CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Coming into the season, coach Lovie Smith made it clear that the young guys on his Illinois team would have the opportunity to play early. Running back Mike Epstein was one of them and while he didn’t start the game in the backfield, he did help finish it. Epstein led the team with 54 rushing yards and 105 all-purpose yards, scoring twice in his collegiate debut. But after Illinois brought in former NFL coach Smith, Epstein knew it was where he wanted to be. “When I met Coach Smith in person I was blown away, just the humbleness he has,” Epstein said.

Source: National Post September 07, 2017 06:22 UTC