Illini defense impressive against second-ranked Ohio State

CHAMPAIGN Ohio State showed up averaging 49.3 points and 506.8 yards per game.

Illinois' swarming defense sliced those numbers in half at windswept Memorial Stadium, yet still couldn't come away with a win in Saturday's Big Ten opener at Memorial Stadium.

The rabid Illini sacked Terrelle Pryor three times, intercepted 2 passes for the first time in 13 months and held the Buckeyes to 291 yards the visitors' lowest total during their 11-game winning streak.

But because Ohio State rang up 10 crucial points in the final 8:27 to clinch the 24-13 victory, Illinois defensive coordinator Vic Koenning stood against a wall outside the locker room with his shoulders slumped.

"We just got close and couldn't finish it," Koenning said. "I just feel like, in my heart, that's two games this year that if we'd played just absolutely lights-out the whole game on defense ... we kind of let this one get away and against Missouri."

"We've got to keep pressing and getting our guys to understand how good they can be. That's the No. 2 team in the country and how good could we be on defense? We could have dominated them."

Illinois crippled itself in the second half with two facemask penalties on strong-side linebacker Nate Bussey and a third on defensive end Whitney Mercilus.

Koenning said he received a text from someone who watched a replay and thought Mercilus received a raw deal, but there was no debate on Bussey's plays.

"Sometimes I feel as though they're incidental facemasks," Bussey said, "but there aren't any incidental facemask penalties anymore. They're all 15-yard penalties. Just gotta work on not trying to get those penalties."

Middle linebacker Martez Wilson led the Illini with 9 tackles, including 1 sack and another tackle for loss.

Junior safety Trulon Henry posted the first 2 interceptions of his career. Arrelious Benn's brother became the first Illini to earn two picks in the same game since Kelvin Hayden in 2004.

Defensive end Michael Buchanan, who hadn't played since the Missouri game due to a DUI, came off the bench to record a career-high 7 tackles.

Buchanan wasn't the only Illini who played despite a recent brush with the law. Sophomore guard Hugh Thornton saw a handful of series despite being arrested for battery and damage to property last weekend at a campus bar.

"Both those guys, their discipline is going to be handled within," said Illinois coach Ron Zook. "And believe me, it's strong discipline. Mike had been suspended for three weeks. I thought he had paid his price. He's not done.

"Same with Hugh. I think there were a lot of things that were blown out of proportion in Hugh's situation. Once we found all the facts, I felt like it was again something we can handle within."