Fresno State's Immaculate Deflection Brings Misery To Ron Zook

Let's say you're Ron Zook. After a few good years at Illinois (including a Rose Bowl berth), you remember that you're Ron Zook and things fall apart to the tune of a 3-8 season. After all, underachieving and heart-breaking losses are your specialties.

So when Fresno State head coach Pat Hill elected to go for the two-point conversion and the win after the Bulldogs scored a touchdown with two seconds left to bring them within one, you knew this would end badly for Illinois. And indeed it did.

Even worse for Illinois? Devan Cunningham -- who caught the winning two-poin conversion -- is an offensive lineman. Yes, that's right, a big ugly. On the fateful two-point play, Fresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn rolled out to his left, and under duress heaved the ball into the end zone, which an Illinois defender batted backwards -- right into the meaty paws of Cunningham, who managed to fall across the goal line for the win. Here's the video:

This, of course, elicited a stunned reaction from Illinois fans over at SBN's Hail to the Orange:

But really, when Ron Zook is your coach, can you expect any less? That is the Faustian bargain: be tantalized with your team's potential only to have your hopes dashed in new and inventively soul-crushing ways each week.