Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini Match Player Stats On Nov 19, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 19, 2016

Iowa's defense held Illinois to 198 total yards and the Hawkeyes scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 28-0 win on a blustery Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill., with temperatures in the high 30s.

LeShun Daniels Jr. wore down the Illini defense and led all rushers with 159 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. His 50-yard burst early in the fourth put the Hawkeyes up 21-0.

After an Illinois fumble, Akrum Wadley finished a five-play, 26-yard drive with a 2-yard score to make it 28-0. Wadley finished with 82 yard on 13 carries.

Iowa (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) was coming off an upset victory over previous No. 2 Michigan. Illinois (3-8, 2-6) in Lovie Smith's first season in Champaign, suffered a 48-3 loss to No. 7 Wisconsin last week.

After forcing a quick three-and out, the Hawkeyes extended their lead to 14-0 on 12-play, 77-yard drive culminated by Daniels' one-yard plunge.

The defenses ruled the day in the first half as teams combined for 12 punts on a windy day. The offenses could muster only 241 yards total yards good for only 12 first downs, combined.

The Hawkeyes committed the half's only turnovers. But all was not gloomy for Iowa.

Former walk-on Riley McCarron, returning only a punt for the second time this season, was a bright ray of sunshine on a dismal weather day when he gave the Hawkeyes a 7-0 lead.

McCarron took the punt 55 yards and went untouched as he scampered up the middle, veered to the right and was all alone by the time he reached the 10-yard line.

Iowa could have been up by another score after marching down the field on a 13-play, 79-yard drive. On fourth-and-2 from the Illinois 22-yard line, Wadley raced 19 yards to the Illini 3-yard line for a first down.

With the Hawkeyes knocking on the door, Tre Watson ripped the ball from Wadley and Jamal Milan recovered for the Illini snuffing out any chance of Iowa to put up more points.

Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard completed only 9 of 17 pass attempts for 80 yards and threw one interception.

His Illinois counterpart, Wes Lunt, was 19-of-41 passing for only 137 yards and one interception.

Illinois still leads the all-time series 38-32-2, but Iowa now has won eight of the last nine meetings.