Ask Illini fans which of the ten losses in 2017 felt most painful.
A large percentage would say the loss to Rutgers. The final score was 35-24, and the Scarlet Knights managed to put points on the board in each quarter.
This Saturday is the third meeting between Lovie Smith and Knights coach Chris Ash. Lovie got the best of Ash in the first matchup in 2016 with a 24-7 victory in Lovie’s only Big Ten road win so far in his tenure in Champaign. With a week of preparation and rest, some have called this a must-win.