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Juice gets redemption

CHAMPAIGN – He's had bigger games. More yards. More touchdowns.

But there haven't been many better games for Juice Williams than Saturday's against Michigan. A year after setting the Michigan Stadium record for total offense, the Illinois quarterback got his second win against the Wolverines.

"It's up there," Williams said. "It's not even so much that we won the game. It was just I had the ability to sit back and watch my teammates be cheerful and be happy and cherish the moment.

"It was a great job we did out there defensively. I have to take my hat off to Terry Hawthorne. That play really gave us the boost that we needed."

That play was Hawthorne's third-quarter rundown of Michigan receiver Roy Roundtree, saving a touchdown and setting up an Illinois comeback.

Williams played a huge part in the win, too. He hit 8 of 11 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. And he ran 21 times for 97 yards and another score.

Going into the game, Williams was supposed to split time with redshirt freshman Jacob Charest. But with the score close, the Illinois coaches decided to stick with their senior, the school's career total offense leader.

"There's no pressure," Williams said. "This is one of those deals where you go out and try to do your best. If it's need be that the other quarterback come in, you can't do anything but respect it. We're all trying to win."

But his teammates know that the season has been hard on Williams, who came into the year counting on a bowl game and a run at the Big Ten title. Saturday's win against Michigan helps.

"It's big for him, it's like a lot of weight lifted off his shoulders," said receiver Chris James, a close friend of Williams. "Just to get the win, even though we're 2-6, just living in the moment right now is a big deal for him. I know it's a big relief for him because all the quarterbacks take a lot of pressure but it's just big for him.

"It's been pretty tough. Just all the aspirations and optimism he had coming into the season for it to turn out like this, it's just fun to come out and play college football and that's what I try to remind him of every day because most people don't get this chance."

The two buddies hooked up for a critical completion, James catching a ball for a 37-yard gain in a 21-point third quarter. Two plays later, Williams scored from the 3.

Williams was thrilled to hook up with James, who had two catches going into the game.

"It was big time," Williams said.

The Illini had 94 yards of offense in the first half and more than double that total in the third quarter alone.

Two of the biggest offensive plays in the third quarter were by Centennial's Mikel Leshoure, who gave the Illini the lead for good on a 70-yard touchdown run. Earlier on the drive, Leshoure gained 4 yards on a third-and-3 play.

"Any time you convert third down, it's always critical," Williams said. "It got to the point where on third down, I didn't panic. When we had run plays, somehow we got it."

As the game ended, Williams walked off the field to loud cheers. He stopped for a moment near the Illinois tunnel, taking it all in.

"Something a little different we haven't experienced in a while," Williams said. "We've got to start somewhere. I think today was the boost that we needed to finish these last couple of games that we've got."

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