What Illinois' Lovie Smith said during Week 1 press conference
On Monday, Illinois coach Lovie Smith got a chance to talk with the media ahead of his team’s 2018 season opener against Kent State.
One question that was looming was what the Fighting Illini would do at QB, and Smith gave a clear response, naming A.J. Bush the starter.
Aside from the big news as to who the team’s No. 1 signal caller is, the third-year coach promoted his son, Miles, to fill in the void at cornerbacks coach.
“I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” Lovie Smith said. “Whenever you get a chance to work with your son, it’s a great thing. You like to promote from within, as much as anything. We have a system in place. You start at a certain place, and you work your way up from there.”
Below are some more notable quotes:
#illini Lovie: AJ has one year here and then he's moving on. Our younger players are fighting for that role and learning as much as they can from starter.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) August 27, 2018
Big quote from #illini Lovie today: "Chase McLaughlin is our kicker."
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) August 27, 2018
#illini Lovie: Training camp went well. Wouldn't say a lot of major injuries.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) August 27, 2018
The Fighting Illini host Kent State for what is scheduled to be an 11 a.m. kickoff on Saturday with the game being televised on BTN.
