For only the second time all year, IU football players could speak Sunday at the team meeting. When IU loses, players aren't allowed to talk, but Saturday's 17-14, come-from-behind victory over the Fighting Illini reinstated player speaking rights and elevated team spirits. \n"It's indescribable right now," junior receiver Courtney Roby said after the game. "I'm lost for words. Everybody played hard and I'm just proud of everybody."\nAll year, IU players and coaches have spoken about the need to overcome adversity. IU began the fourth quarter of Saturday's game with two false start penalties, an offensive pass interference call and a later-negated Illini punt return for a touchdown. They ended it reeling off 10 straight points for the team's first conference victory.\nThat, sophomore tailback Chris Taylor said, is exactly the mentality IU has been after all year. \n"You're going to always have adversity in the game, you just have to learn how to overcome it and that's what we did (Saturday)," Taylor said. "We went out and made that long drive and Matt went through at the end, completed all his passes and made the drive. I'm real proud right now."\nIU travels to Penn State next week, a team that's struggled to a 2-8 record overall, 0-6 in the conference. IU has never beaten the Nittany Lions in eight chances. Still, IU players are hopeful the team won't be silent next Sunday.\n"We have nothing to lose," senior safety Joe Gonzalez said. "You don't quit in anything you do and we're not about to quit here."
First sack comes at right time\nAfter IU took the 17-14 lead Saturday, Illinois got the ball back with 24 seconds left. Immediately, Illini quarterback Dustin Ward hit a receiver for 18 yards and a clock stoppage. But any hopes for a last-second, game-tying field goal ended on the next play, thanks to IU defensive end Ben Ishola.\nIshola, a redshirt freshman from Berlin, Germany, sacked Ward for a loss of 15 yards, effectively ending the game. \n"It was a great feeling, that sack," Ishola said. "I'm in the speed group, so I come in on third downs usually and coach said 'Stay upfield, don't come inside.' I stayed upfield, wanted to come inside and I remembered my coach, stayed outside and (Ward) made one wrong step. It was a great feeling. It was my first sack since I've been here."\nPunt return gives IU scare\nIllinois' Christian Morton hadn't returned a punt since the third game of the season, when he was benched for a costly fumble. Against IU, he got a second chance and seemed to make the most of it, breaking through the defense for a touchdown to begin the fourth quarter. But a holding penalty brought back the score and an excessive celebration penalty on Morton sent the Illini back deep into its own territory.\n"I was so happy to get the ball in my hands. I was just excited," Morton said. "That's all we've been talking about all week. I kept telling people, 'I'm going to take one back, I'm going to take one back.' And it finally happened, and I just got excited."\nIU hadn't scored since the opening drive of the game, and a touchdown would have made IU's comeback effort more difficult. Instead, the Illini proceeded to go three out and gave the ball back to IU.\n"One thing about making big plays is you've got to keep your composure," junior linebacker Josh Moore said. "Obviously, they didn't do that. I saw (the return) and my heart just dropped. That was a huge call for us, we needed that. It's the big thing, like coach (Gerry) DiNardo always says, taking advantage of misfortune. We took advantage of it."
Jones picks a pair\nWith time running out, Ward threw a hail mary pass that junior safety Herana-Daze Jones picked off. But a pass interference penalty on IU moved the ball up 15 yards, and Ward threw the same pass on the next play.\nAgain, Jones picked off the ball, this time officially ending the game and giving him his first interception of the year.\n"The first one they called back on pass interference, but I was so excited. I was like 'I don't care, I'll just do it again,'" he said. "And I did it again."\n-- Contact staff writer Gavin Lesnick at glesnick@indiana.edu.
