Illinois leading 28-13 heading into 4th quarter

By Shannon Ryan

A goal line stand a 99-yard touchdown drive are not the plays that Illini fans have come to expect.

But those third-quarter plays seemed to become turning points in the game for Illinois as the Illini took a 28-13 lead on three unanswered touchdown plays on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

It started when Michigan had two touchdowns reviewed on the same drive in the third quarter.

A review revealed that Roy Roundtree's was down before breaking into the end zone on a 76-yard catch. Freshman defensive back Terry Hawthorne caught up with Roundtree to bring him down on the Illinois 1-yard line.

Four tries by running back Carlos Brown failed to result in a score. His one-yard fourth-quarter dive was originally ruled a touchdown on the field, but it was reviewed by officials who deemed that his elbow hit the ground before he crossed the goal line. Garrett Edwards was credited with the stop.

Illinois took over on the Michigan 1-yard line and put together its longest drive of the season.

Running back Mikel Leshoure took a handoff up the middle and broke free for a 70-yard touchdown run for a 14-13 lead.

Illinois scored again in the third quarter on a 2-yard pass from Williams to London Davis on a 79-yard drive for a 21-13 third quarter lead.

With 1 minute 11 seconds left in the third quarter, Williams rushed for a 3-yard touchdown and 28-13 lead.

The Illini entered the game averaging only 16.1 points per game, the worst in the Big Ten.