BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – These guys just can’t catch a break!

The Illini bet their one potential win in the Big Ten on an onside kick in the first half and risky, aggressive offensive and defensive play calling. Although they left Bloomington empty-handed, Illinois finally stopped playing not to lose, but nothing went the Illini’s way.

“It’s frustrating,” head coach Ron Zook said. “(Indiana) is a team we shouldn’t have any problem playing with.”

Blaming the officials is generally a lame excuse, but this week, Illinois got hosed by a group of zebras. If not for them, Illinois could have held its ground Saturday.

Two plays stand out.

First, Illinois’ recovery of a risky onside-kick was reversed due to a phantom illegal touch by kicker Steve Weatherford. Illinois was jipped again when cornerback Alan Ball’s interception in the end zone was ruled pass-interference despite stark video evidence to the contrary.

“I could see (the contact) right there, and all that was Ball going up to get the ball,” safety Kevin Mitchell said. “I was very upset with that call, and the refs all game acted like they didn’t want to let us play, but you can’t control that.”

Every gamble the Illini tried came up Crimson, and those two horrendous calls cost the Illini 14 points. The rest of the damage was self-inflicted.

On a key fourth and one, instead of grinding it out with veteran running back Pierre Thomas or attempting a field goal, Zook put the ball in the hands of a quarterback starting in just his sixth game.

“It just shows our coaches have confidence in throwing the ball on fourth down,” Brasic said. “(Zook) knows that we have receivers that can get open, (running) backs that can get open, or I can run it.”

The inexperience led to miscommunication on the play and a turnover on downs – more points left missing in action that could have brought Illinois within a score.

On third and six in the fourth quarter, Brasic coughed the ball up gambling for more yards on a scramble which had already exceeded past the first down marker. That turnover clinched the sole position of last place in the Big Ten for the Illini.

Each time Illinois bet the farm, experience and maturity prevailed. The Illini started one senior on offense and one senior on defense, compared to Indiana’s seven seniors on offense and six on defense.

Despite the loss, the new Gamblin’ Illini were aggressive and fought longer and harder than they had in any other game. Mitchell said the Illini were determined to go after the Hoosiers from the start this week.

“Our whole philosophy is to go after it and not sit back and take whatever they give us,” he said.

The only risk that paid off was Jason Reda’s 52-yard field goal, too bad it was buried under a pile of dropped balls, missed tackles and bad calls.

But with all the gambling the team is doing, the Law of Averages says the Illini are due for something to break their way…right?

Thoughts and Second Thoughts

The youngest team in the NCAA just gets younger. Veterans like Kendrick Jones and E.B. Halsey had their number called less on Saturday in favor of red-shirt freshman Jody Ellis, and freshmen Kyle Hudson and Rashard Mendenhall.

Derrick McPhearson showed why he’s a star recruit – he can break off a big play.

In the aftermath of the “Battle for the Big Ten Basement” the Illini have lost 18 of their last 19 Big Ten games and their next win will likely be postponed until next September. Four of Illinois’ next five opponents have been ranked, and the fifth, Northwestern, ranks second in the Big Ten in total offense, as they upset then-No. 14 Wisconsin.

Dan Berrigan is a senior in Engineering. He can be reached at [email protected].