In the spring of 2016, the University of Illinois gave itself a shot in the arm in an attempt to revitalize the lifeless carcass that was the football program. That shot was the hiring of former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Lovie Smith.
Now, entering Year Three of the Lovie experience, there is a sense of urgency in Champaign. No, not a ‘Lovie Smith is on the hot seat’ sense of urgency, but an urgency nonetheless. The Illini need to see improvement on the field and in the win column in order to keep their upward trend in recruiting and lock down some talented young players for the 2019 campaign and on.