All right, welcome into the Lionine Quire podcast, and this is how you know it is football season because Jay Lehman is here.

Our All-American linebacker, our star football analyst, back for another season here on the podcast.

Let's freaking go, Jay.

How are you, man?

Let's go.

What a great day to be alive.

Or as former Illinois assistant football coach Joe Cullen, now the assistant defensive line coach for the Kansas Chiefs, he used to tell us every day, guys, what a great day to be alive. But then again, is it every day a great day to be alive? And that would be emphasized during the first week of football. I know it at week zero last year, last week with a little K-State, Iowa State, Kansas played a little bit. But this is really the first week of college football,

some major matchups going on.

And, of course, our very own line I taking the field on Friday against Western.

Yeah, there's a fall crisp in the air this week.

Football here.

There's more excitement here in Champaign-Urbana about Illinois football

than there's been in a long time.

Expectations are high for the Ilana.

Sixteen starters back.

Most of the two-deep is back from a 10-win season last year, Jay.

And it all kicks off Friday night at Memorial Stadium against Western Illinois.

Just take me in as a player.

You had some really tough matchups first week.

Missouri a couple times in Rutgers once.

I know you had, I think, Eastern Illinois one year, but what is that first game feeling like for a player?

Well, I do think it's different than offense, offensive guy for a defensive guy.

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