With each additional victory, with each streak of futility erased, Illinois’ season of surprises takes a new form.
In a few short weeks, the Illini have gone from a team hoping to contend for a bowl game to one virtually assured of playing in December to one that now even can think — at least a little — about playing in one of the Big Ten’s three Jan. 1 bowls.
“I’m just thinking about next week,” linebacker J Leman said Saturday, trying to keep it all in perspective after the Illini’s pulsating 31-26 victory over No. 5 Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium.
Leman’s sentiments are true enough, but don’t tell the students in the new north end zone student section. As the seconds wound down, they began chanting “BCS! BCS!”
The fans chanted as the Illini players piled into the stands to celebrate with their classmates for the second week in a row, a suddenly new tradition. Last week, No. 19 Penn State went down. On Saturday, Wisconsin (5-1, 2-1) saw its nation-leading 14-game winning streak end.
“We’re on our revenge tour, beating a lot of teams that beat us last year,” said running back Rashard Mendenhall, who scored three touchdowns. “It feels great and I think we’re opening some eyes.”
The triumph marked the first time Illinois has beaten ranked teams in consecutive weeks since 1959, when the Illini beat No. 7 Wisconsin and No. 8 Northwestern.
The Illini, 5-1 for the first time since 2001 and 3-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1990, are poised to jump into the Top 25 for the first time since 2001. And this week, their coach may even vote for them.
“I might get us one more vote in there,” Ron Zook said.
Illinois won in a fashion that is becoming familiar — big plays by Mendenhall. The junior running back scored two touchdowns on the ground and one on a pass that looked like a pitchout. He carried 19 times for 160 yards, passing the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this year in the second quarter.
And quarterback Juice Williams ran for a season-high 92 yards and guided an offense that didn’t turn the ball over.
“At halftime, we saw some plays that gave us big plays, we ran those plays out of different formations and they never answered it,” offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said.
“If running the ball is what we do best, we have to continue to come up with a new wrinkle until the passing game comes along like it needs to.”
At the end, two of Illinois’ biggest weapons were out of the game. Freshman receiver Arrelious Benn was out after aggravating a shoulder injury suffered in training camp.
“He’ll have to learn to quit stiff-arming,” Zook said.
And Williams was out with a hyperextended knee. Backup Eddie McGee clinched the victory as the Illini rushed on the final 10 plays, including his sprint for a 5-yard touchdown to boost Illinois’ lead to 31-19, then sneaking on fourth-and-1 to get a game-ending first down by the length of the ball with 1 minute 2 seconds left after the Illini recovered Wisconsin’s onside kick.
Defensively, it was a mixed day for Illinois. They allowed a season-worst 519 yards but held the Badgers’ P.J. Hill to 83 yards rushing, 30 on one play. The Badgers didn’t stick with the run.
“Wisconsin is known for running the ball, but it seemed like they wanted to throw against us,” Leman said.
And so Tyler Donovan heaved 49 passes, completing 27, two for touchdowns.
But Mendenhall’s running and the defense established the game’s tone early as the Illini jumped out to a 17-0 advantage in the second quarter, with help from Jason Reda’s 50-yard field goal.
The defense forced Wisconsin to settle for three first-half field-goal attempts. After missing from 38, Tyler Mehlhaff converted from 38 and 26 to cut Illinois’ lead to 17-6.
And in the fourth quarter, the secondary came through. Safety Kevin Mitchell, who was beaten for a 43-yard Donovan to Kyle Jefferson score that cut Illinois’ lead to 17-13, intercepted Donovan at the Illinois 16 with 13:00 to play.
“Holding Penn State to field goals in the red zone when we had to made a difference,” Mitchell said.
And cornerback Vontae Davis, who was around last year when the Illini blew a two-touchdown halftime lead at Madison, ended the next possession at the Illinois 29.
“Everything we were in last year helps us for this year,” Vontae Davis said.
But before thinking about the Rose, Capital One or Outback Bowls, there’s work to be done, like facing Iowa on Saturday, Michigan on Oct. 20 and Ohio State on Nov. 10, igniting the passing game and shoring up some issues on defense.
“The most important thing is being 3-0 in the Big Ten and beating some high-quality teams,” Leman said.
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tabannon@tribune.com
