Illinois relies on speed on defense with one notable exception
Lock in. 🎧#Illini | @roddabod92 pic.twitter.com/ndudqu8Ozo
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) November 7, 2020
Illinois is one of those teams that rely on speed at all levels of their defense. The pressure up front has been inconsistent, but the first flashes I saw was Owen Carney Jr. Carney who leads the Illini in sacks and uses a good amount of speed rush moves at the defensive end spot. He tends to try to rush to a spot using that speed, and when he gets stonewalled, his counters are not fully fleshed out.
However, the player that stood out for me was Roderick Perry. Perry is the defensive tackle, and he gets a good amount of push up the middle. Listed at 300 pounds, Perry gave Nebraska all it could handle and was fairly consistent in pushing the quarterback out of the pocket on multiple plays. He is also pretty stout in the running game and looks hard to move off his spot. If you can move him around, you get runs inside the tackles, let him anchor in there, and he clogs everything up.
The secondary has speed, but its coverage techniques are a little off. The group tends to be opportunistic and rely on the pressure up front more than creating its own turnovers. The linebackers, specifically Jake Hansen, are a bigger problem. Hansen can cover tight ends and running backs, but he can also make plays behind the line. Basically, the Illini are good up the middle on defense. Working the outside will be a huge key to an Ohio State victory.
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