What a difference 21 games make.

Illinois defeated No. 21 Penn State 27-20 in front of a capacity crowd at Memorial Stadium in a game that displayed the strides head coach Ron Zook has made trying to rebuild the Illini football program.

“I don’t want to say we’ve turned it around,” Zook said. “We haven’t turned it around but we’ve made progress. I think we can honestly say now that we have made progress and now we have to continue to improve.”

It was two seasons ago – 21 games ago to be exact – when the Nittany Lions came to Champaign and trounced the Illini 63-10 in what Zook described as the low point of his tenure at Illinois.

But this Saturday the Illini trailed for a total of 13 seconds. Penn State scored three points on a 26-yard field goal on its opening drive, but on the ensuing kickoff freshman Arrelious Benn left would-be tacklers in his wake and went 90 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.

“I think we’re going to continue to see (Benn) do those kinds of things,” Zook said. “He’s a heck of a talent.”

Illinois is 2-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1991 and the victory is its first win against a ranked opponent since beating Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, in 2001.

It was Benn again in the second quarter increasing the Illini lead when on a simple slant pattern he broke three tackles and went 29 yards for the touchdown. The Illini scoring drive was a lighting-fast two plays for 39 yards and increased the lead to 21-10.

Leading 21-17 at halftime the Illini defense allowed three points in the second half.

Zook substituted redshirt freshman Eddie McGee in the fourth quarter and McGee immediately responded with a 53-yard rush on an option keeper that set up a Jason Reda 33-yard field goal to increase the Illinois lead to 27-20 with seven minutes to play in the fourth.

“I’m not saying we’re in a two quarterback system,” Zook said. “I don’t even want to get into all that stuff. (McGee) came in and he did what exactly we wanted him to do. We just wanted to see if we could get a little spark there.”

Senior safety Kevin Mitchell sealed the victory when he intercepted an Anthony Morelli throw on the Illini nine-yard line with nine seconds remaining.

Earlier in the half, J Leman made two athletic plays on the goal line, preventing a Penn State touchdown.

On first-and-10 from the Illinois 27 Leman broke up Morelli’s pass intended for Andrew Quarless in the end zone. Two plays later Leman intercepted the pass on the Illinois three-yard line.

“They tried a double move on me, I didn’t bite on it,” Leman said. “(Quarless) went deep and I read his eyes, and his eyes got big, and I swatted my hands and the ball actually was right in his bread basket so I was able to knock it out.”

For the second straight week Vontae Davis came up with a fourth quarter interception in Illinois territory.

“You have to have confidence as a defensive back, you have to take chances,” Davis said. “We needed a big play because they were marching down trying score.”