The Illinois football offense has a new quarterback behind center, but that shouldn’t slow them down from putting points on the board against Akron.
Akron allowed opposing teams to rush for 208.8 yards per game in 2018, which ranked No. 100 in the nation. They gave up 201.4 yards per game through the air, which ranked No. 34 in the nation. Here is a breakdown of what Illinois will be looking at come Saturday.
Defensive Line
The Akron defensive line wasn’t good last season as they gave up 208.8 yards per game on the ground, which ranked No. 100 in the nation. Most of that defensive line has now departed, though.
Defensive end Josh Ward is the main returning defensive lineman for Akron. He ended the 2018 campaign with 33 tackles and 4 sacks. His ability on the edge is solid, but the Illinois offensive line should have too much trouble keeping Brandon Peters safe.
The Zips did have a few junior college kids come into the program this offseason. I would assume in the center of the defensive line we are probably going to see a combination of John Mitchell and Jaquize Cross. Both are from Independence Community College. I believe Dylan Meeks would lineup opposite of Ward at the other defensive end position.
Linebackers
The depth hit Akron took on defense after last season is going to show. Their linebackers are fairly thin as well. But the one saving grace for the Zip is senior, John Lako.
Lako returns this season coming off a year where he led the team in tackles. He finished 2018 with 126 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He is by far the anchor of this Akron defense. Who will be joining him is the bigger question.
I am thinking James King could be a part of the starting linebacker crew this season for Akron. He finished with 17 tackles last season and saw action in eight games. Don’t be surprised if Michael Scott steps into a starting linebacker role too. He transferred in from Iowa Western Community College.
Defensive Backs
Akron’s secondary is a little more stable than the rest of their defense. They at least have two of their main pass defenders back for the 2019 campaign.
Cornerback Alvin Davis is back for his senior year. He had 75 tackles and 4 interceptions last season. I would say he was one of their best defensive players. Having him return is going to make Peters think a little more about where he is going with the ball.
The other solid defensive back returning for Akron is safety, Zaire Jacobs. He had 28 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in 2018. He was able to play in nine games last season and had two starts at safety. He will help provide some sort of stability in the secondary.
Overall
Illinois shouldn’t have to worry too much about this Akron defense. The Zips lost 10 out of their top 15 tacklers from 2018. That is a massive hole in the defense and will be tough to replace, especially in the first game of the season.
Even with that being said, Akron had experience last season and still gave up 29 points per game, which ranked No. 75 in the nation. The only good thing about their defense from 2018 was their pass coverage. They only gave up 201.4 yards per game through the air, which ranked No. 32 in the nation. But a lot of those players have now departed.
The Illinois running backs are likely to have a heyday with the Akron from seven. We should be able to gouge them for massive gains on the ground. I would be surprised if Illinois puts up less than 40 points in this game.