Illinois: Live Blog

PSU won the toss and deferred. Typical KO--good field position for Illinois. And on third and long, we make Juice look like a Heisman candidate. Stuffed the run on first and second downs . . .hold your breath . . .wait for it . . Juice goes down! Wooo Hooo!

Penn State catches a break when Astorino calls for a fair catch but Illinois catches the ball! 15 yards digs us out of the hole. Nice run by Rosyter on second down to bring up third and short. . . . incomplete pass and we have to punt it back. Should have been caught.

Boone is still our MVP. Red Hat guy takes the field.

A turnover now would be great . . .stuffed on first down. QB draw--too much! Option on 3rd and 4 for a first down. Nine yard run. Illinois isn't having much trouble with execution. Only a yard on the next play but good enough to move the chains. Option play and QB keeper brings upo another third down . . .completion in the flat for no gain. Illinois to punt.

Punt to the 22 yard line with no return. Red Hat guy trots on the field.

Come on guys. Let's settle down and execute. Nice completion to the tight end. Royster to the right for no gain. Four wideouts, empty backfield--wow, did he thread that pass into traffic! FIRST DOWN! Nice gain on first down. Then an over throw by Clark brings up a critical third down. (Aren't they all critical?) Zug for FIRST DOWN! (Cue the Blue Band.) Decent game on first down, followed by a pass off the fingertips of Brackett for a possible TD.

CRAP! Delay of game. Now a more daunting third down conversion . . .and the pressure gets to Clark, but fortunately, the wounded duck pass falls to the turf. Boone punts it inside the 20, but Illinois brings it back to the 20 on the return. Time out on the field.

We need a game changing performance play from our D, but not on first down as Juice rumbles for 7. And on third and short . . . big play for a first down. Incomplete pass and Juice stuffed on the delay draw will bring upo a third and long after the quarter break.

SECOND QUARTER:

Pas scompleted but short, forcing a punt. Fair catch at the 20. Did you know that THEM lost today? And with the best refereeing that miney can buy!

Green fares no better on the ground than Royster. So let's try it again. Third and long. Micky Shuler makes a catch! FIRST DOWN! Another pass for a FIRST DOWN! Starting to rain--glad I'm not sitting in that! Stephon Green for a TOUCHDOWN! Finally! I got to see that break away speed we hear about! ZOMBIE NATION!

Penn State 7 -0. 6 play 80 yard drive in 3:14.

Can we contain a KO return???? Better. Illinois starts from the 25. On second and seven, Juice weaves his way for a first down. And then Juice cranks one to Benn, breaks a few tackles and look who's knocking at the door. First and Goal. Dufrene to the 5. Another yard brings up third and goal. Juice rolling and pressured, throws into the ground. Fourth Down. Field Goal from 22 yards is good.

Penn State 7-3.

Penn State, thinking theyt can return the ball against someone else as well as others do to them, can't. Bringing the ball out of the endzone, we're stuffed at the 13 yard line. Green carries for 2. A pass to Quarless goes for a FIRST DOWN. Nice first down yardage up the middle. Green again brings up a third and short. Can we execute? . . . . Yes we can! Green up the middle for great yardage and a FIRST DOWN! Roll out and a pass to Quarless for 5-6 yards. Hey! Let's Go State! First doiwn yardage on a pass to Moye. Clark is suddenly getting good protection. But Zug couldn't quite make the catch. COACH'S CHALLENGE. Ruling is confirmed and PSU is charged a TO.

Clark rolls to the left but can't get outside. No gain. Third and 10. And instead of trying to make a first down, we make a throw downfield into coverage. A punt to the one yard line pins the Illini back with a buck thirty left in the game.

Illinois passes quickly out of the endzone. Pay no attnetion to the obvious holding on the play. And our prevewnt defense is in A-one form, as Illinois moves effortlessly down the field. And another Illinois first down. Christ, there isn't a defender in the same zip code. Tighten things up for crying out loud!

TACKLE! Please. This is bullshit. We're making this team look like freaking Florida. TO Illinois.

Finally! A sack! TO #2 burned. First down on the option. Illinois spikes the ball to stop the clock. 19 seconds remain. Boy could we use a turn over here! The pressure gets to Juice and he is called for intentional grounding! Incomplete pass from the 43 yard line brings up fourth down. THREE seconds left, after a review of the previous play. . . incomplete pass confirmed.

One last play . . . that was exciting! PSU interecepted at the goal line and nearly ran it back. A penalty would have negated the TD anyway. HALFTIME.

I don't know. I don't feel very confident. Very similar to last week. I hate letting a team like Illinois hang around. We're one fumble or blocked punt from losing again. I hope we come out with a scoring drive for a touchdown in the second half.

THIRD QUARTER:

OK--after some technical difficulties, I'm back. Penn State started with poor field position at the 15 yard line but mounted an impressive drive that ended with a fumble at the Illini 30. We even overcame a holding call, but for naught.

Illinois holds and , Juice goes down and Illinois has to punt. Fair Catch at the 31 yard line. Time for advertisements. Did I mention that THEM lost to Sparty?

Shuler makes a shoestring catch for a few yards. Royster for no gain. Then Clark on the QB draw down to the 15! Hey! Let's Go State! Moye to the 10. I hope they're not getting tense--I sure am. Green to the 3-- FIRST AND GOAL! Big TD--no whammies!

Green to the half-yard line. 2nd and goal. Clark on the keeper for 6!

Penn State 14 -3. I'm feeling a little better now, thanks for asking.

Short, line drive kick taken by an upman. GD good field position for the Illini. Can there be a team with worse kickoffs? I can't even imagine. Third and long now . . . and a punt.

Penn State moving the ball. Oh oh oh oh oh ohhh. Oh oh oh oh oh ohhh. And another first down as the offensive line is starting to take control. Can you believe that? Clark with an overthrow of Powell. Green is stuffed at the line bringing up third and long. Critical I say! Screen to Royster for a FIRST DOWN. Oh oh oh oh oh ohhh. Oh oh oh oh oh ohhh.

Royster stiff arms and out of bounds after 7. Clark for a first down, but rolling on the ground hurt. No flag! Where's the flag? Late hit leading with the helmet!!!! Two blockers out in front and I don't think either of them made a block. Royster for nine more. Still a tad short bringing up third down. And so the quarter will end.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Green--FIRST DOWN and GOAL at the one. The kick is good.

Penn State 21-3.

Illinois returns it out to the 27. I have seen worse. Juice carries for 7. Flanker screen loses yardage. Third and 11. Completed but short of the first. Illinois to punt. Don't let them back in this with a bonehead play guys.

Fair catch at the 20 by Astorino. One more drive and we can go home, boys.

Nice pass to Moye out to the 40. Follow that up with an 11 yard trot by Green. Add another 1-15 yard run by Green. Speaking of Green, did I mention that THEM lost? Clark to Shuler down to the 15. Where was this team last week? Royster says I want some of that. He got him some of that. TD Penn State on a nice run by Royster!

Penn State 28-3.

Holy Misthrown Flag! How can you call that a late hit. He rolled over him! Have these guys no idea what momentum is? And another flag on the TD. Screw these refs! Why don't they just pick the ball up and walk it into the ednzone for them.

Penn State 28-10. I hope we don't hit the Illinois pansies too hard on the KO.

Illinois opts to kick it away, even with the 15 yard penalty. Why? Who cares. We've got the ball at the 20. Time to run out some clock.

FIRST DOWN Royster. Another two and the clock rolls on. Royster for a handful brings up another CRITICAL third down. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Boone on to punt. Touchback.

FUMBLE! Recovered by Penn State! Even the flag can't help Illinois! Let's Go State!

Brent Carter is in, but Newsome isn't. (Shaking head.) TD Brent Carter! (I guess Newsome wouldn't have gotten to pass anyway.)

Penn State 35-10. Was I worried about this game? Who me? No problem.

OMG. Did you just see that? We held a team to the 20 yard line on a kickoff. We are truly impressive now.

Juice completes a pass but is slow moving around. Did I just say slow? He faked it. He just ran for a first down. Holding. Never mind. Half the distance to the goal puts them back. He still running hard, but its third down. First Down but Benn is slow getting up. (poilte clapping.)

Incomplete pass stops the clock. Was that last catch in bounds? Who knows? Apparently, no one on ABC cares. I don't even know what Craig James is talking about now--I stopped listening three quarters ago. But no replay. I guess he was in. Juice throws it away under pressure. Another pass sails high. Third down. Pass complete brings up fourth and short. Obvious four-down territory. And damned if they didn't convert. To the 10.

Miserable pathetic meaningless useless freaking TD. Way to go Juice. You're great. Thanks for playing. You still lost the game. Why can't our D just finish playing the game?

On-sides kick recovered by PSU. Oh boy. Newsome is in And what a run! Clark's limping on the sideline. And that's a wrap.

FINAL: PENN STATE 35 - ILLINOIS 17.