The Illinois football program is projected to have one of the best defenses in the Big Ten.
It was pretty impressive that the Illini were able to bring back the talent that returned in 2025. Xavier Scott could have easily gone to the NFL, but instead, he came back to Champaign for one more run.
Scott should be the leader of the Illinois secondary. His cornerback skills are second to none, and the Illini should have a fierce defense that Western Illinois will feel the wrath of on Friday night.
Here are three keys for the Illinois football defense against Western Illinois
1. Make the quarterback see ghosts
This is the first game of the season for Illinois, and that means players are going to come out with a little extra energy. That should be a worry for the Western Illinois offense.
One of the big keys for the game is to make the Leathernecks’ quarterback, which I believe will be Chris Irvin, uncomfortable. I want him to see ghosts due to the Illini front seven putting pressure on him.
Aaron Henry drawing up some blitz schemes that feature Gabe Jacas is going to be crucial. I think Jacas could be in for a huge game. I expect at least a sack out of him on Friday night.
On top of that, Western Illinois averaged giving up 2.17 sacks per game last season, which ranked No. 79 in the FCS. Illinois should be able to wreck their offense early and often.
2. A backbreaking turnover early
Western Illinois’ offense wasn’t nearly as dreadful as their defense last season. With that being said, I believe the Illini can force numerous turnovers against the Leathernecks.
Last season, Western Illinois threw nine interceptions, which ranked No. 49 in the FCS. That isn’t terrible, but this is going to be one of the keys for the Illinois defense. Let’s skew that number for 2025.
Illinois’ defensive backs need to be flying around the field. I want to see a backbreaking interception early on that potentially goes for six points. A first quarter pick-six would all but end any hope that Western Illinois has in the game.
This section goes hand-in-hand with the first section. If the defensive front seven gets pressure on the Western Illinois quarterback, that will enable our defensive backs to have more opportunities for turnovers.
3. Get Western Illinois off the field early
A good part of the Western Illinois offense last season was their ability to convert third downs. Shockingly, they converted 43.2% of third downs, which ranked No. 31 in the FCS.
Illinois has to disrupt the Leathernecks’ first down plays. We can’t let them get positive yardage on the first play, or they could get into a rhythm and control the game.
Again, going back to the first section, a lot of the disruption will come from the Illinois front seven. Getting to the quarterback or running back early in the play is crucial. Let’s force Western Illinois into obvious passing situations, and this will help get them off the field.