What happened
The sun shone brightly. The turnovers started early. And so did the touchdowns. A feel-good home opener for Lovie Smith produced a bevy of first-half highlights — hello, Kendrick Foster — before the starters enjoyed much of the fourth quarter from the bench. Couldn’t have scripted a better debut for Smith in his return to the college game.
What’s next
Saturday night football in Champaign. North Carolina blue will hit Memorial Stadium for the first time in 45 years when the Tar Heels visit for the marquee nonconference game on the Illini schedule this season.