While Illinois began the season with former Montana head coach Bobby Hauck as the defensive coordinator, inside linebackers coach Roger Cooper took over as the interim defensive coordinator when Hauck left the program after the Illini lost to Purdue.
Despite the change, there hasn’t been much of a difference in the yardage that the Illinois defense has allowed both on the ground and through the air. That’s probably because Cooper, who coached under Hauck at Montana, is still running a 3-3-5 defense.
Let’s look at the Illini defensive personnel.
Defensive Line
The Illini defensive line has undergone one significant change since the season began. While Darrell Prater was the starter at nose for the first five games of the season, Penn State transfer Carter Janki took over at the start of Illinois’ four-game winning streak. Janki has made 22 tackles including two TFLs. He also has two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. By comparison, Prater has made 14 tackles including a TFL and half a sack.
Senior Pat Farrell and junior Joe Barna join Janki on the defensive line. Farrell has made 18 tackles including a TFL and a sack. He’s broken up four passes and hurried the quarterback once. Farrell also has a forced fumble. Meanwhile, Barna has made 24 tackles including three TFLs and a sack. He has two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Linebackers
The linebackers are led by fifth-year James Kreutz. He is second on the team in tackles with 60 including 3.5 TFLs and a sack. Kreutz has also broken up one pass and forced a fumble.
Ismael Kante will start at Mike linebacker. Kante is third on the team in tackles with 55 including 3.5 TFLs. He is one of just the players with an interception this year, and he has two quarterback hurries.
The final starting linebacker will be fifth-year Daniel Brown. Brown has made just nine tackles including two TFLs and a sack and a half. Brown has also recovered a fumble.
Secondary
The starting strong safety will be fifth-year Matthew Bailey. Bailey leads the Illini in tackles with 66 including four TFLs and a sack and a half. He has also picked off a pass, broken one up, hurried the QB once and forced a fumble.
Two games ago, junior Tanner Heckel took over at free safety replacing Mac Resetich as the starter. Both of these defensive backs have put up similar stats. Heckel has made 30 tackles including three TFLs, and he has picked off a pass and broken one up. Resetich has made 29 tackles and broken up two passes.
Illinois’ game notes lists three cornerbacks without designating one as a nickel or a star. So, it’s tough to tell who will fill that fifth DB role.
Based on the number of starts, I’m guessing senior Juice Clarke and fifth-year Xavier Scott will likely start as the two outside corners. Clarke is fourth on the team in tackles with 47 including a TFL. He looks to be the definition of a shutdown corner because he leads the team with ten breakups. Clarke has also forced a fumble. Scott has made 32 tackles with half a TFL and he has broken up three passes.
The fifth starting defensive back will probably be Jakwon Morris. Morris has made 19 tackles, broken up two passes, and recovered a fumble.
Analysis
The Bruin running backs should be licking their chops. Illinois’ six-man defensive front should allow for a big night for the UCLA ground game. In fact, ArmchairIllini.com described Illinois’ 3-3-5 defense as “vulnerable against downhill rushing attacks, especially if opponents control the line of scrimmage.”
I fully expect Dean Kennedy to find a way to exploit this and put the Bruin offense in a position to win this game just like he found a way to exploit the Minnesota defense last week for two 75-yard touchdown passes.
In fact, last week’s game should put all opposing defenses on notice moving forward that UCLA will find your weakness and exploit it, either on the ground or through the air.
Go Bruins!!!
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