NCAA Football Recap (Illinois-Iowa)
Posted: Sat September 27, 1997 at 5:43 p.m. EDT
Tavian Banks continued his huge season with 191 yards and a pair
of touchdowns, and made good on a promise as number nine Iowa
opened its Big Ten schedule with its seventh straight win, a
38-10 thrashing of Illinois.
Illinois (0-3, 0-1 Big Ten) has lost 10 straight games, its
longest slide since dropping the last game of the 1968 season
and all 10 in 1969. The Illini have lost seven straight
conference games.
After last week's blowout of Iowa State, Banks boasted, "We're
ready for the Big Ten. They better be ready for us." Banks
backed up the statement in the first quarter, breaking off a
76-yard run to the Illinois 5 to set up his two-yard touchdown
run two plays later that opened the scoring with 5:22 left.
"Tavian Banks had a mediocre game, but three or four of his runs
were some of the most beautiful runs I have ever seen," said
Iowa coach Hayden Frye. "He is a great football player and is
so coachable."
Illinois cut it to 7-3 just over three minutes into the second
quarter when Neil Rackers kicked a 37-yard field goal, but Iowa
(4-0, 1-0) took over from there, scoring the next 24 points and
never looking back.
Tony Collins returned a punt 61 yards for a score 3:36 later as
Iowa extended the lead to 14-3. Tim Dwight threw a key block
and Collins, who was looking up the middle initially, faded left
and then cut up the middle, outrunning five defenders.
"I would rather have big plays than a sustained drive. Why fool
around?" Frye said. "This team is developing a personality of
its own, and they are a big play team. When you look as ugly as
we did and still win by 28 points, you are happy to win. The
mistakes we made can be corrected easily."
Zach Bromert kicked a 40-yard field goal with just 1:47
remaining in the half and, after an interception by free safety
Eric Thigpen, Matt Sherman hooked up with Damon Gibson on a
43-yard TD strike with five seconds remaining as Iowa took a
24-3 lead into the locker room. Sherman hit Gibson in stride at
the 15 as Dwight was double-covered.
It was the second time this season the Hawkeyes have converted a
long scoring pass in the final seconds of the first half.
Banks, who carried 25 times, was responsible for the only
scoring of the third quarter, building the advantage to 31-3
with a 31-yard touchdown burst midway through the period. He
faked a reverse to Dwight and went around left end, scoring
after three cutbacks.
Illinois finally struck back when freshman Tim Lavery, making
his first start, threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to George
McDonald-Ashford with just under nine minutes left in the game.
Illinois got the ball back on a fumble by Sherman at the Iowa
45, but lost the ball on downs at the Hawkeyes 25. Iowa drove
back down the field, with Sherman throwing a pass that Dwight,
despite being on the wrong side of two defenders, came down with
for a 45-yard gain to the Illinois 24. Sherman later threw a
16-yard scoring pass to Collins as Iowa restored its 28-point
lead with 3:25 remaining.
Sherman was 12-of-22 for 194 yards and no interceptions as Iowa
improved to 23-35-2 all-time against Illinois, which started a
left-hander, Lavery, at quarterback for the first time since
Fred Major in 1950. Lavery was 8-of-31 for 75 yards with one
interception, getting sacked seven times.
"That game gives us an opportunity to evaluate where we are and
where we need to get with our program," said Illinois coach Ron
Turner. "One team came out today expecting to win and the other
team came out hoping to win.
Robert Holcombe carried 32 times for 157 yards and
McDonald-Ashford caught three passes for 52 yards for Illinois,
which was outgained 413-210.
"Robert Holcombe? I wouldn't trade him for any back -- for any
player -- in the country," Turner said. "He has a tremendous
heart. I feel badly for him that we're not playing better than
we are."
Dwight caught three passes for 74 yards and Austin Wheatley had
four receptions for 47 yards for Iowa.
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