When an intrepid reporter asked Dustin Ward after the Illini's seventh straight loss Saturday if the team would have been better off if he started the game at quarterback, Ward bristled at the question: "I've got no comment on that."

And Ward wasn't the only Illini bristling against Minnesota.

Coach Ron Turner showed some bristle when the Illini won the coin toss and decided to receive the ball — something they've failed to do all year. The offense showed some bristle on the ensuing seven-play drive.

But for the sixth straight week, the defense showed no bristle. They slipped back into old habits and were brushed over by Minnesota on its first three drives to build an all-too-familiar 17-0 deficit.

Then with 12:28 remaining in the second quarter, Turner pulled a surprise move. He yanked the QB of the future, Chris Pazan, after a listless 4 of 6 for 12 yards start and he inserted the QB of the past, senior Dustin Ward.

Turner scrapped his plan to prepare for the future and prepared for a win instead.

A win?

Prior to Saturday's game, I thought there was no way Ward would play. I figured Turner would settle in with Pazan, take his lumps and start to polish him for next year's run. Remember, Kurt Kittner, who was on-hand Saturday to watch his apparent second-coming, played some during his freshman year. And he certainly took some lumps. Some big lumps.

But then Ward entered the game. My mood changed. The Illini's mood definitely changed.

From the moment Ward entered the huddle, a confident, winning attitude seemed to encompass the Illini sideline and serenade the fans.

Finally, there was hope.

Ward completed all four of his passes on his first drive — including a spectacular 47-yard heave to Kelvin Hayden. He orchestrated a four-yard TD toss to Carey Davis to complete the drive after dodging a few defenders and rolling out.

Turner smiled. Jon Beutjer could be seen, stiff back and all, Moonwalking down the Illini sideline. Ward showed a Luther Head-like leap when he met Davis in the end zone.

Midway through the second quarter the Illini trailed just 17-7. They were close.

"Dustin came out and made the plays that were there and he scrambled around and made plays that weren't there," Turner said. "That's something we haven't seen this year."

Ward's teammates said his spark was simple.

"He just ran the offense. Our offense, when we're clicking, we're clicking," running back Morris Virgil said. "Dustin just got in there and did what we always used to do."

The Illini remained competitive until they ended the half with an interception in the end zone — Ward's lone critical error — and began the second half by allowing a Minnesota touchdown.

Ward completed 17 of 32 passes for 221 yards, one touchdown and one interception. That's the best Illini quarterbacking performance since Jon Beutjer's 430 yards and three TDs against Cal on Sept. 20.

"I went in there and plays were open," Ward said. "We executed and things went well for us."

But it wasn't that simple. Ward provided something intangible that inspired a team and its fans for the first three quarters. He kept his teammates on the edges of their seats and he kept the fans' fannies in their seats.

For one week ... one half ... the Illini contended for a win. And it was an encouraging sight.

At some point you need to stop planning for the future and bear down and handle the present. The Illini have lost too much. Morale is low. They need a win before they can start mapping out another meteoric rise to the top.

The players appreciated Turner's new-found philosophy Saturday.

"It was nice for a change early in the game to be in there and feel this is competitive," receiver Mark Kornfeld said. "We went into halftime and felt like we were right there and the game was there for the taking."

With the Illini defense in its current sieve-like state, the Illini will be hard-pressed to enter the win column any time soon — keep your calendars open for Nov. 8 against Indiana, that's the Illini's best chance for a win.

Until then, the Illini showed baby steps against Minnesota.

Next week's step, keep the bristle, lose the second-half brush.

Chris Neubauer is a senior in communications. He can be reached at sports@dailyillini.com.