Buckeyes Fall To Surprising Illini, 46-20 – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/13/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 13, 1999
%^$* Game Stats
%^$* Postgame Notes & Quotes
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By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – On Ron Turner’s checklist of things to do at Illinois,%^$the third-year coach puts progress ahead of warm climates.%^$
The Fighting Illini qualified for their first bowl in five years by bowling%^$over No. 25 Ohio State 46-20 behind Kurt Kittner’s four touchdown passes%^$Saturday.%^$
But Turner is still thinking more about where his team has been than about%^$where it might be in the postseason.%^$
“Last year, it was 41-0 against the same football team,” Turner said of%^$one of the blackest days in the young Illini’s dreary 3-8 season. “They had%^$about 500-some yards and I don’t know if we got a first down. So we’re%^$continuing to make progress, but we’re not done yet.”%^$
It was the most points surrendered by Ohio State in Ohio Stadium since%^$Michigan hung a 58-6 loss on the Buckeyes in 1946. In 87 previous meetings, the%^$only time Illinois had scored more points against Ohio State was in 1904, 46-0.%^$
“We wanted to bury them,” Illinois defensive tackle Mike McGee said. “Not%^$bury them in a bad way, but like a wounded animal we didn’t want them having%^$any last gasp.”%^$
Ohio State (6-5, 3-4 Big Ten) must win at Michigan next week for a winning%^$season to meet the minimum requirement to play in a bowl.%^$
Coach John Cooper was left to wonder if his team is already looking ahead to%^$being home for the holidays.%^$
“I hope they haven’t packed it in,” he said. “The way we played today at%^$times makes you wonder.”%^$
Cooper said he isn’t worried about bowls.%^$
“It doesn’t matter how I feel about that,” he said. “If we don’t win%^$another game, we’re not going to a bowl game.”%^$
Illinois (6-4, 3-4), which has won three of its last four, beat Ohio State%^$and Michigan on the road for the first time ever.%^$
So lopsided was the game that one of the biggest cheers of the game came%^$when a middle-aged man ran onto the field midway through the fourth quarter%^$with Illinois ahead 43-20. He was handcuffed and led away while the crowd%^$applauded and screamed.%^$
Most of a crowd of 93,429 had left by that time.%^$
It was a meltdown of epic proportions for an Ohio State team that finished%^$last season ranked No. 2, was ninth in the preseason poll and hadn’t fallen out%^$of the top 25 since the middle of the 1994 season.%^$
After a punt on their first possession, the Illini scored the next four%^$times they got the ball and six of the next seven. The only time they didn’t%^$score, they had four cracks at the end zone from the Ohio State 1 but the%^$Buckeyes held.%^$
Kittner completed 17-of-31 passes for 221 yards, most on short flips that%^$the Illini turned into big gains. Jameel Cook had seven receptions for 100%^$yards, including a short toss that he turned into a 25-yard touchdown.%^$
“We’re playing great,” Kittner said. “The guys are competing their butts%^$off and it shows on the field.”%^$
Kittner hit Josh Whitman on scoring passes of 2 and 5 yards, the latter%^$tipped by Ohio State cornerback Ahmed Plummer away from intended receiver%^$Michael Dean and into the hands of Whitman.%^$
Kittner, who has 22 touchdown passes and only two interceptions, also found%^$Brandon Lloyd on a 30-yard score.%^$
The Illini also rushed for 266 yards, led by Steve Havard’s 104 yards on 28%^$carries, including a 7-yard run.%^$
“They just moved the ball right downfield on us,” Ohio State defensive%^$ends coach Shawn Simms said. “It was flat-out ugly out there.”%^$
Meanwhile, Ohio State’s offense had three turnovers, resulting in two%^$Illinois touchdowns and a field goal.%^$
Steve Bellisari was 9-of-24 for 133 yards with one interception for Ohio%^$State. He has completed more than half of his passes in only one of his last%^$eight games.%^$
Michael Wiley was one of the few bright spots for the Buckeyes, scoring%^$twice and gaining 128 yards on 19 carries including a 35-yard TD run that got%^$Ohio State as close as 19-7 in the second quarter.%^$
The Illini put the game out of reach with a 10-point burst in the final 34%^$seconds of the half.%^$
Neil Rackers, who also converted field goals of 24, 47 and 38 yards, boomed%^$a 50-yarder with 34 seconds left in the half.%^$
On the ensuing kickoff, Ken-Yon Rambo took the ball from five yards deep in%^$the end zone and was trying to avoid a tackle when Antoineo Harris punched the%^$ball loose and recovered at the Ohio State 1.%^$
Three plays later, Kittner hit Whitman over the middle for a 29-7 lead.%^$
“That fumble just before halftime for all intents and purposes took us out%^$of the ballgame,” Cooper said after Illinois’ fifth victory in the last seven%^$meetings at Columbus.
