After Illinois lost to Minnesota 41-14 on Saturday, head coach Lovie Smith discussed the game and what the Illini are doing this week to prepare for Rutgers.

Here’s what he had to say:

On loss to Minnesota

• They have evaluated the video and spent a lot of time watching it.
• Changes have to be made and they are working to make those necessary corrections.

On players out due to contact tracing

• The players who were out because of contact tracing protocol will be back on Wednesday this week.
• It is very exciting and Lovie is looking forward to having them back.
• They have been able to workout on their own during isolation.

On Rutgers

• They have a 1-2 record, but their two losses were still impressive. They were able to stay in the game against Indiana and scored 27 points against Ohio State.
• The Illini are familiar with this Rutgers team and personnel since they play each other often.
• Illinois are underdogs.

On feelings after 0-3 start

• Every snap from the Minnesota game was went over in detail and watched numerous times.
• Now, the team has moved on and are ready to face Rutgers this Saturday.
• While they are disappointed, there is no panic.
• There is still lots of football left to be played.

On the expectations before the season

• There were high expectations coming into this season and they had them for a reason.
• As seen last season, they know how to turn things around.
• The season isn’t over yet.

On offensive line

• They are better than this. They have had discussions and acknowledged what happened.
• Doug Kramer will be back this week and play this weekend.
• As a captain, Kramer is an important piece that will help get the o-line back on track.
• The o-line benefits from having the best players out on the field, which starts with the center.
• This group of linemen have played together for a while, so having Kramer back should put them back in place.

On Alex Pihlstrom

• Initially, he was a tight end who came to practice and worked hard everyday.
• Pihlstrom got stronger and bigger, which got him time on the offensive line.
• If someone deserves to play, they will get the opportunity to eventually.
• He was not given a scholarship - he earned it.
• Moving forward with players who were out coming back, he is still in the mix to play.