Few situations in college football have looked as dire as they did for the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-4) at the end of the first half of yesterday’s game against Michigan State (4-5).
To recap:
Michigan State was up by 25 points (28-3).
Lewerke, meanwhile was in firm control of the game. With time on his side and seemingly no effective pass-rush interference by Illinois, he fired the ball at will. And Cody White was there to receive it. Then, almost as if on a whim, Lewerke decided to make two touchdowns on his own because, why not?
Spartan offense was, well, finally offense. They chewed through the Illini time and time again. To be frank, they looked like Ohio State. The Spartans grinned at the end of each successful play, bro-bumping and leaping into the air so often they looked they kernels popping in a skillet.
Dantonio wasn’t smiling, but he always looks as if he is ruminating over an unfavorable peace treaty.
With 32 seconds left at the end of second quarter, Michigan had 336 total yards. Illinois had a paltry 95.
As for Illinois, they just could not catch a break.
Linebacker Milo Eifler had already been ejected during the first quarter for unsportsman-like conduct (a thrown punch, apparently).
Spartans linebacker Noah Harvey hit Illini wide receiver Donny Navarro so hard the crowd saw stars.
Illinois fumbled the ball at 11:24 and 10:06. Elijah Collins made good on the first blunder and scored a touchdown. The second fumble was declared as an incomplete pass on review.
Illinois’ dumpster fire almost went full Chicago blaze at 2:34, with what would have been the Spartans’ fifth touchdown being barely—barely—averted by Illini cornerback Nate Hobbs. Speed, determination, and quick thinking by Hobbs very probably saved the game for Ilinois, because yes, Illinois went on to win, pulling out of a 20-point rout and staging the biggest comeback in the school’s history.
At the very razor’s edge of the end of the second quarter, Illini quarterback Brandon Peters threw a 46-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe, who ran it in for Illinois’ first touchdown of the game. The third quarter opened with the score 28-10, Spartans leading.
Matt Coghlin kicked a 23-yard field goal, putting the score 31-10. Illinois wasn’t buried, but they were still in the coffin at this point.
Then the Fighting Illini opened the lid and went for Michigan State’s throat in the fourth quarter, in what must have seemed like a nightmare to the Spartans, their fans, and Dantonio.
Three touchdowns were scored in succession and just under ten minutes by Illini Imatorbhebhe, Reggie Corbin, and Sydney Brown. Now Illinois was just behind Michigan State, the score at 34-30 (Matt Coghlin kicked a 46-yard field goal at 3:17). The Spartans suddenly found themselves as badly outscored in the fourth quarter as the Illini had in the first two.
And then Illini tight end Daniel Barker scored a touchdown with only five seconds left in the game. Illinois won, 37-34.
What a stunning reversal for Michigan State. Time to stick a fork in it, folks, Thanksgiving came early this year and Sparty’s turkey is done.
Photo courtesy of the Detroit Free Press