Put me in, coach: QB Wes Lunt asked to go back in after a calf injury forced him to the sideline in the fourth quarter. Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit told him no. Lunt said he expects to play at Wisconsin and Cubit said he doesn’t expect the injury to linger throughout the season.
Go-to man: Freshman receiver Mikey Dudek is officially the go-to man on offense. He gained a career-best 200 yards on eight catches. This was just the fourth time in school history a receiver picked up that many yards. The others were A.J. Jenkins, Steve Hull and David Williams.
Tough call: Running back Josh Ferguson was surprised his dropped pass was reviewed and overruled as a fumble off a lateral in the third quarter. The Illini were on the Purdue 12-yard line, trailing by three. Purdue scored two plays after the turnover.
Standing by decision: Coach Tim Beckman defended his decision to kick a field goal on fourth-and-2 at the Purdue 13-yard line, trailing 38-27 with 8:23 left. He noted the Illini failed to convert fourth-and-2 in the second quarter. They still would have needed a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie after a field goal, he said.
Looking ahead: Illinois plays at Wisconsin on Saturday.
Shannon Ryan
