What interim head coach Rod Smith said after Illinois' loss to Penn State

Illinois has officially ended their season at 2-6 and it came with a blowout loss to Penn State.

Illinois went back and forth with the Nittany Lions for a while and even led 21-14 at some point. After that though, the game went downhill as they lost 56-21.

In the last three quarters of the game, they were outscored 35-0.

Quarterback Isaiah Williams only had 120 yards passing with two touchdowns to one interception. Penn State’s secondary wasn’t giving anything up after the first quarter.

After the game, interim head coach Rod Smith spoke to the media and this is what he had to say:

#illini Rod Smith: "It was definitely a unique experience. …But I enjoyed it. It was fun. …I'm proud of our kids, for our guys. They never quit." pic.twitter.com/i4RU8bMCxl

— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) December 20, 2020

#illini Rod Smith said he "wishes nothing but the best" to Bret Bielema.

— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) December 20, 2020

#illini OC Rod Smith on this season: "It's been an emotional rollercoaster for our guys. …It's been a rough year, a tough year."

— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) December 20, 2020

#Illini Rod Smith: "Obviously a tough game for us. Started the game off well, did some good things, made some plays. Weren't able to sustain enough offensively, and the defense as well."

— Gavin Good (@itsallG_O_O_D) December 20, 2020

#Illini Rod Smith: "I'm proud of our kids, I'm proud of our guys. They never quit. Sometimes we were down, and down some numbers and down some talent from injuries and other things, but our guys didn't quit, so I'm proud of that."

— Gavin Good (@itsallG_O_O_D) December 20, 2020

#Illini Rod Smith: "This has been a tough week for those guys. Emotionally, it's been draining, but they didn't let that overcome them. We talked all week about fighting through tough times, and this is tough. But at the same time you're gonna find out what you made of."

— Gavin Good (@itsallG_O_O_D) December 20, 2020

Rod Smith on the emotions the current #Illini staff is going through: "You'd be lying if you didn't think 'what if, what's' next?' We all understand the dynamic of this profession, we understand how it works. you just prepare for the next day, whatever that holds."

— Gavin Good (@itsallG_O_O_D) December 20, 2020

#Illini Rod Smith: "The bottom line is we're here for (the team), that's what it comes down to."

— Gavin Good (@itsallG_O_O_D) December 20, 2020

Rod Smith on #Illini freshman QB Deuce Spann: "He'll have some work ahead of him, but he's an ultra-talented kid. Great personality, great kid. I'm excited to watch and see how he develops."

— Gavin Good (@itsallG_O_O_D) December 20, 2020