On Saturday, Maryland football looks to get back to their winning ways as they welcome Illinois to College Park in the first-ever meeting between the programs. Since this is their first meeting, we wanted to know more about the Fighting Illini, so we spoke with Bob Asmussen of the Champaign News-Gazette about the team. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

Lovie Smith didn’t win more than three games in either of his first two seasons at Illinois, going 5-19. This year, the Illini already have three wins. What — or who — explains that improvement?

The schedule is certainly part of the answer.

Illinois opened with Kent State, barely beating a team that has no wins against FBS teams this season. You couldn’t find a weaker MAC team than the Golden Flashes, yet they still had a chance to win. The second game was Western Illinois and Illinois has never lost to an FCS school. The third win came against Rutgers and you are more aware than I am about the weakness of the Scarlet Knights.

While the team technically has more wins at this point than all of last year, none of the wins were a surprise. The way Illinois played in its third and fourth games against No. 21 South Florida and No. 17 Penn State was more of a sign of improvement. Illinois should have won against the Bulls, letting a late lead slip away. And it led into the third quarter against the Nittany Lions before Trace McSorley and pals stormed back. The last two games, blowout losses to Purdue and No. 20 Wisconsin, have looked more like 2017 Illinois. And the team was supposed to have moved on from that.

Smith came to Champaign boasting an NFL pedigree with the Bears and Buccaneers. How was that experience viewed when he was hired, and how is he viewed now?

At the time he was hired, it was considered a big get for a program that has been down. There was a Lovie impact on ticket sales and buzz in the state. The fact that he led the Bears to the Super Bowl was a big deal. A lot of people in town and in the state are Bears fans, so he’s considered even a bit of an icon in the state. Having him come to the school seemed like a great idea.

The reality is that he has been away from college football for more than two decades and made some hiring mistakes because of it. His first offensive coordinator was not the right fit. He appears to have the right guy in place now, Rod Smith, who is generally considered a good coach. Because the crowds are so down, I wonder if Illinois would have been better served by someone with a stronger college background. Recruiting is so vital and I think it has taken Smith time to get used to it again. Fans are also wondering if the defense he has run all these years will work in college. I don’t think we know the answer to that yet.

Illinois has won five road games in the last six seasons, including this year. Why have the Illini been so unsuccessful on the road, and how might that play into Saturday’s game?

No question it has been an issue and might be again Saturday. The simple answer is that the team doesn’t have the same amount of talent as the teams it is losing to home and away. The current guys are trying to stay positive and I think they have done a decent job with that. But it a really young team with fewer than 10 seniors on the roster. When things start to go back in the games, there isn’t enough guys to try to hold the team together. I thought the win against Rutgers would help, but the bad loss at Wisconsin will put the doubt back in.

The Illini nearly beat South Florida at Soldier Field earlier this season, eventually losing 25-19. Why couldn’t Illinois finish the job against the Bulls, and what lessons from that game can the team apply to this weekend?

A couple things were at play against South Florida.

First, starting quarterback AJ Bush Jr. wasn’t able to go because of a leg injury he suffered in the previous game. M.J. Rivers was making his first start and he played well. But he was still finding his way and learning the college game. Put him in the same situation now, and I’m guessing he helps Illinois win the game.

The other problem for Illinois against South Florida was the site. The game was played at Chicago’s Soldier Field, part of an ill-advised deal the previous athletic administration made with the city. If that game was at home, I think Illinois wins going away. So the lesson is don’t give away home games. I also think the younger players on the team have a better understanding of the amount of effort you need to win, especially when the opponent is of equal or superior quality.

Illinois will win if…

It takes the turnover battle by plus-2 or better. Lovie Smith craves turnovers and his defense needs them to survive. If the turnover battle is even or negative for Illinois, it likely lost the game by a lopsided score.

Maryland will win if…

It can slow down the Illinois run game. The Illini have been able to move the ball on the ground against most teams and Reggie Corbin is very good. The offensive line is solid and both quarterbacks are mobile, though Bush is a better runner than Rivers. The Illini will miss running back Mike Epstein with an injury, but Corbin’s backups, Ra’Von Bonner and Drew Brown, are both talented players.