Illinois and first-year head coach Bret Bielema looked to be riding some momentum from last week’s season-opening victory over Nebraska.

It wasn’t enough momentum to beat UTSA, though, as the Illini fell to 1-1 after a 37-30 loss to the Roadrunners at Memorial Stadium in Week 1.

UTSA is a solid Conference USA program. The Roadrunners have one of the best running games in the country, as evidenced by their 217 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground against Illinois. This isn’t a bad loss by any means.

But it feels deflating coming off a win over Nebraska — on the same field, no less.

Let’s zoom out a bit here and look at the big picture. Illinois is a rebuilding program under a brand new coaching staff that’s working with players from the last coaching regime.

It’s going to be that type of season.

The Nebraska game had a lot of good. Artur Sitkowski looked like a capable replacement for Brandon Peters at quarterback off the bench after Peters got hurt. CJ Hart looked like a strong cornerback who could anchor the defense. Most of all, Illinois opened the season by beating a B1G opponent at home.

Seven days later, the script has started to flip. Sitkowski looked alright against UTSA as he completed 22 of 42 passes for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hart got hurt against Nebraska and is out for the year. And Illinois found itself walking to the locker room after getting upset by a UTSA team that was picked to finish second in the C-USA West preseason poll.

That’s quite the turnaround in just 7 days. What happened in that week in between?

It’s hard to say. Did Illinois get too high after the Nebraska game? Was that game a fluke? Was this game a fluke? These are all reasonable questions.

But the answer might simply be that Illinois is kicking the tires on another rebuild, and this is going to be an up-and-down, rollercoaster-type season.

For starters, they’re dealing with injuries. Peters missed the game against UTSA with the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 0, although Bielema doesn’t expect him to miss too much time. Running back Chase Brown didn’t dress in Week 1 and was seen on the sidelines in a boot. Add in Hart and defensive lineman Keith Randolph, who hurt his knee against UTSA, and that’s a lot to overcome just 2 games into the season.

Here’s the other thing Illinois fans have to remember, especially right now: It’s not all bad. There’s some good coming out of Bielema’s program, too.

Isaiah Williams seems like he’s making a seamless transition from quarterback to wide receiver, catching 7 passes for 101 yards — including some huge receptions on the final drive. Sitkowski looks like he can get the job done if something happens to Peters down the stretch once he returns. Plus, if Illini fans get too down, they always have superstar punter Blake Hayes to cheer about. Who doesn’t love rallying behind a punter?

Let’s also look at the fact that Illinois didn’t roll over against UTSA. The Illini fought back, even as UTSA left 90 seconds on the clock and Sitkowski had the offense marching downfield — that is, until tight end Luke Ford got called for offensive pass interference at the 15-yard line. Still, they had their chances to get the W. That’s something to hang your hat on.

As is the case with most rebuilds, you have your ups and you have your downs. Illinois has experienced both in just the first 2 games of the season. Just think of what the next 10 games have in store.

One thing that’s consistent over the first 2 games is the feeling that things are different in Champaign. Bielema has had plenty of recruiting success — in-state, no less — and has the program aimed toward a bright future. The present might be bumpy, but with a rebuilding program, it’s about the future.

The moral of the story here is that the loss to UTSA isn’t a program-changing loss. It’s a speed bump as Bielema navigates the first year of his program overhaul.

This rollercoaster ride is just getting started. As the year goes on, we’ll see more highs and we’ll see more lows from this Illinois team.

Buckle up, Illini fans. You’re in for quite the trip this season.