Lovie Smith inherited outdated football facilities, among the worst in college football, when he was hired at Illinois in 2016 and he knew it.

The former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach took on the challenge anyway. Smith committed to a long-term plan to recruit the best players he could land and put them on the field, counting on experience paying off eventually.

The Fighting Illini took a lot of hits over Smith’s first three seasons, averaging just three wins per year and going winless in the Big Ten in 2017.

Smith’s fourth squad moved into a $79 million-plus facility with more than 100,000 square feet of space to train and practice last summer and he said it’s one of the best in the country.

Illinois (4-4, 2-3) pulled off a stunning, one-point win over then-No. 6 Wisconsin , giving the once-proud program its first victory over a top-10 team in 12 years and ending a 24-game losing streak to ranked teams that dated to 2011.

The Illini, who beat Purdue for a second straight win last week, are set up to be eligible for a bowl under Smith for the first time and just the second time in eight years. They host Rutgers (2-6, 0-5) Saturday, aiming to win three straight Big Ten games in a season for the first time since 2007 when Ron Zook went on to lead the team to a Rose Bowl victory.

If Illinois avoids getting upset, it will have to win one more game with three left to play — at Michigan State, at Iowa and against Northwestern at home — to earn a bowl bid.

The Illini kick at Memorial Stadium at 2:30 pm Saturday afternoon.