Illinois Survives Blue Raiders, 27-25, With Late Field Goal
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Taylor Zalewksi kicked a 51-yard field goal with just over two minutes left on Saturday to deliver Illinois a come-from-behind 27-25 win over Middle Tennessee.
But, before they could celebrate, the Illini had to endure Cody Clark's 43-yard field-goal try for the Blue Raiders that missed wide left with eight seconds left in the game.
The Illini (3-1) led 24-12 going into the fourth quarter.
Brent Stockstill then led the Blue Raiders (2-2) on a pair of late scoring drives. The second gave them a 25-24 lead on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Ed Batties.
Stockstill threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Batties caught 13 passes for 175 yards and two of those touchdowns.
Wes Lunt led Illinois with 238 yards passing and a touchdown.
Zalewski had missed from 33 yards earlier Saturday and missed a pair of field goals in last week's 48-14 loss at North Carolina.
As the ball sailed through the goal posts his teammates mobbed him. A lineman gave him a playful shove to the chest and Lunt wrapped a hug around the kicker's helmet.
It looked, though, like the Blue Raiders might find one more way back.
Stockstill led them back up the field before the drive stalled at the Illinois 26 with eight seconds left.
When Clark's kick sailed wide, Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill, the quarterback's father, dropped his head and slumped, knees bent, in front of his own sideline.
Illinois coaches and players talked all week about Middle Tennessee's offense, and the fact that it has twice scored 70 points this season.
But those performances were against Jackson State and Charlotte.
More impressive might have been that the Blue Raiders didn't give up 70 to Alabama, losing 37-10 after staying close for a half.
They stuck around a little longer this week.
Down by 12 early the fourth quarter, Brent Stockstill struck.
The lefty quarterback found Batties in the corner of the end zone, his defender beat, for a 13-yard touchdown. The Blue Raiders were behind 24-19 with 11:44 to play.
The Middle Tennessee fan section, a group of maybe 50 blue-clad faithful in the upper deck on the opposite end of the field, cheered loudly enough to be heard above the muffled grumbles of the rest of the reported crowd of 44,000.
The go-ahead touchdown gave them even more to cheer about.
On a day when Illinois' offense sputtered, the Illini looked to their defense to deliver field position and hold a slim second-half lead.
At first, it did.
Ahead 17-12 at the half, Illinois forced Middle Tennessee's offense off the field with three straight three-and-out possessions to open the second half. Two of them led to Illinois drives that started in Blue Raiders territory. And on the final one, the offense finally cashed in.
Illinois drove 49 yards ending on Ke'Shawn Vaughn's an 8-yard touchdown run with 2:14 left in the third quarter. It gave the Illini a 24-12 lead and, finally, a little breathing room.
Special teams also produced points for the Illini.
With nine minutes left in the first half and Middle Tennessee punting from its 25, Illinois' Caleb Day hovered near the line. He looked as if he would peel off to help set up a return but at the snap charged hard for punter Trevor Owens and batted the ball down. It squirted to the end zone where Clayton Fejedelem fell on it for the touchdown and a 14-3 lead.
Lunt at times appeared frustrated on the field, and balls sailed more than once to spots where it appeared receivers ought to be but weren't.
Geronimo Allison finished with 10 catches for 128 yards for Illinois.
Besides Batties, Stockstill's other favorite target, Richie James, caught 12 balls for 141 yards and a touchdown.
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