Monday, Oct. 6, 1997

Fight this

Lions romp Illinois in conference opener

By TIMOTHY HYLAND
Collegian Sports Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Joe Paterno said all week that Big Ten football teams are tougher than non-conference squads, but when Penn State took the field against Illinois Saturday, there didn't seem to be much of a difference.

Chafie Fields (2) beats Illinois defender James Williams (26) to the ball to score Penn State's first touchdown. Penn State defeated Illinois 41-6 in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday afternoon. (Collegian Photo / Kurt Redeker - click for full size image)

Fueled by tailback Curtis Enis' first 100-yard effort this season and another fine performance by quarterback Mike McQueary, the Lions beat the Illini just as they beat their first three opponents -- badly -- by a score of 41-6, to be exact.

"I thought we played a solid football game everywhere," Paterno said.

In what is becoming common this season, the Lions scored their first touchdown on a big play. Stalled on their first drive, the Lions came back on their second with a Chafie Fields 60-yard scoring bomb. Illinois safety Mike Gusich dove to intercept McQueary's pass, but misjudged it and left Fields open to make the play.

It was one of three touchdown passes for McQueary, who was again impressive. He threw for 266 yards, and though guilty of his first interception of the year, Paterno was still pleased with him.

"Mike had a good day and that's why I played him more," Paterno said. "He's just a good passer. There's no doubt about it."

Illinois would answer the Fields touchdown in the second quarter with a Robert Holcombe 26-yard scoring run, but the Illini would not find the end zone again. Joe Jurevicius caught two touchdowns before the end of the first half to extend the Lions' lead to 21-6, and Penn State didn't look back the rest of the way.

Though they hung with the Lions for a while, the Illini couldn't cope with Penn State's adjustments, defensive adjustments in particular, as the game moved along.

Penn State quarterback Mike McQueary releases a pass during the Nittany Lions' 41-6 dismantling of Illinois Saturday. McQueary threw for 266 yards against the Fighting Illini. (Collegian Photo / Alex de Jesus - click for full size image)

"Especially in the first quarter, I was missing some assignments," said Penn State linebacker Brandon Short. "But I corrected them in the second half."

With McQueary and the passing game dominating scoring in the first half, Enis stepped up in the second with two scoring runs.

He rushed for 108 yards on just 14 carries for a gaudy average of 7.7 yards per carry. He also scored twice, capping off his best effort of 1997.

The Lions dominated on both sides of the ball, racking up a whopping 548 yards of total offense, 276 of which were gained on the ground. The Penn State defense, meanwhile, pretty much held Illinois tailback Robert Holcombe in check.

Enis' day overshadowed Holcombe's, who ran for 111 yards on 23 carries. Linebacker Jim Nelson again led the Lion defensive with 10 tackles, while linebacker Aaron Collins had eight and an interception. Safety Shawn Lee chipped in seven.

As he has done all season, Holcombe provided the Illini with their only excitement.

It just wasn't enough.

"He wasn't real big, but he ran tough," Collins said. "I think he's one of the toughest backs we're going to face this year."

With Enis, McQueary and Jurevicius carrying the offense, and Nelson, Collins and Short anchoring the defense, the Lions are firing on all cylinders.

"Iowa was a great team," said Illinois coach Ron Turner, whose team met the Hawkeyes last week, "but Penn State is on another level. They are big and physical and can make plays."

And make the plays is just what the Lions will have to continue to do -- the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes come to Beaver Stadium this weekend.

"It's another Big Ten football game," Paterno said. "Obviously, (Ohio State) is playing well. Any time you play a team with the tradition of Ohio State, it's going to be a great football game."