Crushing defeat

Having emerged victorious from its first three games, the IU football team was and played like the nation’s seventh-ranked rushing offense and 10th-ranked offense.\nBut when the Hoosiers played Illinois Saturday, all of the praise given to IU throughout the first three weeks of the college football season didn’t matter. Redeeming themselves from a last-second loss last year in Champaign, the Fighting Illini easily defeated the Hoosiers 27-14.\n“There were a couple of looks where we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off,” sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis said.\nEntering the game, the IU defense had played all season without facing a tough opponent for four quarters. IU coach Bill Lynch's defense had only allowed 65 yards on the ground a game, recorded 17 sacks – tops in the nation – and had forced 10 turnovers all year, while only giving up four of its own. On the offensive end, the Hoosiers had rushed an astounding 258 yards a game.\nBut wins don’t come on paper, and Illinois made short work of an IU team that came into Saturday with a lot of confidence.\nUsing a combination of the option and handoffs, Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall ran through seam after seam in the IU defense. Spinning and juking his way downfield, the junior ran for a career-high 214 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield. Mendenhall also caught three balls – one for a touchdown.\nAfter Saturday’s performance, Mendenhall earned the respect of IU’s defense.\n“Last year I didn’t think he was that much of a factor,” junior linebacker Geno Johnson said. “But this year, I would say he’s ranked in the top five of running backs I’ve faced.”\nRunning for a majority of their plays, the Illini were able to control the game clock through long drives that were sustained on several long-yardage third down runs.\nAs hard as it was for the Hoosier front seven to stop Mendenhall and quarterback Isiah “Juice” Williams, they were unable to continue their streak of sacks and looked lethargic at times against the Illinois offensive line.\nWilliams hit the ground only one time during the game, while Lewis continued to feel pressure. After being named Big Ten offensive player of the week last week, Lewis completed 26 of 51 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked seven times. Lewis speculated that was the most amount of passes he’s thrown in his career.\n“The game just dictated that,” Lynch said. “We wanted to play it very similar to what we’ve done the first three weeks. The score and the way they were playing and the success – or lack thereof – of some things led us to throw it.”\nWatching the Illini rushing attack chew up yard after yard from the sideline, the combination of Lewis, junior running back Marcus Thigpen, sophomore running back Demetrius McCray and senior fullback Josiah Sears failed to muster up any consistent attack of its own when it was its turn to answer. The IU backfield combined for a below-average 134 yards.\nAnd then the Hoosiers turned the ball over.\nFor the first time this season, IU found itself committing turnovers, rather than cleaning up after the other teams’ messes. \nThigpen fumbled on the first drive of the game. Then sophomore wide receiver Ray Fisher fumbled inside the red zone and junior wide receiver James Hardy fumbled inside \nthe 40.\nCalls and breaks didn’t go the Hoosiers’ way either. One IU punt was blocked and another punt return was muffed by the Illini, only to have a Hoosier recovery taken away because of a penalty.\n“I’m not going to sit here and criticize the officials,” senior cornerback Tracy Porter said. “That’s not what I do. But as I recall, there’s no halo rule in college football. A guy pushed James (Bailey) into the returner, he muffed the ball and I dived on it. Obviously the officials felt a different way.” \nJust as the Hoosiers tried for one final touchdown, Lewis was intercepted in the end zone with a minute and a half left, effectively ending whatever hope IU had remaining.\n“You can’t give a team that,” Lewis said. “That’s field goal opportunities gone, touchdown opportunities gone. You take away points from yourself and you give it to them.”\nThe lone bright spot for the Hoosiers was Porter. On the second play from scrimmage, Porter made a spectacular single-handed interception and followed that one up with a red zone interception in the third quarter to give the Hoosiers yet another chance at making \na comeback.\nOnly that comeback never happened, and IU’s goal of going to a bowl game took its \nfirst hit. \n“But it’s just one game,” Lynch said. “And there’s a lot of football left. I didn’t see anybody quitting out there – I saw them playing to the end.”