CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois locker room became a lounge in the second quarter Saturday as players sat back and watched other games and music blared.
Despite concerns over trailing Texas State in a game that was halted because of a lightning storm, the Illini coaches figured the best approach was to allow the team to relax as the delay stretched on for nearly two hours.
“We tried to utilize it,” coach Tim Beckman said, noting the team made adjustments at the start and end of the break. “The best thing that I heard was (defensive coordinator Tim) Banks saying I know we wanted a great football game, we (want to let) our players relax instead of being tight for an hour and thinking about all these things.”
The Illini were unwound in the worst way earlier in the game, but found a way to survive with yet another comeback, beating the Bobcats 42-35 at Memorial Stadium.
While an apocryphal lightning storm didn’t spell doom for the Illini exactly, it certainly didn’t forecast a sunny season ahead, especially with the Big Ten season on the horizon.
The Illini (3-1) had to fight back from a 21-6 second-quarter deficit to beat an opponent in only its third season as an FBS team.
“There are three (victories) in the book,” Beckman said “Of course it wasn’t pretty. I’m getting a lot of gray hair with some of these games. You have to e excited about winning football games. Don’t be shocked that you have to fight four quarters.”
A career day from running back Josh Ferguson and some fortitude helped the Illini avoid a catastrophe.
Ferguson started the day with a 75-yard touchdown run on the opening play from scrimmage and he ended it with a personal best 233 all-purpose yards (190 on the ground) with three touchdowns.
The Illini didn’t schedule this game to be a down-to-the-wire thriller.
But through much of the game, the Bobcats (1-2) were in control.
Down 28-25, the Illini took three points off the board when Texas State’s David Mims ran into field goal kicker David Reisner with less than nine minutes remaining. After the penalty gave them a first down at the 11, Wes Lunt’s 7-yard pass to Mike Dudek three plays later gave them a touchdown and a 32-28 lead.
On their next possession, Reisner booted a 19-yard field goal and then V’Angelo Bentley returned an interception 45-yards to make it 42-28. That provided enough of a cushion that Texas State’s final score with 1 minute, 12 seconds left didn’t matter much.
Despite the victory, the few fans remaining in Memorial Stadium took as much from the game to concern them as they did to celebrate.
After Ferguson’s opening touchdown, the Illini sputtered.
Before the storm delay with 13:35 left in the second quarter, Illinois had only 3 yards passing and one first down. Other than Ferguson’s 75-yarder, the Illini picked up only 15 yards on the ground and trailed 14-6 as they headed to the locker room for the delay.
After halftime, the defense buckled down and Lunt found his stride — save for a third quarter interception returned 47 yards that led to a 28-25 Texas State lead — but that isn’t enough to allay anxiety in Champaign.
“I don’t have any explanation,” Lunt said for the turnaround in the game. “It just happened, but I’m sure glad it did.”
Lunt struggled uncharacteristically with reads early, but hit Ferguson for a 33-yard touchdown strike early in the third quarter, leaving the Illini in a 21-19 hole.
Running back Donovonn Young then scored from 3 yards out for a 25-21 lead, the Illini’s first lead since the opening play.
The two touchdowns each were capped with failed two-point pass attempts.
Twitter @sryantribune
