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Illinois Football: 5 ways the Illini will improve under Rod Smith

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - SEPTEMBER 29: Illinois Fighting Illini fans are seen in the tailgating area before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 29, 2017 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - SEPTEMBER 29: Illinois Fighting Illini fans are seen in the tailgating area before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 29, 2017 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 09: Illinois running back Mike Epstein (26) runs the ball during a non-conference college football game between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, September 09, 2017, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. Illinois won, 20-7. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 09: Illinois running back Mike Epstein (26) runs the ball during a non-conference college football game between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, September 09, 2017, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. Illinois won, 20-7. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Ground game will be dangerous

Usually, when the Illinois football team is bad they still have some semblance of a running attack. That wasn’t the case last season, and this killed the team every game.

The leading rusher for the Illini in 2017 was true freshman running back Mike Epstein. He had 57 carries for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He was having a good year until he went down with an injury five games into the season. That is right, Illinois’ leading rusher was Epstein who only played five games last year.

Kendrick Foster ended up being the second leading rusher with 266 yards. He was supposed to be the man in the backfield, but Epstein passed him up. For some reason, he was downgraded to No. 4 on the depth chart, but injuries enabled him to get back to the starting role.

The No. 3 leading rusher was Cam Thomas. Yes, our quarterback who played in a total of four games was our third leading rusher. Needless to say, the Illini need some help with their rushing attack.

In 2017, Illinois averaged 105.6 yards per game on the ground. This was good enough for No. 122 in the nation. They were only better than eight other teams. Smith will bring a big-time running scheme with him from Arizona. The Wildcats averaged 293.3 YPG on the ground which ranked No. 4 in the nation.

You need to start getting excited about the type of offense Smith is bringing to Champaign. It is going to be fun to watch.

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