SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 7, 2013
Illinois 45, Cincinnati 17: Nathan Scheelhaase threw for four touchdowns and the host Illini benefited from a controversial replay overturn to match their win total from last season.
Munchie Legaux rushed for a team-high 52 yards and threw for 237 yards and a touchdown for the Bearcats (1-1) before he was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a serious left leg injury when he took a high-low hit from Houston Bates and Tim Kynard. Legaux was loaded into the ambulance and taken to a hospital for further observation.
Scheelhaase went 26-for-37 for 312 yards and tossed one TD pass in every quarter จC all of which covered at least 22 yards จC for Illinois, which went 2-10 a season ago. Donovonn Young rushed for a game-high 64 yards and a late touchdown to cap off 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points for the Illini (2-0).
Scheelhaase sandwiched first-half touchdown passes of 48 yards to Josh Ferguson and 23 yards to Evan Wilson around a 29-yard score on an end-around by Ryan Lankford as Illinois jumped out to a 21-0 lead. Legaux got Cincinnati on the board on a 1-yard TD pass to Max Morrison eight seconds before intermission.
The Bearcats trimmed the deficit to 21-10 on their first drive out of the break and Legaux appeared to score on a fourth-and-goal conversion on the next drive, but the initial touchdown call was overturned when it was ruled he fumbled the ball short of the goal line. Scheelhaase responded by leading a 12-play, 99-yard drive, capped by a 22-yard TD pass to Steve Hull on the ensuing drive.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Fergusonกฏs TD catch gave Illinois its seventh play of at least 30 yards through two games, one more than it had all of last season. กญ The Bearcats collected at least three turnovers in each of their last three contests, but did not force a miscue on Saturday. กญ The Illini amassed 522 total yards, posting 400-yard games in back-to-back contests for the first time since three straight such games from Sept. 24 - Oct. 8. 2011.