Ron Zook ended his four-game losing streak against Iowa as the Illini earned a thrilling 27-24 win at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

The Hawkeyes erased a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but Juice Williams led a drive that resulted in a game-winning 46-yard field goal by Matt Eller.

Early, the Iowa offense struggled to sustain drives in scoring range and frequently settled for field goals, while the Illini used big passing plays to find the end zone. With a 10-9 lead halfway into the third quarter, Williams connected on a deep pass to Fred Sykes for a 50-yard touchdown to give the Illini an 8-point lead.

Illinois then pulled away early in the fourth quarter. With Iowa at their own 15, a blitzing Dere Hicks forced a fumble on quarterback Ricky Stanzi and returned the recovery seven yards for a touchdown to put the Illini in front 24-9.

The Hawkeyes responded by finally finding the end zone. Ricky Stanzi completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to wideout Andy Brodell to make the score 24-16 with 11:42 remaining.

With 4:10 remaining, Iowa defensive lineman Mitch King then forced a fumble on running back Jason Ford to give the Hawkeyes a golden opportunity to tie the game. Five plays later, Greene got his first touchdown on a 5-yard rush, and Stanzi found Allen Reisner in the end zone to tie the game with 2:46 remaining.

But Illinois came back down the field, and Vontae Davis’ interception with 23 seconds remaining clinched the Illini first win over Iowa since 2000.