When it comes to competing for a Big Ten title, lots of things make a difference. The big decisions matter, the little things count.
They all backfired on Illinois in its 10-6 loss to Iowa on Saturday. The defeat was as crushing to the faithful as it was avoidable.
This was hardly the first four-point game that could have gone the other way, but Illinois coaches and players alike will have plenty to digest as they study film of a loss that ended their five-game winning streak and certainly will drop the No. 18 Illini (5-2, 3-1 in Big Ten) out of the Top 25.
“That’s probably as devastated a locker room as I’ve ever been in, which is good [because] it means it’s important to them,” Illinois coach Ron Zook said.
Zook has plenty to deal with, including a growing quarterback controversy after switching from Juice Williams to Eddie McGee for the second time in three weeks. Two weeks ago, McGee helped pull off the victory over Penn State.
On Saturday, McGee almost did it again, moving the Illini to the Iowa 11 before throwing an interception to safety Brett Greenwood at the goal line with 1 minute 12 seconds left to end the Illini’s last hope.
He had hit freshman Arrelious Benn for completions of 28 and 24 yards to give the Illini a chance. But on the final play he couldn’t find Rashard Mendenhall, and he forced the pass on second down instead of throwing it away.
“Juice is our quarterback for now, but that doesn’t mean Eddie won’t play [against Michigan] next week,” Zook said.
The pressure to play McGee more will grow after he almost rallied the Illini to victory, but Zook would not allow either quarterback to address the situation after the game.
After Williams fumbled at the Iowa 49 to end Illinois’ first possession of the fourth quarter with Iowa already ahead 10-6, Zook went to McGee.
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On his second play, McGee dropped back and fired down the right sideline to Joe Morgan for an apparent 83-yard touchdown and a potential 13-10 lead with less than nine minutes left. But the Illini were called for having an ineligible receiver downfield. On the side opposite Morgan, senior receiver Jacob Willis had lined up on the line of scrimmage instead of off the line, making tight end Michael Hoomanawanui ineligible.
“Those are little things we can’t let happen,” Zook said.
It wasn’t the only “little thing” that hurt the Illini. On what turned out to be Iowa’s game-winning drive late in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes faced fourth-and-1 at the Illini 24. They gathered quickly at the line and quarterback Jake Christensen sneaked a yard for the first down.
“They did a good job of being ready to roll and caught us off guard just a little bit,” linebacker Brit Miller said.
Three plays later, Zook made a big decision that didn’t work out. Leading 6-3, he accepted an illegal-formation penalty instead of leaving Iowa with a fourth-and-2 situation at the Illinois 15. On third-and-7 Christensen promptly fired the go-ahead 20-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Myers.
It resembled a Zook decision in the fourth quarter, when he accepted a holding call that left Iowa with a third-and-14 from its 42 instead of fourth-and-4 from the Illinois 48. Christensen converted with a 29-yard pass to Paul Chaney, though the drive ended when Chris Norwell recovered a Christensen fumble at the Illinois 11.
“In my opinion it was the only thing to do,” Zook said of the decisions, citing Iowa had gone for it on fourth down in the first half. True, but Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz was passing up long field goals because of his weak kicking game.
The Illini also lost because they let Iowa (3-4, 1-3) convert 11 of 17 third downs, more than double the desired rate. And they only took the ball away from the Hawkeyes once.
“There’s a lot of pain in that locker room,” guard Martin O’Donnell said. “That pain is going to turn into anger, and that has to fuel us the rest of the season.”
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