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9 true freshmen played for Illinois in Week 1 against Kent State
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Illinois finished the 2017 season at the bottom of the Big Ten standings.
The Fighting Illini owned a 2-10 overall record and went 0-9 in conference play. So, what gives? Lovie Smith is now in his third season at Illinois.
Improvement should be apparent. And in Week 1 of the 2018 season, Illinois did show some progress. The team beat Kent State 31-24.
But, it wasn’t a glorious blowout showcasing the Illini’s obvious talent advantage. Well, maybe that’s because Smith trotted out a bunch of younger players.
Participation chart had #illini playing 9 true freshmen vs. Kent State
– TE Daniel Barker
– S Delano Ware
– CB Jartavius Martin
– NB Sydney Brown
– WR Carlos Sandy
– CB Dylan Wyatt
– LB Khalan Tolson
– DT Calvin Avery
– S Kerby Joseph— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) September 2, 2018
At some point, Illinois has to have younger players grow and sustain their roles in the program. Maybe this will be the group that stays for four years and gives the team the stability it needs to take the next step.
Illinois will be in action again at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday against Western Illinois at Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on BTN.
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.