Follow-up falls flat as U stumbles against Illini

This is how you ride the momentum of an emotional victory?

A week earlier, under TCF Bank Stadium's bright lights, the Gophers had an explosive, crucial, redemptive victory. Seven days later, all of that evaporated into the air on a warm autumn afternoon.

In one week, from inspiration to inconsistency. From on the verge of a bowl game to on the spot, trying to explain a somnambulant first half. After the Gophers had lost 35-32 to a resurgent Illinois team on Saturday, there was talk of a second-half comeback that fell short. Of a never-say-die attitude on the team.

Fact is, a gritty second half couldn't make up for a gruesome first two quarters.

Because when the Gophers defense couldn't force a punt with the Illini lead down to three and precious little time left, all that second-half grit -- the big plays, the blocked punt for a touchdown -- was just window dressing on the final score.

"It's a heartbreaking loss for our football team," Gophers coach Tim Brewster said. "The story of the game was getting behind in the first half like we did, putting ourselves in a hole.

"We did not play very well in the first 30 minutes of the football game."

It took more gumption than the Gophers had Saturday to make up for a first half in which their defense couldn't get off the field and their offense couldn't move the ball on it. When Illini running back Jason Ford scored from 1 yard out with 1 second left in the second quarter -- perhaps his knee was down before he scored, but a review didn't change the call -- Illinois had a 28-7 lead it never lost. Not even losing starting quarterback Juice Williams to a first-quarter ankle injury slowed the Illini.

As a result, the Gophers (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) still need a sixth victory to become bowl-eligible. They have one more home game against FCS opponent South Dakota State next week before a road game at Iowa.

"We had a lot of momentum going into this week," linebacker Nate Triplett said, referring to the Gophers' 42-34 victory over Michigan State on Halloween night. "We just didn't really carry it over into the game."

The Gophers won the toss and deferred to the Illini (3-6, 2-5), who promptly drove 80 yards to take a 7-0 lead. Then, against the Big Ten's worst rushing defense, the Gophers came out looking to gash the Illini deep with the pass. It didn't work. The receivers weren't open often enough, and quarterback Adam Weber didn't always have enough time.

Weber's pass to fullback Jon Hoese was picked off and returned 44 yards for a touchdown that gave Illinois a 14-0 lead before the Gophers had crossed midfield.

"We were going to attack downfield, but I got a little too greedy," said Weber, who was 5-for-17 for 74 yards in the first half.

The second half was a different story. The Gophers scored 25 of their 32 points in the half, gaining 190 of their 271 yards. But mistakes, again, were costly.

Weber was sacked a career-high seven times. Some were on him for not getting rid of the ball, never more so than on second-and-goal from the 1 on the opening drive of the second half. The Gophers tried a play-action pass, but free rusher Clay Nurse crushed Weber for an 8-yard loss. The Gophers settled for a field goal.

"Not scoring a touchdown, having to kick a field goal, was absolutely critical in the football game for us," Brewster said.

Still, the Gophers gave themselves a chance. Going with a more high-percentage passing game, Weber got in a rhythm. After that field goal, the Illini drove and missed a field goal of their own, fueling the Gophers' comeback. Weber's TD pass to Hoese early in the fourth pulled the Gophers within 28-17. After an Illini punt the Gophers drove nine plays to score -- converting once on fourth down -- and made it 28-25 on Hoese's 1-yard plunge and Weber's two-point pass to Da'Jon McKnight.

Never closer. Eric Ellestad's ensuing kickoff went out of bounds -- his second such kickoff Saturday -- giving Illinois the ball at its 40. Three plays later on third-and-4, freshman QB Jacob Charest hit Arrelious Benn short, but Benn broke Traye Simmons' tackle and went on to gain 44 yards, setting up an eventual Benn TD for a 10-point lead.

The Gophers blocked a punt late, with Ben Kuznia returning it 3 yards for a TD that made the score 35-32. But the Gophers failed on the ensuing onside kick, and Illinois ran out the clock.

"We came out and we didn't perform," Weber said. "We set the bar high in the Michigan State game and we didn't live up to it today. But we kept on fighting. We gave ourselves a shot."