November 16, 2020 - November 12, 2020

Mike Epstein | SR, Football

Illinois running back Mike Epstein had a career-long 63-yard run halfway through the second quarter against Minnesota, the Illini's longest play of the season. The six play, 83-yard drive was topped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Epstein, who finished the day with 11 carries for 108 yards. The senior tailback surpassed 100 yards rushing for the fourth time in his career and was five yards short of his career high.

Illinois recorded 181 total rush yards in the game, led by running backs Mike Epstein and Chase Brown. Epstein scored his first touchdown since 2018 in the Halloween game against Purdue due to injury keeping him out of the 2019 season. He is also on the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year watch list.

Epstein is a marketing major in a rigorous Gies College of Business curriculum and is widely admired by his peers for his outstanding work ethic and dedication to the student-athlete experience.

2020-21 Scholar Athlete of the Week Winners