CHAMPAIGN — The opener didn’t go quite the way Lovie Smith expected. But the bottom line, the Illinois coach said, was his team picked up a win against Kent State.
“The plan was to come back (undefeated),” Smith said at Friday’s Illini Quarterback Club luncheon. “Of course, we didn’t start the way we wanted. But it’s about the finish. It’s always about the finish. I’m really pumped up about how our young team fought through adversity.”
On a rainy Friday, the crowd of 150 at Champaign’s Hawthorn Suites heard from the head coach, offensive coordinator Rod Smith, place kicker Chase McLaughlin, former Ilini safety Kevin Mitchell and director of compliance Tessi Taylor.