The Illinois football offense takes on a solid Eastern Michigan defense this Saturday.
Eastern Michigan is giving up 263 yards per game through the air this season, which ranks No. 86 in the nation. Their rush defense is slightly better, though. They are giving up 156.5 YPG on the ground in 2019, which ranks No. 72 in the nation.
Here is a breakdown of the Eastern Michigan defense.
Defensive Line
The Eastern Michigan defensive line actually has some experience returning this season. This is not their main weakness on the team.
I would say the Eagles’ defensive tackles are the strong point of the line. Woo Scott, Desmond Kelly and Anthony Ransey Jr. form a nice rotation at defensive tackle. Scott actually leads all defensive linemen with eight tackles on the season.
Eastern Michigan’s defensive ends aren’t as good but are still solid. Hunter Andrews is probably the best pass rusher the Eagles have on the team. He had two starts last season and comes into this year as one of the most experienced linemen. He has five tackles on the season.
Linebackers
I believe we are getting into the sweet spot of the Eastern Michigan defense with the linebackers. I am most impressed with the players the Eagles trot out there in the middle of the defense, although, their linebacker corps isn’t very deep.
Terry Myrick is Eastern Michigan’s best linebacker. He is a 6-foot, 223-pound junior who only had one start last season but has started the 2019 campaign off strong. Myrick has 18 tackles so far this season.
Illinois needs to keep an eye out for Kobie Beltram as well. He is a 6-foot-2, 226-pound senior who saw some playing time last season but is one of the starters this year. Beltram currently has 15 tackles, 1 pass deflection and 1 forced fumble this season.
Defensive Backs
There are some good and some bad areas of the Eastern Michigan secondary. They are a solid bunch paying the zone, which makes me a little nervous. But Illinois now has some outside presence at wide receiver and that is a weakness for the Eagles.
The most experience on the team comes from the secondary for Eastern Michigan. Vince Calhoun is probably their best defensive back. He was second-team All-MAC last season and has started the 2019 campaign off hot. He already has 16 tackles this year.
Brody Hoying is another big-time defensive back for the Eagles. He is a senior leader for this program who has 15 tackles, .05 sacks and 1 interception on the season. Illinois’ quarterback Brandon Peters might have some troubles throwing towards him.
Overall
Eastern Michigan isn’t the worst team in the country on defense. Their pass and rush defense are about average. But they are a balanced bunch with experience, which can cause problems.
I think Illinois’ offense will struggle at times. I really hope to see Reggie Corbin in the backfield because he will be needed. Having Corbin running the ball will help put up points.
This will be the first true test for Peters as well. He needs to play well against the best secondary he has faced this season. The Eagles have playmakers on this team and the Illini are going to have to show they can pick them apart. I do think we will win this game and cover the 7.5-point spread.