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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- There was little yelling at halftime. It
wasn't needed.
Nobody in Illinois' locker room was happy with the Illini's 7-6 lead over Middle Tennessee.
|  | | Illinois' Greg Lewis tied a school record for touchdown receptions in a game with three. |
"It's the first game and we should come out ready to play,"
Illinois quarterback Kurt Kittner said. "We can't do that. We
can't take a half off."
The Illini (No. 20 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP) showed up for the second half, scoring four straight
touchdowns to win 35-6 as the Blue Raiders succumbed to the
stifling heat and Illinois' depth.
The temperature reached the mid-90s, with readings on the
artificial turf at Memorial Stadium hitting 128.
Kittner threw three touchdown passes to sophomore Greg Lewis,
who tied a school record for touchdown receptions in a game. Two
Illinois halfbacks ran for more than 100 yards and the defense did
not give up a touchdown.
"We came into this with the goal to get the win," Illinois
coach Ron Turner said. "I don't think anyone on this team is
overly excited about how we got it, but we got it."
Middle Tennessee drove inside Illinois' 10 three times only to
be stymied by penalties and the Illini's tough defense.
Turner griped about the missed tackles that let the Blue Raiders
get into scoring position, while Middle Tennessee coach Andy
McCollum bemoaned the missed opportunities.
"We moved the ball up and down the field and we couldn't
finish," McCollum said. "But it's not anything they did. It's
what we did."
When its first drive stalled near midfield, Middle Tennessee
quarterback Wes Counts surprised the Illini with a squib punt that
rolled to the 3.
But the field position didn't matter because Illinois took just
3:34 to cross the field, scoring on a 24-yard touchdown pass -- the
first from Kittner to Lewis -- for a 7-0 lead early in the first
quarter.
The Illini struggled, on offense and defense, the rest of the
half. But the Blue Raiders squandered their best chances to score.
An offsides penalty followed by a late hit killed one drive that
reached Illinois' 9. Brian Kelly kicked a 39-yard field goal.
When Middle Tennessee reached the Illinois' 3 with 20 seconds to
go in the first half, defensive end Fred Wakefield burst through
the line and chased Counts down for a sack and 13-yard loss.
The Blue Raiders scurried to get a field goal unit on the field,
and Kelly hit the 33-yarder as time expired.
"There were some positives," Turner said. "We held them when
we needed it."
Everything changed after the break. Kittner, who completed 18 of
26 passes for 185 yards, hit Lewis for two more touchdowns on the
half's first two possessions.
"It seemed like they were just leaving me open, like they
thought I wasn't a factor," Lewis said.
Antoineo Harris and Rocky Harvey added touchdown runs for the
Illini. Harris, who gained 128 yards on the ground, ran 11 yards
for a score at the end of the third quarter.
Harvey, who had 112 yards rushing, toyed with a worn Middle
Tennessee defense through the fourth quarter. He took one ball
around the left end, then slashed back toward the middle and outran
everyone for a 62-yard score.
Turner speculated the slow start, especially the missed tackles,
could be attributed to light practices. With temperatures nearing
100 all week, the Illini practiced two days without pads with less
contact to keep the players fresh.
Regardless of the weather, Turner said he will not repeat that
this week.
"You play how you practice," he said.
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ALSO SEE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Scoreboard
Middle Tennessee State Clubhouse
Illinois Clubhouse
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