Illinois embracing an experienced backfield

You hear most teams use the phrase, "establishing the run", when talking about how to open up its offense. Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. wants to establish it and then some next season, calling it "the centerpiece" of the offense.

Last season, the run game was a bit lackluster. It ranked bottom six in the Big Ten in yards per game (138.1) and 100th nationally in yards per carry (3.8). While it didn't statistically jump off the page, Lunney still believes there were games where it passed the eye test.