Lovie Smith now has his first FBS win as a college head coach. The orange and blue picked up a conference victory for the first time in 344 days against Rutgers on Saturday, shutting down the Scarlet Knights with a stout defense and a strong running game. Below we break down the three players of the game hockey-style.
Third Star: Darius Mosely
Mosely made a big impact after returning from an injury this week. Though he isn’t an amazing punt returner, he set up the Illinois offense with several returns of over 15 yards and made some nice cuts on the Rutgers defenders. On the defensive side of the ball is where he really shined, though. Mosely set the tone early by recovering a fumble that otherwise might’ve ended in a touchdown for the Scarlet Knights. Then he made the play of the game when he picked off Rutgers QB Gio Rescigno and took it 75 yards for a pick six.
Click here to see our other top performers from Saturday’s game.
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