Making a bowl game was the goal for Illinois coming into the 2019 season. And even though the Illini didn’t take advantage of their opportunity to finish the year with a winning record, it was still a step in the right direction in getting to the postseason.

Illinois was on the wrong end of a 35-20 loss to Cal in the Redbox Bowl on Monday night, ending the year with a 6-7 record. The Illini didn’t force any turnovers and couldn’t find the end zone enough to get that seventh win and head into the 2020 season with the momentum of ending on the right note.

The performance was certainly disappointing from California, but that one game isn’t what Lovie Smith and the rest of the team are focused on moving forward. It’s the fact that Illinois overcame a 2-4 start to the season, pulled off a four-game winning streak and played in its first bowl game since the 2014 campaign.

“The football team has come a long way. We’re disappointed in the loss, of course,” Smith said after the game. “Today, we didn’t play well enough and you have to give Cal credit for that. We pride ourselves on taking the ball away. We can’t rely on the offense to give the ball away.

“But there’s a lot to build on. It’s a process, and as we continue to take steps with our program, the bar has been set. …We’re looking forward to what the future will bring.”

At times throughout his fourth season, there were some questions about whether Smith was the right guy for the job in Champaign. That doubt was erased after Illinois won four-straight games, including an upset win over No. 6 Wisconsin and a 25-point comeback win on the road against Michigan State.

Smith showed that, while there’s still plenty of progress to be made, the program is improving. And with some really good players returning in 2020, it’ll be interesting to see how the Illini can build on a postseason appearance this season.