Nov 9, 2002

Final Stats

By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

MADISON, Wis. - Jon Beutjer returned to the lineup and threw four touchdown passes and Illinois overcame five turnovers to beat the staggering Wisconsin Badgers 37-20 Saturday.

Antoineo Harris rushed 40 times for 158 yards as the Illini (4-6, 3-3 Big Ten) kept their bowl hopes alive while delivering a blow to the Badgers' postseason chances.

With games left against Michigan and Minnesota, this was the Badgers' best shot at securing a bowl berth but they lost for the fifth time in six games.

The loss capped a tumultuous week for the Badgers (6-5, 1-5) that included brushes with the law by high-profile members of the team and yet another head injury by senior quarterback Brooks Bollinger.

Star receiver Lee Evans, who is sitting out the season with a knee injury, was charged with marijuana possession. Star running back Anthony Davis was charged with battery in a domestic dispute in which he was stabbed in the thigh. And center Al Johnson's recent drunken driving arrest came to light.

Bollinger, Evans and Johnson are co-captains.

With backups Jim Sorgi at quarterback and Dwayne Smith at tailback, the Badgers trailed 24-20 early in the third quarter.

But Beutjer, who replaced Dustin Ward after Illinois' loss at Penn State, threw his fourth TD pass, a 12-yarder to Jason Davis and Peter Christofilakos and John Gockman each kicked field goals as the Illini beat Wisconsin for just the second time since 1993.

The Badgers' last hope for a comeback fizzled when Sorgi aggravated an arm injury after leading Wisconsin to the Illinois 12 with five minutes left and freshman Owen Daniels threw his first pass right at safety Travis Williams in the end zone.

Beutjer, who started four games earlier this season but has played better as a backup, completed 22-of-34 passes for 319 yards with no interceptions.

Sorgi was 13-of-23 for 165 yards and fell to 0-5 as a starter.

Beutjer connected with Greg Lewis for TD throws of 36 and 7 yards as the Illini took an early 17-3 lead before turning the ball over five times in six possessions.

Jim Leonhard caused a fumble by Walter Young and linebacker Alex Lewis returned it 42 yards to the Illinois 6. On the next play, Smith (28 carries for 122 yards) went in untouched around left end to make it 17-10.

Mike Allen's 44-yard field goal made it 17-13 after Leonhard's first of two interceptions.

B.J. Tucker also intercepted Beutjer's overthrown pass in the end zone, but Sorgi was sacked on fourth-and-3 from the Illinois 39 with 1:36 left in the first half.

Beutjer quickly hooked up with Lewis for a 37-yard gain, then found Young in the left corner of the end zone from 22 yards out for a 24-13 halftime lead. Young had nine catches for 114 yards.

The Badgers failed to capitalize on Harris' fumble on the first play of the second half that linebacker LaMarr Watkins recovered at the Illinois 26. On the play, Harris became the first Illinois running back to gain 1,000 yards in a season since Robert Holcombe in 1997.

Allen was wide right on a 42-yard attempt.

But Leonhard picked off Beutjer's pass on the next series and returned his eighth interception of the season 55 yards to the Illinois 10, and Smith's 1-yard carry on fourth down made it 24-20.