Opportunities knock, but Illini fail to answer

CHAMPAIGN -- When Illinois claims it went toe-to-toe with No. 2 Ohio State and the point can't be argued, it's a measure of how far the Illini have come since last season.

Yet the final score in Saturday afternoon's Big Ten opener suggested just how far the Illini still have to go.

Between a howling wind and a hobbled Terrelle Pryor factors that limited the nation's No. 3 scoring offense Illinois had every chance to win a low-scoring bout.

But the combination of offensive stalls, defensive squalls and "ignorant" penalties as middle linebacker Martez Wilson so artfully put it enabled Ohio State to sneak out with a 24-13 victory before a Memorial Stadium sellout of 62,870.

"We believed before this game that we could play with the best," said Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure, who battled for 80 yards. "It showed ... we definitely feel like that game could have been the other way."

The Buckeyes (5-0, 1-0) didn't clinch their 11th straight win until Dan Herron's 6-yard touchdown run with 1:49 left.

Illinois (2-2, 0-1), which has won just one Big Ten opener since 1993, produced just 39 fewer total yards than the Buckeyes. Alas, they were assessed 48 more penalty yards and 27 came on Ohio State's final drive.

"I think just the frustrating part is when you're in a heavyweight bout with the No. 2 team in the country," said Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, "if you get to the late rounds of the game, when you don't find a way to get that knockout punch in."

When the Illini inhale the videotape today, they'll need two hands to count all of their opportunities to connect with Ohio State's solar plexus.

• With the score 7-7 early in the second, Illinois drives to Ohio State's 21. A false start on receiver A.J. Jenkins costs 5 yards and forces Derek Dimke to try a 41-yard field goal into the fierce wind.

The accurate kick dies a few yards shy of the crossbar.

• With the score still 7-7 late in the second, Illini safety Trulon Henry steps in front of a Pryor pass and returns it to Ohio State's 24.

Illinois pushes into a third-and-4 situation at the Bucks' 7, but Scheelhaase takes a 3-yard loss on a keeper and the team settles for a short field goal and a 10-7 lead.

• Pryor (104 rushing yards, 76 passing yards) gives Ohio State the lead with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher just before halftime.

But on OSU's first series of the third quarter, Pryor feels something pop in his left quad as he hit the open field on an option.

"That's probably the worst pain I've had," Pryor said.

Pryor returns after missing seven snaps and six minutes but can't do anything but hand off the ball, run sneaks and pass from the pocket.

Despite his limitations, Illinois can't adjust and slow down running back Dan Herron (23 carries, 95 yards).

• With 11:02 left and Ohio State clinging to a 14-10 lead, Herron tries the left side on fourth-and-1 at Illinois' 19.

Henry and Wilson appear to stop him short, but the Buckeyes get a spot that earns a first down by the ball's nose. Illinois coach Zook challenges the call, but it doesn't get overturned.

"I don't think that was a first down," Wilson said. "I think we definitely stopped him."

Ohio State goes ahead and earns a field goal to push its lead to 17-10 with 8:22 to go.

• Illinois, which managed 2 first downs in the middle quarters, races 67 yards to Ohio State's 13. But on fourth-and-7 with 4:36 to go, Zook opts for a field goal rather than continuing toward a tying touchdown.

"I felt if we get the field goal, now we're down 4," Zook said. "If we hold them to another field goal, you're only down 7 ... and you have to score twice anyway."

• That plan didn't get a chance to work because Ohio State took the ball and scored. Illinois committed 3 crucial penalties on the drive, including an offsides call on cornerback Justin Green far from the fray when Herron was stacked up on third-and-1.

"We played 'em toe-to-toe," Zook said. "If you go back and look at a few things here and there, we're in it. What we have to do is clean up the things that we can clean up."