Instead of cementing its status as a top-25 team on Saturday, Illinois only raised more questions in a head-scratching 20-17 victory over Lousiana-Lafayette.

The defense appeared to make strides in holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to three points through three quarters, but Juice Williams threw for just 143 yards and Illinois mustered only one offensive touchdown against a team that allowed 633 total yards to Southern Miss in its first game of the year.

Following the game, many players suggested that the Illini lacked the intensity of the first two games of the season. With fewer fans in attendance and a win all but expected, Williams said the team simply came out flat.

“That same offense that was there the last two weeks wasn’t there,” Williams said. “I wish I had an answer for why we’re not flying around or playing with emotion.”

A resolute Zook told reporters not to expect the trend to continue when Big Ten play commences in two weeks against Penn State.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re playing Louisiana-Lafayette or you’re playing the Green Bay Packers, you’ve got to prepare to play a heck of a game,” Zook said.

“Instead of it being a negative, like most of you are going to write about, to me it’s a positive, because, by golly, we’re going to learn from that.”

User Strip

On a day short on big plays and clutch performances, linebacker Brit Miller’s forced fumble and touchdown return was arguably the game’s best highlight for Illinois.

After Cajuns quarterback Michael Desormeaux faked a handoff from the shotgun, Miller immediately stood him up behind the line of scrimmage. Miller then spun Desormeaux around in the scrum, yanked the ball out of the signal caller’s arms and ran 27 yards for the score.

Miller said that his seemingly premature celebration – holding the recovered ball out at the 20-yard line before rolling into the end zone – had a practical purpose.

“I was afraid that they would blow it dead, like forward progress, so I showed the ball as I was running,” Miller said.

It did not earn him any style points, however.

“I got a text message from (former Illinois receiver) Kyle Hudson saying, ‘That’s a weak dive, man,'” Miller said.

That other Williams

Gold medal in tow, former Illinois guard Deron Williams made an appearance at Memorial Stadium during Saturday’s game. The Utah Jazz and “Redeem Team” standout presented a check for $300,000 to head basketball coach Bruce Weber during the game.

The player closely associated with the Illinois’ Final Four run of 2005 said he enjoyed the warm reception from the orange-clad faithful.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been back to Champaign, so I’m just happy to be here, be back, and catch the football game,” Williams said.

Former teammate Dee Brown was also in attendance, sporting an orange Juice Williams jersey and Chicago Cubs cap. Brown recently signed with the Washington Wizards after playing a season with Turkish club Galatasaray.

“It’s been about a year since I’ve seen Dee, so it’s great to see him back in the States,” Williams said.

As for his newly acquired hardware, Williams was mum when asked where he keeps his gold medal at home.

“Tucked away,” he said, laughing.

Good with the wind

If there was a 12th man on the field at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, it was the strong, constant wind.

Southerly gusts of up to 30 miles per hour obscured the officials’ penalty announcements and proved both friend and foe to special teams units.

On the Illini’s first drive of the game, placekicker Matt Eller took advantage of a strong wind at his back to feather a 51-yard field goal through the uprights. The kick was Eller’s career long in his first year as starter.

“I lined up for it and we got a false start or whatever, so I’m sitting there going, ‘Well, that might look a little bit better on the sheet,'” Eller said.

When headed the other way, however, Eller looked less than sharp in the headwind. The redshirt freshman missed a 39-yard field goal and barely made an extra point, banking the ball off the left upright.

“The ball kind of almost hit a wall, I guess you could say,” Eller said.