team while also allowing themselves to dream about their postseason destination.

Even if Illinois gets selected after Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State in the Big Ten bowl pecking order, that still means a trip to the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28 in Orlando or the Insight Bowl on Dec. 31 in Tempe, Ariz.

"We're so happy, especially the fifth-year seniors and seniors on the team," said senior defensive tackle Chris Norwell, who made his 43rd career start Saturday. "We've been through the down part of football and it just feels great to get this win.

"Florida sounds nice to me."