Clinging to a slight, third-quarter lead, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor fell to the ground, clutched his left thigh and grimaced in pain.
A nervous panic immediately swept across Ohio as the Heisman trophy candidate then disappeared into the locker room.
All week, OSU coach Jim Tressel emphasized that Big Ten play is a different beast.
The Buckeyes found that out the hard way in their conference opener, as they narrowly edged Illinois, 24-13 in their first road test of the season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
For the third straight year, OSU keeps Illibuck, a wooden turtle trophy awarded to the winning team.
But it didn’t come easy.
OSU struggled to find an offensive rhythm all afternoon, and when Pryor suffered a mild left thigh strain on a third-quarter run, it only made matters worse for the Buckeyes.
After the Buckeyes went three-and-out on their first possession, the Illini marched down the field on a 9-play drive that culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase.
OSU struck back with an 8-yard touchdown, thrown by Terrelle Pryor to running back Brandon Saine. A 66-yard sprint by Pryor set up the game-tying score.
Both defenses dug in after the early burst of offense.
After Illinois tacked on a 27-yard field goal with 1:50 to play in the second quarter, the Buckeyes answered with a 57-yard touchdown drive.
Pryor found receiver Dane Sanzenbacher in the left corner of the end zone for an 11-yard score and a 14-10 halftime lead. Sanzenbacher hauled in four touchdowns in last week’s 73-20 mauling of Eastern Michigan.
Pryor missed seven offensive snaps while in the locker room. Upon his arrival to the sideline, he was handed his helmet and immediately inserted into the lineup.
In his absence, backup quarterback Joe Bauserman tossed an interception inside Illini territory.
The Buckeyes relied heavily on the running game after the turnover, even when Pryor returned. At one point, OSU ran the ball on 13 consecutive plays.
After the teams traded fourth-quarter field goals, OSU running back Dan Herron tacked on a 6-yard touchdown rush with 1:49 remaining.