Illinois In-Game: Second Half

Did Mark May really praise Penn State and Coach O'Brien?  Head to your bunkers, kiddies.  The apocalypse is close at hand.

Illinois deferred and gets the ball first to open the second half.  But the defense came out fired up.  Big hit on Scheelhaase followed by a sack and Illinois has to punt.  Freakin ball rolled around inside the five but not into the end zone.  PSU takes over in their own end zone.

The offense stalls and must punt from the endzone, with Illinois taking over with good field position at the PSU 42.

R U Kidding Me?  A backward pass and the guy is wide open?  In the end zone?  Holy Red Roof Inn, Batman!

Well, that didn't look pretty.  A great drive stalls and with no kicker, a botched fourth down play gives the ball right back to the Illini.  Don't like the feeling I'm getting now.

The defense held, but more confusion.  Time out Penn State.  Better than a penalty, but come on.  FOCUS!  FOCUS!

Mediocre punt to the PSU 44.  We need to mount a sustained, scoring drive.  Now.

Illegal shift and 5 yard penalty doesn't help.  FOCUS!

OK.  Moseby-Felder has his head in the game.  Good for a Penn State first down!  Then, Zwinak to the five--first and goal!  McGlion sneaks for the TD!  (Should have done that at the end of the first half.  Just sayin'!)  Oh wait.  We need to further review.  Can we use X-rays to see exactly where the ball is?  The radiologist in the booth states the play stands as called.

PENN STATE 28-7.

Illinois finally got a third down conversion and moved the ball into PSU territory, but Mauti comes up with his second INT of the game.  Again, he didn't score.  But I'm not complaining on this one.

McGloin is back firing.  The Illini defense is slow getting up off the field at the end of plays.  Drive that ball down the field, baby!  Zwinak powering to the 17!  Oooh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oooooh!  Oooh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oooooh!

Is that a bag of Tostitos?  I guess that's the end of the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Zwinak pushes across for the score.  Cue the Blue Band.  Fight on State, strike your gait and WIN!  And the extra point is good before any official review.

PENN STATE 35-7!  Who was a 1.5 point favorite in this game?

Middle Tennessee State is beating Georgia Tech.  GO MTS!

Wow.  Kick-off coverage looks good.  Illinois starts around the fifteen.  Let's Go D!  They heard me!  Scheelhaase sacked at the TWO!  Punting time, baby.  PSU looks to get good field position.

Sure enough, the punt rolls out at the Illinois 44.  Keep.  The.  Accelerator.  Down.  Show no mercy.  We are not a dead Lion and these Vultures need to be taught a lesson.

Illinois takes over on downs near the Illini 10.

The remainder of the game was anti-climatic, but the Illini did push downfield and threatened to score with a first and goal on the one yard line with five seconds remaining.  The ensuing play was stuffed by the Penn State D to preserve the 35-7 final score.  Beckman could probably have called a time out with a second or two left, but in his favor, he chose to not prolong the agony for a pointless score.

FINAL:  PENN STATE 35 - ILLINOIS 7