CHAMPAIGN — While Mike Epstein scored his first college touchdowns last Saturday, Ryan Cubit was watching 250 miles away in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Smiling.
"It was really satisfying," said Cubit, a former Illinois assistant and recruiting coordinator. "It makes you feel good for him. You love seeing a kid like that succeed.
"He took advantage of his opportunity. He is very, very knowledgeable about the game. He's very, very patient. You can see how he prepares. You're going to see a lot more great things out of that kid."
As part of Tim Beckman's staff, Cubit was the first coach to say, "We need to recruit this guy.