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What Lovie Smith said during his Monday press conference
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The Illinois Fighting Illini—sometimes called the Fighting Lovie Smiths after their head coach—have had an up and down 2020 season, but have won their last two and look to be on a kind of roll at 2-2 with four games to play.
After starting the campaign 0-2, losing by a combined 72-38 to Purdue and Minnesota, the Illini have won the last two, 64-23, after escaping Rutgers by a field goal and then hammering Nebraska in Lincoln last week, 41-23.
Smith talked Monday to reporters over a Zoom call and discussed the win last week, and the upcoming game Saturday against Big Ten bully Ohio State in Champaign.
#illini Lovie Smith: All three phases played well. Best we've played well, which needed to happen given the way we were playing. pic.twitter.com/7GWnDdMKxG
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
#illini Lovie Smith: Not many teams terrify me or anyone else. We're playing a good football team. Every week they play you see that. We're looking forward to playing a good football team.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
"We played our best ball the last time out."
#illini Lovie Smith said in reference to being big underdogs that everybody "reads the newspapers."#SupportLocalJournalism
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
#illini Lovie Smith: Justin Fields is one of the best quarterbacks and athletes in college football.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
#illini Lovie Smith said he will make comments on injured OT Alex Palczewski.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
"We know the direction that we're headed. I'll say that."
#illini Lovie: "Brandon is our starting quarterback, and the starting quarterback is key to your success."
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
Adds that they learned the last few weeks that the QB position is deeper than they thought.
#illini Lovie Smith dodges a question about LB Tarique Barnes injury. Said it's never good when a player leaves a game and doesn't return. Will have further comment.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
"I like to stick to the script."
#illini Lovie Smith said there's no homefield advantage in college football this year.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) November 23, 2020
The Illini and Buckeyes are scheduled to kick at Noon EST and the game will be broadcast on FS1. Ohio State is ranked third nationally at 4-0 while Illinois is unranked at 2-2.
Mark Schipper is a reporter, sportswriter, and aspiring novelist living in Chicago, Illinois.