POST-GAME VIDEO - No. 19 Iowa 35, Illinois 21: Illini Head Coach Lovie Smith

Illinois head coach Lovie Smith spoke to local and statewide media following his team's 35-21 loss vs. No. 19 Iowa Saturday.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois head coach Lovie Smith spoke to local and statewide media following his team's 35-21 loss vs. No. 19 Iowa Saturday.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 21st season leading the Hawkeyes program, is undefeated in the five matchups against Illinois under Smith with the margin of victory being 25 points. 

The loss guaranteed a ninth straight season for the Illini program without a winning record as the 33 seniors honored Saturday in what was Homecoming and Senior Day at the same time will go winless against the Iowa program.

Of the 10 big plays by the Illini offense (15 yards or more in a pass or 10-yard rushes) Saturday, only two of them occurred in a second or third quarter in which Illinois managed just 111 total yards.

The only second-half bright spot was the play of Williams as he finished with 121 total yards and a 29-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Sandy when the game was already completely out of reach.

Illinois is scheduled to travel to Northwestern, which locked up the Western Division championship today by not playing it's scheduled game vs. Maryland, and hope to end its five-game losing streak against its in-state rival.