Most Illini fans, including myself, spent the majority of this past football season face-palming at all the mistakes the team continuously made. Although the team didn’t look too pretty out there, Lovie Smith’s coaching crew may have found some unexpected playmakers in their freshman class.
Before suffering an injury, Mike Epstein looked like a solid feature back that the Fighting Illini could consistently rely on. Even with an offensive line that struggled mightily throughout the season, Epstein managed to average 6.1 yards per carry. Most of his carries were accompanied by breaking tackles and fighting for extra yards.