Like so many games in recent years, the Illini ran out of gas. But then they found just a little more.

One could sense the urgency, the groans, when Illinois football blew a 14-point first-half lead and fell behind Minnesota late in the third quarter on Homecoming at Memorial Stadium.

There was a sinking feeling. It was time for Illinois to collapse, like it has in so many games since Tim Beckman became head coach. 

“In years past, when things didn’t go so well, we just kind of put our heads down and said, ‘Here we go again,’” quarterback Reilly O’Toole said. “We can’t have that mentality.” 

O’Toole and his teammates didn’t on Saturday. They found a way to win. It was cornerback V’Angelo Bentley’s 12-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown that gave Illinois a 28-24 lead with 6:33 left in the game.

But it was O’Toole, who hasn’t seen much success in his Illinois career, who had the Illini in a position to win in the first place. 

I never thought I’d say that Illinois’ offense was at its best when Reilly O’Toole was running the ball, but that was the case Saturday.

Illini coaches have always said O’Toole can run. But who has ever believed it? Whenever O’Toole has run, whether by design or not, it’s never ended well. And there have always been more mobile options at quarterback such as Nathan Scheelhaase and Aaron Bailey.

Well, forget all that. For whatever reason, it worked Saturday. 

On Illinois’ first possession, O’Toole led the team 75 yards downfield on 11 plays. O’Toole was 4-for-4 passing for 34 yards and a touchdown, but he also ran for 25 yards on four attempts. 

He finished the game with a team-best 84 rushing yards and 118 passing yards along with one touchdown on the ground and one through the air.

“How do you not love Reilly O’Toole right now?” offensive coordinator Bill Cubit said. “What that kid did, with all the adversity.” 

Cubit didn’t finish his thought. But he didn’t have to. It was the best O’Toole has played in his career, hands down.

Not only did O’Toole surprise with his mobility and composure, but the Illinois defense did something it hasn’t done much of recently: it got stops. 

Illinois forced four three-and-outs in the first half. Minnesota’s six first-half possessions included five punts and a field goal. 

“I saw a bunch of players around the football today and that always comes with great defense,” Beckman said.

That’s just it. They were good. Look no further than Bentley’s touchdown return. 

Now Illinois has to find some way to take that performance, bottle it up, and save it.

A win like this means Illinois is not dead in the water. There’s life in this football program and nothing was a better indication of that than the players rushing the field to celebrate the win — albeit a little bit early. 

A bowl is still possible. Disappointment is equally possible. 

The Illinois program under Beckman has always found ways to lose games. This time around, the Illini defied that expectation. They found a way to win.

Sean is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter

@sean_hammond.