Richardson Gets Last Laugh for Illinois : Big Ten: After being taunted, he kicks a 41-yard field goal to beat Ohio State, 10-7.

Illinois freshman Chris Richardson missed one field goal and thought his deciding kick with 36 seconds left to play might fall short.

“I didn’t think I got all of it,” Richardson said after his 41-yard field goal gave the 20th-ranked Illini a 10-7 victory Saturday that knocked No. 11 Ohio State from the ranks of the unbeaten. “I was glad to see the refs put their hands up.”

Richardson, who is from Richardson, Tex., had missed a 23-yarder in the third quarter. And, as he prepared for the game-winner, Richardson endured some taunting from Ohio State.

“They were saying some uncomplimentary things about my mom,” he said. “They wanted me to go back to (Texas). They knew everything about me . . . how much I weighed, my body fat.”

Said Illinois Coach John Mackovic: “It was like one of those heavyweight fights--boom, boom, back and forth. There were a lot of heroes in this one. When we look at the film tomorrow, we’ll go: ‘Wow!’ ”

His Ohio State counterpart won’t.

“We fumbled the ball on the goal line, we missed a field goal and we let them get in position to kick the winning field goal late in the game,” John Cooper said. “I think we moved the ball well at times, but if you get one touchdown, you’re not going to beat many teams in this league.”

Ohio State drove to the Illinois five-yard line in the second quarter, but Tim Williams missed a 24-yard field goal. The Buckeyes got to the Illini three in the fourth quarter, but tailback Butler By’not’e fumbled and Illinois’ Julyon Brown recovered.

Illinois (4-1, 2-0) led, 7-0, on Darren Boyer’s seven-yard run in the first quarter. But the Buckeyes (4-1, 1-1) tied the score with three minutes left when Kent Graham threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway.

Then the Illini moved to the Ohio State 24. On fourth and two, Richardson came on for the decisive kick into the wind.

The Illinois victory was its fourth in a row over Ohio State.

“The game was like a roller-coaster ride,” Illini running back Steve Feagin said. “It was Big Ten football, a very physical game.”