The Illini football team was so close.

But even though they hung with No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, their upset bid fell short as they lost to the Buckeyes 24-13.

“We’re definitely not a team to overlook this year,” linebacker Martez Wilson said. “I feel like we definitely earned some respect today.”

The Illini defense was able to hold Buckeyes’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor to just 76 yards on 9-for-16 passing.

“You felt like Pryor, he was going to get loose on most people,” Illini head coach Ron Zook said. “I thought in terms of the passing game, we were able to do a good job of keeping him contained.”

It was the Buckeyes’ running game that killed Illinois in the end.

Pryor broke off a 66-yard run with 8:07 remaining in the first quarter and a 35-yard run with 1:50 left in the second, and both drives ended with touchdowns.

Then, with the Illini trailing 14-10, Dan Herron ran every play and scored a touchdown on a late fourth-quarter drive to put the game out of reach for Illinois.

Penalties were also a problem for the Illini, as they were called for nine for a total a 74 yards, 20 of which came on the final Ohio State drive.

“The dumb penalties I really get frustrated with because when you play a good football team, you can’t have those things,” Zook said.

But early on, it almost looked easy for the Illini as they held the Buckeyes to a three-and-out on the first drive.

Then, on Illinois’ first possession, redshirt freshman Nathan Scheelhaase scored a three-yard touchdown shortly after catching a pass from Jarred Fayson on a trick play.

But things only got tougher from there, as Pryor’s 66-yard run set up an eight yard receiving touchdown by Brandon Saine to tie the game 7-7.

A Derek Dimke field goal gave the Illini a 10-7 lead, but after Pryor’s 35-yard run, he passed to Dane Sanzenbacher for an 11-yard touchdown.

With 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Illini nearly took momentum back from the surging Buckeyes as Martez Wilson and Trulon Henry tackled Dan Herron on fourth down.

But after a measurement, Ohio State was given a first down by inches and ended the drive with a field goal, putting them up 17-10.

Even after an official review upheld the call, Nate Bussey wasn’t convinced Herron passed the first down line.

“We all felt like we stopped him,” Bussey said. “It was just a bad spot by the officials.”

The Illini were then able to take the ball to the Ohio State 13-yard line, but Zook elected to kick a field goal on fourth-and-seven with 4:36 remaining instead of trying to tie the game.

“I considered it the third and fourth down,” Zook said. “I just felt like you take the pretty sure-handed points that you have, and then count on the defense to get the ball back and at least hold them to a field goal.”

But Ohio State was able to put the game away with a Herron touchdown, and the clock ran out on the next Illini possession.

Still, the Illini were competitive, showing that this year’s team is different than last year’s, which lost 30-0 in Columbus, Ohio.

“We know what we’ve got. We know we’re a team that can give any team in the country a game,” Scheelhaase said. “I think the frustrating part is that when you’re in a heavyweight bout … and you don’t get that knockout punch. I think that’s what we’re looking for.”