ILLINI GAMEDAY Live Blog: FINAL - No. 19 Iowa 19, Illinois 10
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Good afternoon from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City as Illinois (6-4, 4-3 in Big Ten) travels to No. 19 Iowa (7-3, 4-3) for a 11 a.m. kickoff. Illinois is a 15-point road underdog. We're a few hours away from game time with weather conditions via Weather.com in Iowa City calling for a sunny November day with high temperature in the upper 40s but also wing gusts of 15-20 miles per hour.
-------------
Date/time: Saturday, Nov. 23, 11 a.m. CST
Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
Surface: FieldTurf
Capacity: 69,250
Schedule/records: Illinois 6-4 overall, 4-3 Big Ten, 4-8 in 2018 (2-7 in Big Ten); Iowa 7-3 overall, 4-3 in Big Ten, 9-4 (5-4 in Big Ten) in 2018.
Series notes: Illinois holds a 38-34-2 edge in the all-time series but Iowa has won six straight meetings dating back to 2008, their longest streak in the series history. Illinois led Iowa 13-10 late in the second quarter in 2017 in its last visit to Iowa City, before Iowa took the lead just before halftime and pulled away with 21 points in the fourth quarter for a 45-16 win. Iowa shut out Illinois, 63-0, at Memorial Stadium in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 17, 2018.
TV: BTN - Kevin Kugler (PBP), Matt Millen (analyst) & Rick Pizzo (sidelines)
Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Martin O'Donnell (analysis) and Steve Kelly (Pre/HT/Post) » The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, Sirius (105) / XM (396) satellite radio & SiriusXM Internet (958), and at FightingIllini.com.
Current Line: Iowa by 15
--------------
Injury Update: Big Ten Network is reporting Illinois LB Jake Hansen, who leads the nation in forced fumbles, will miss today’s game at Michigan State due to an undisclosed injury.
Illinois will be without Jamal Woods on the Illinois defensive line.
UPDATED: Illinois head coach Lovie Smith has announced defensive lineman Jamal Woods, linebacker Dawson DeGroot, wide receiver Jordan Holmes and wide receiver Dominic Stampley are all out today.
Illinois announces DL Oluwole Betiku Jr. will be in the lineup after missing the last three games of the season.
------------------
NOTE: According to Iowa media relations, the Holiday Bowl representatives are here today to watch this Illinois-Iowa matchup. The Illini have only played in one Holiday Bowl (1992 loss vs. Hawaii) with Lou Tepper as the coach.
---------------
Uniform Update: Illinois will be in orange helmets, white jerseys with orange numbers and white pants. Iowa will be in the classic black helmets, black jerseys and yellow pants.
------------------
FIRST QUARTER
----------------
Ayo Shogbonyo and Isaiah Gay starting at defensive end. Betiku isn't out there initially.
13:38 left in 1st - No score - Iowa converts a 3rd-and-10 with a 18-yard pass play as Nate Stanley is crushed in the pocket. Illini DB Tony Adams down on the field.
Adams is going straight to the locker room.
11:10 left in 1st - No score - Iowa already in field position after two big pass plays. Dele Harding gets penetration to force a third-down play. The east/west runs by Goodson aren't going anywhere for Iowa.
10:16 left in 1st - No. 19 Iowa 7, Illinois 0 - IOWA TD - Iowa converts on a 4th-and-6 to Smith-Marsette and then Goodson walks in from two yards out.
Iowa goes 75 yards in 4:44 but the drive is salvaged by an early fourth-down called where Ferentz was able to give the Hawkeyes offense rejuvenated life.
9:10 left in 1st - No. 19 Iowa 7, Illinois 0 - IOWA INT - Brandon Peters throws a third-down pass right to Iowa defensive back Michael Ojemudia, who was watching Peters' eyes the whole way.
8:10 left in 1st - No. 19 Iowa 7, Illinois 0 - IOWA MISS FG - After the Illinois turnover, Iowa kicker Keith Duncan doinks it off the left upright.
6:26 left in 1st - Illinois 7, No. 19 Iowa 7 - ILLINOIS TD - After setting up the play perfectly with Corbin runs and Peters RPO carries, Peters hits Donny Navarro for a WIDE OPEN 31-yard touchdown pass.
Perfect setup and execution for Navarro's second TD reception of the season.
5:41 left in 1st - Illinois 7, No. 19 Iowa 7 - Iowa goes on a 3-and-out drive goes on a 59-second drive after the Illini touchdown. Last two drives for the Hawkeyes have been under two minutes total.
4:14 left in 1st - Illinois 7, No. 19 Iowa 7 - Illinois goes 3-and-out with Ra'Von Bonner at tailback. Hawkeyes went with an all-out blitz and the middle of the field was WIDE OPEN for Peters on that third-down call.
END OF 1ST - Illinois 7, No. 19 Iowa 7 - After rough opening drives by both the offense and defense, Illini settling in with defense continually getting a push at the line-of-scrimmage.
Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters is 6 of 10 for 75 yards and a touchdown. Remember, he started the game 1 of 2 for 5 yards and an interception
---------------
2nd QUARTER
----------------
13:01 left in 2nd: Illinois 7, No. 19 Iowa 7 - Illinois' Cover-2 scheme leaves the middle of the field WIDE OPEN again. A 41-yard pitch-and-catch is the result and that looks eerily similar to what MSU did two weeks ago in the first half.
9:45 left in 2nd: Illinois 7, No. 19 Iowa 7 - Iowa has a 4th-and-goal at the 5-yard-line. Illinois DL Kenyon Jackson is being escorted off the field by Illinois training staff. Good stop by Illini defense as Tolson makes a solid one-on-one tackle in the flat on third down.
9:34 left in 2nd: No. 19 Iowa 10, Illinois 7 - IOWA FG - Iowa gets a 23-yard field goal from Keith Duncan after a 10-play drive to retake the lead.
7:14 left in 2nd: No. 19 Iowa 10, Illinois 7 - Brandon Peters is currently the leading rusher for the #Illini with 7:14 left in the 1st half. I know the Iowa rushing defense is stout but that's gotta flip for Rod Smith's offense to get in a groove.
Illinois is almost in desperate need for a turnover here after a so-so- punt from Blake Hayes.
5:07 left in 2nd: No. 19 Iowa 10, Illinois 7 - Illinois continues to show blitz and then backpedal into a Cover-2 that is leaving the middle of the field WIDE OPEN.
4:38 left in 2nd: No. 19 Iowa 10, Illinois 7 - ILLINI INT - Stanley just overthrows the tight end in the middle of the field and Sydney Green is there all alone for the pick. Really bad throw by Stanley.
4:06 left in 2nd: No. 19 Iowa 10, Illinois 7 - Good news: Reggie Corbin is back on the field for the Illini. Bad News: Illinois goes 3-and-out after the turnover in a mismanaged drive.
2:26 left in 2nd: No. 19 Iowa 10, Illinois 7 - IOWA MISS FG - Iowa drive stalls after Stanley misses open TEs in the middle of the field. 47-yard FG is wide right. Illinois gets another break.
0:12 left in 2nd: No. 19 Iowa 10, Illinois 7 - Illinois head coach Lovie Smith takes back-to-back timeouts and the result of the 4th-and-6 call is a sack. WOW.
END OF 1ST HALF: No. 19 Iowa 13, Illinois 7 - IOWA FG - Lovie Smith's fourth-down escapade gifts Iowa three points at the end of the half. WOW.
Illinois has held Iowa to just 39 yards rushing and is still behind by six points. Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley is 11 of 22 for 212 yards and an interception.
Iowa is outgaining Illinois by nearly 100 yards.
--------------
3RD QUARTER
---------------
13:01 left in 3rd: No. 19 Iowa 13, Illinois 7 - IOWA INT - Illinois has 51 rushing yards on the drive but then a flea-flicker trick play goes for an interception. Peters makes a bad throw and a bad read. I almost think Imatorbhebhe was out of bounds and had stopped running the route. No legal receiver was in the area of the throw.
10:42 left in 3rd: No. 19 Iowa 13, Illinois 7 - Illinois defense holds as Stanley throws two straight incompletions. The coverage by Nate Hobbs on the second-down play was excellent. Hobbs has four tackles and a tackle for loss.
3:57 left in 3rd: No. 19 Iowa 13, Illinois 7 - ILLINI MISS FG - Another productive Illinois drive goes from no points as James McCourt is wide left. Illinois had 1st and 10 from the Iowa 29-yard-line. From that point, Illinois ran three plays to lose four yards.
End of the 3rd: No. 19 Iowa 13, Illinois 7 - Hawkeyes are driving deep in Illini territory. Illini holds Iowa to just three rushing yards in the quarter but the 15 minutes ends without a score by either team.
--------------------
FOURTH QUARTER
--------------------
14:08 left: No. 19 Iowa 16, Illinois 7 - IOWA FG - On fourth-and-1, Iowa elects to take the points and make it a two-possession game. Hawkeyes have two field goals and a touchdown in four red zone possessions.
10:52 left: No. 19 Iowa 16, Illinois 10 - ILLINOIS FG - Illinois answers the Iowa field goal with one of its own (28 yards from McCourt). 61 of the 65-yard drive come on the ground via Reggie Corbin and Dre Brown.
8:48 left: No. 19 Iowa 16, Illinois 10 - Lovie Smith's defense forces a 3-and-out and the Illini will have the ball on its own 37-yard-line. Arguably the biggest drive of the game for offensive coordinator Rod Smith.
7:34 left: No. 19 Iowa 16, Illinois 10 - IOWA FR - Peters on a RPO carry fumbles. Huge turnover from the Illini, who has banked on takeaways throughout this four-game winning streak.