Illinois 20, UCLA 14: Illini’s first win in 12 weeks

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 31: Terry Hawthorne #1 of the Illinois Fighting Illini is congratulated by Nathan Scheelhaase #2 after he returned an interception for a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins during the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park on December 31, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) R:\Merlin\Getty_Photos\136296425.jpg

Updated: February 2, 2012 10:01AM

SAN FRANCISCO — For the last month, if not the last three, Illinois has been on a bumpier ride than a runaway cable car.

But finally, after losing six consecutive games and seeing coach Ron Zook get fired, the Illini let it all hang out.

They smacked UCLA 20-14 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Saturday at AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants, with strong defense, opportunistic offense and a will to win that was unshaken by all manner of potential distractions, including a severance-pay controversy that outraged some assistants.

A six-game skid since their last victory at Indiana on Oct. 8?
Ended.

Ridicule and doubts due to their losing streak? Gone.

A tribute to Zook? Most definitely.

‘‘Our last win? It was Indiana, right?’’ said wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, whose 60-yard touchdown catch gave Illinois a 20-7 lead. ‘‘I had to think about that for a little bit. It’s been a long time. But it feels great.’’

In dispatching UCLA (6-8), the Illini (7-6) notched their second consecutive bowl win. This is the first time Illinois, which beat Baylor in the Texas Bowl a year ago, has won back-to-back bowl games.

‘‘I want to say a special thanks to coach Zook,’’ said quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who passed for 139 yards and ran for 110 yards. ‘‘Even though he couldn’t be here today, he put this team together. We’re fighters because of him.’’

Trailing 7-3 after an ugly first half, Illinois made its move when cornerback Terry Hawthorne jumped in front of UCLA receiver Shaq Evans for an interception and returned it 39 yards to give the Illini a 10-7 lead. Those first 10 points came off Bruins turnovers.

The defense, which held UCLA to seven points until the last 30 seconds, did the rest. The Bruins had only 18 yards on 30 carries.

‘‘It’s definitely a relief,’’ said All-America defensive end Whitney Mercilus, who had 11/2 sacks, tying Simeon Rice’s 1994 school record of 16 in a season. ‘‘We’ve been pent up with a lot of anxiety, a little bit of anger [about] what happened through the season, what went wrong. We found our answer today.’’

Afterward, the Illini celebrated by giving interim coach Vic Koenning the traditional Gatorade victory drenching.

‘‘These guys started winning right when the season was over,’’ Koenning said. ‘‘They started winning in the classroom. They busted their tails, and the feeling they got in the classroom started carrying over to practice. We won yesterday, [when I saw] the looks in their eyes when they were serving meals at the homeless shelter. Our guys were winners.’’

New athletic director Mike Thomas and coach Tim Beckman liked what they saw.

‘‘It’s a difficult time for them, going through this transition,’’ Thomas said. ‘‘I get that. But they’ve handled it very well. I couldn’t be more proud of them and Vic, with the job he’s done. We showed up to play today.’’

Beckman, who watched from the sideline, also was impressed.

‘‘Coach Zook’s done a good job,’’ Beckman said. ‘‘The cupboard’s not bare. It just needs to be tweaked. And we need more of them.’’

This victory was more about the past than the future, though. A team that began the season with six wins and high hopes said goodbye to Zook and honored the rest of the staff with a determined effort.

‘‘It was an honor to play under [Zook],’’ Scheelhaase said. ‘‘I also want to say a special thanks to coach Vic and the rest of our coaches. They didn’t have to do what they did. They didn’t have to stick with us. They preached toughness all year and never giving up. They practiced what they preached.’’