Fighting Illini football head coach Bill Cubit met with the media at his weekly press conference on Monday. The Fighting Illini open the season Friday, Sept. 4, with Kent State coming to Memorial Stadium. Selected quotes from today's presser are below.

Opening Statement:

"On Friday we had a really great practice; the kids were very enthusiastic. We came out there on Saturday and had another good day. We changed some things, not things right or wrong, just things I'm used to, but I thought it was a good practice. Then we gave the team the day off yesterday. It was a day to get their bodies back a little, and it gave us a chance to come back in here and evaluate special teams personnel, the travel list, and all the little things that we had to go over before we start the season." 

On the players transitioning…

"I can't thank the players enough, they've been unbelievable. The community has been unbelievable. I like the way the community is rallying around these student-athletes. I got a lot of feedback from alumni, wishing our kids luck and seeing that they need our support. I think everybody is rallying, I really do. My hope is that the students, the alumni, the parents, everybody out there will rally around this football team because these kids deserve all the support they can get. When you rally, like the Minnesota game last season when the crowd got pretty loud, it just pushes you over the edge. If we all want to have a really good football program around here, everyone has to pitch in." 

On Kent State…

"We're really excited. We're playing a Kent State team, one where I wouldn't just look at the record, but I look at how they played their games rather than the end result. Outside of the Ohio State game, [Kent State] averaged about 12 points per deficit. I don't think they ever lost a MAC game by more than 10. They just lost a lot of close games. I looked at the roster, there are nine of 11 on offense that are either juniors or seniors, and a lot of the time those juniors are really seniors, because of redshirting. They have a lot of experience. Their punting game is outstanding, I think they were top-16 in the country. Their kicking game is good, and they've got both kickers back this season."

On being the interim head coach at Illinois…

"My deal is that I love kids. I love the guys on this football team, and someone has bestowed an honor on me to go out there and be the head coach at the University of Illinois. Can you ask for anything more? You're going to see a passionate, hardworking [coach] out there and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. I'm representing the great University of Illinois and the administration, and I want to present a good image."

On the culture of the team…

"I think we're all trying to create a classy program that's going to go out on the field and play hard, give everything they've got, and represent this university in the way it should be. We have had some tough times, but I want us to be the rallying cry for this campus right now. I'd love to see over 60,000 people in the stands going nuts about their Illini football team because they respect what they're doing on the field and off the field: academically, playing hard, and representing this university with class. That's what I'm gunning for."