IU picks up long-awaited road win against Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Down by just a point and one second away from its 18th straight Big Ten road loss, the IU football team turned to its own No. 18.\nSophomore kicker Austin Starr nailed a 33-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Hoosiers to a 34-32 victory over Illinois on Saturday.\n"Tim Bugg had to make the snap, Graeme McFarland had to make the hold," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said. "And Austin Starr, good for him. This was a big win for us."\nThe win snapped a 17-game Big Ten road losing streak dating back to 2001.\nThe last-second kick not only gave IU the victory but also got Starr off the hook after he missed his previous kick with 12:27 left in the fourth quarter.\nFrom the identical spot where he would later hit the game-winner at the 33-yard line, Starr missed, going wide left on the field goal attempt. The sophomore said he and Hoeppner thought the kick was good, as it appeared to hook just inside the left upright.\n"I was upset because if (the first kick) was good they should have called it good," Starr said. "But I wasn't focused on that. I was just glad I got a second chance, and I'm glad I converted it."\nAlmost lost in the shuffle of Starr's kick was freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis' effort to get the Hoosiers in field goal range with 2:31 remaining in the game.\nWith the clock winding down, the freshman completed five of six passes for 60 yards while also scrambling for seven yards.\n"We had to go down there and at least get a field goal," Lewis said. "Coach (Hoeppner) told me before the drive started we're not going to get it all in one play. My receivers made some plays after the catch, broke some tackles, and we were in field goal range before we knew it."\nTo start off Saturday's contest, the Hoosiers fell behind as Illinois scored early and often, including a 53-yard Illini flea-flicker.\nDown 25-7 midway through the second quarter, IU's running game and a rejuvenated defense got the Hoosiers back in the contest. Junior fullback Josiah Sears scored two second-quarter touchdowns to cut the deficit to four points.\nSophomore running back Marcus Thigpen returned the third quarter's opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, his third of the season, to give IU its first lead of the game.\nThe Hoosiers would relinquish the lead late in the third quarter on a double-reverse handoff pass giving Illinois a 32-31 advantage, but the IU defense was able to shut down Illinois in the fourth quarter, providing the offense one more chance.\n"We saw the offense move the ball and were trying to get (the ball) back to them," senior safety Will Meyers said. "We never really stopped one of their trick plays. I mean, hell, they all worked, but it was great to get a couple stops down there."\nThe road victory evens IU's record at 3-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play heading into this week's game against No. 13 Iowa. \nBut for now, the Hoosiers are enjoying the win.\n"You can tell the atmosphere around here; (the win) totally changes things," Meyers said. "We haven't been able to win on the road in the Big Ten in a long time so being able to come in here and get a win is huge"