Illinois Football: 5 observations from the win over Kent State

5. Defensive line is stout

Before the game started on Saturday, news broke that Verdis Brown was going to redshirt his freshman season. This was a loss on the defensive line, but I am okay with it because it gives him another year in the Orange and Blue.

Defensive tackle Jamal Milan also didn’t dress for the game on Saturday. This hurt the depth on the defensive line because he is a good player who could help us win. Despite not having these two big men in the middle, I was actually impressed with the Illinois defensive line.

There was a constant rotation of defensive linemen throughout the game. I thought Tymir Oliver impressed me the most at defensive tackle. He disrupted the Kent State offense the most and was just a nightmare the entire night. Kenyon Jackson came through as a solid defensive tackle as well. These two have always been good players.

I was also excited to see Calvin Avery get some snaps as well. He was able to get into the Kent State backfield a few times and helped cause a sack.

The Illinois defensive ends did a good job in the second half. They struggled at times with Kent State’s quarterback running the ball, but they were able to make him uncomfortable and keep contain in the second half. The development of defensive ends like Owen Carney is going to be huge for this Illini program.

Illinois was a little short-handed on the defensive line, but they still did a solid job. They only gave up 183 yards on 43 carries. I can’t wait until we have the full squad back from suspension. This Illini defense line will get even better.