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By Associated PressFormer Gators coach wins Illinois debut in overtime after trailing by 20 in second half.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - For three quarters Saturday it appeared Ron Zook would begin his Illinois coaching career with a loss, as had his three immediate predecessors. His team would have nothing of it.
The Illini finally caught fire in the fourth quarter and rallied from a 20-point second-half deficit to beat Rutgers 33-30 when Pierre Thomas dived over the goal line in overtime. The touchdown capped a 26-point half.
"I didn't know we were down by 20," Zook said, "but I told them all along, the score doesn't count until it's over."
Trailing 27-10 when the fourth quarter began, the Illini tied the game at 27 when Tim Brasic hit running back E.B. Halsey with a swing pass and he ran in from 13 yards out with 1 minute, 13 seconds to go. It was his third touchdown pass in his first game as Illinois' starting quarterback. He also led the team in rushing with 77 yards on 18 carries.
Illinois' Jason Reda missed a 52-yard field goal attempt with 3 seconds left in regulation, and Jeremy Ito gave Rutgers a 30-27 lead with his 40-yard field goal on the first overtime possession.
The Illini then overcame a penalty and got a 20-yard run from Halsey to put the ball on the 2 for Thomas' winning dive.
"This is the toughest loss I've ever been a part of," said Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart, who tied a Big East record with his ninth 300-yard game. "We had the game most of the time and we gave it up in the end."
The Scarlet Knights rolled up 507 yards but scored only three touchdowns. Ito also missed four of seven field goal attempts.
"It's tough to beat a team like Illinois when you only kick field goals," Hart said. "If we would have scored some more touchdowns, it would have been harder for them."
Hart was 27-of-44 for 342 yards and two touchdowns, one a 55-yarder to Marcus Daniels on the second play of the second quarter. Brian Leonard scored Rutgers' third touchdown on an 83-yard run, hurdling would-be tackler Charles Bailey in the process.
Leonard carried 12 times for 128 yards and caught five passes for 65 yards.
"All in all, the difference is we made plays in the first half. We didn't make plays in the second half," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said.
Brasic was 19-of-25 for 195 yards passing and ran for 54 yards in the second half.
"I can't say enough about Coach Zook and our quarterback coach (Ed) Zaunbrecher and our team. Every time I came off, coach was like "Tim, you're okay,' " Brasic said. "When you have that confidence after you make a mistake, you feel like you can go back out there and do well."