Illinois Football: Breakdown of the Kent State defense

The Illinois football team plays a less than average Kent State defense this weekend.

How does this Golden Flashes defense that gave up 35.5 points per game last season stack up against the Illini? Here is a little preview of what we will see.

Defensive Line (D-)

The Kent State defensive line was one of the worst in college football last season but somehow still better than Illinois statistically. They gave up 217.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked No. 110 in the nation. Kent State was actually decent in the sacks department. They averaged two sacks per game, which ranked No. 64 in the nation.

Kent State does return some of their talent on the defensive line. Theo Majette was third on the team in sacks in 2017, and he returns at defensive tackle. He should get more playing time this season. Theo Eboigbe also returns at defensive end. He was top 10 on the team in both tackles and sacks last season.

For the most part, though, Kent State is extremely young and small on the defensive line. They do have a graduate transfer coming in from Nevada who should get playing time on the defensive line, but I still expect them to struggle immensely.

Linebackers (C)

The linebacker corps is one of the strong points for the Kent State football team. They do return some talent, but they are still extremely thin at this grouping.

Jim Jones is the leader at linebacker. He returns for his senior campaign after leading the Golden Flashes in both tackles (98) and sacks (6) last season. His presence in the middle of this defense is going to help Kent State. Beyond him, though, things get a little rough.

Nick Faulkner moved from defensive end to linebacker this season. He is projected to have a good year and made preseason All-MAC fourth team. I also look for Matt Bahr to step up at linebacker as a fifth-year player.

Defensive Backs (D)

Kent State lost some help in the defensive secondary. Demetrius Monday departed the program, and he led the team in interceptions with five last season.  They also lost their second-leading tackler from 2017 – Mandela Lawrence-Burke – because they switched him from safety to wide receiver this spring.

Jamal Parker does return at cornerback for the Golden Flashes. He was fourth on the team in tackles and second in interceptions. He is important to this defense.

In 2017, Kent State was actually good in pass defense. They only allowed 192.3 yards per game through the air. This is an impressive number which ranked No. 24 in the nation. I think that number is a little deceiving, though. Teams would run all over Kent State and wouldn’t have to pass the ball. That is why the passing numbers are way down.

Overall (D)

Overall, this game shouldn’t be tough for the Illini. Kent State’s defense has a decent player here and there. I really like what Jim Jones brings to the table. But, beyond him, I am not scared of what I am going to see on Saturday.

Illinois running backs should be able to do just about anything they want to against this young and small defensive line. AJ Bush needs to get some live snaps under his belt and this will be a perfect game for that. He can go through everything without having to worry about too much.

I couldn’t ask for a better game for this Illini team in week one. Illinois should put up a big number and get some confidence moving forward.