Mendenhall leads way as Illini halt Wisconsin's win streak

NCAA Football Betting Lines

10/06/2007 - Champaign, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns and Isiah Williams threw for 121 yards and ran for 92 more, as the two offensive stars catapulted Illinois past fifth-ranked Wisconsin, 31-26, snapping the Badgers' nation-best 14-game winning streak.

Mendenhall ran for a staggering 8.4 yards per carry and Williams tossed a touchdown pass for the Fighting Illini (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten), who handed Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema just his second loss with the Badgers.

His only other loss came on September 23, 2006 against Michigan.

Tyler Donovan was the offensive star for Wisconsin (5-1, 2-1), throwing for 392 yards on 27-of-49 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. P.J. Hill was held in check for the most part, rushing for 83 hard yards on 21 carries. Lanky tight end Travis Beckum hauled in 11 passes for 160 yards in defeat.

After a three-and-out to start, the Illinois offense got into a steady rhythm during its second possession. The two big play makers -- Mendenhall and Arrelious Benn -- each were a focal point of the series. Benn slashed through the middle for seven yards and caught an out pass for five more later in the drive. Mendenhall took a handoff from the shotgun and patiently carved through the defense for 26 yards to the Badgers 37-yard line and later sprinted down the right sideline and into the end zone from 32 yards out for a 7-0 edge.

Illinois went back to work early in the second quarter, extending its advantage to 10-0. Williams' 26-yard connection to Benn proved to be the big strike in the 10-play, 42-yard march that ended with Jason Reda's 50-yard field goal.

The Fighting Illini again went right through the Wisconsin defense on their next series, marching 75 yards on seven plays to paydirt. A screen pass to Mendenhall for 15 yards preceded a 15-yard sprint by the running back. Williams then threw a dart to Benn for 11 yards and a 31-yard completion to Russ Weil to the Badgers five-yard line then Mendenhall ran tough for the five-yard score.

Trailing 17-0, the Badgers offense finally started to generate points. Donovan found his big tight end Beckum for 40 yards to the Illini 25-yard line, but the march eventually stalled at the 21-yard line. Taylor Mehlhaff booted a 38-yard field goal to get Wisconsin on the board with 3:52 to play in the half.

After stifling Illinois' next drive, the Wisconsin offense went back to work. Donovan worked the sideline to Hill for 11 yards and Kyle Jefferson for 17 yards. Again, the march stalled before the end zone, and Mehlhaff connected from 26 yards away.

Mendenhall rushed for 100 yards in the first half, totaling 133 yards rushing and receiving on 13 touches (nine carries, four receptions).

The Badgers offense continued its efficient approach early in the third quarter, this time resulting in a touchdown. An 81-yard drive included a pair of third-down conversions, including a 19-yard toss to Beckum on 3rd-and-10 from their own 30-yard line. Later in the march, Donovan found a streaking Kyle Jefferson wide open down the seam for a 43-yard touchdown and a 17-13 game.

The Fighting Illini answered right back with a nine-play, 72-yard march and another score. Williams took the snap and rushed around the right end for 24 yards on the first play, and rushed for the identical yardage around the opposite end later in the march. Mendenhall wasn't denied from the five-yard line, breaking several arm tackles on this way to the end zone.

In a back-and-forth third quarter, Wisconsin stormed back with another touchdown on its next possession. The nine-play, 78-yard drive was highlighted by a test of wills inside the 10-yard line. It took Hill three tries from the six-yard line, but he finally crossed the line from one-yard out with 1:30 left in the stanza. Wisconsin went for two points in an attempt to cut the deficit to a field goal, but the try failed.

Illinois extended its lead with 5:28 remaining in the fourth on Eddie McGee's five-yard burst, and Wisconsin cut the deficit to 31-26 late in the fourth on Donovan's second touchdown toss, this one a nine-yard strike to Garrett Graham.

The Badgers then attempted on onsides kick, but the Fighting Illini recovered to preserve the upset.

Game Notes

Illinois holds the all-time series lead 36-33-7 and snapped Wisconsin's four- game winning streak in the series...Wisconsin had won five of six in Champaign...Hill was held about 50 yards below his 133.4-yard average on the ground...The Fighting Illini, who entered the game averaging a Big Ten best 255.6 yards per game on the ground, rolled up 289 rushing yards on 44 carries...Wisconsin racked up 519 total yards to 410 for Illinois.

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Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

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Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.

The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.

MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.

A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.

Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.