A lot of people are down on the Illinois football defense and for good reason.
The Illini have been massively underwhelming on defense, and that might be an understatement. This group needs to shape up before we open our eyes one Sunday morning, hoping just to make a bowl game in 2026.
Illinois has FCS Southern Illinois on the docket. An FCS team usually means a get-right game. That might not be the case this week, though. The Salukis have a good program.
Here are three keys for the Illinois football defense to slow down a crafty Southern Illinois squad
1. Keep a spy on DJ Williams
There is one major weapon for the Salukis, and that is quarterback DJ Williams. He is someone who could play for an FBS program, but he is in the FCS ranks.
With the way Illinois’ defense has played, particularly against the run, Williams could have a big day. He is a true dual-threat quarterback, and that scares me.
Illinois has to have a spy on Williams all game long. We can’t just blitz him or drop back into coverage. If that ends up being the case, he is going to go for over 100 yards on the ground.
I want to see the Illini have a linebacker in the middle, keeping an eye on Williams at all times. Don’t let him out of your sight. If he gets going, this could be a much closer game than most expect.
2. Get Southern Illinois off the field on 3rd downs
The Illinois defense has been an issue this season, and we haven’t played any powerhouse teams yet. Still, the Illini have fallen short in many areas.
One area that the Illini could improve and hurt Southern Illinois in is third down conversions. Illinois currently allows opposing teams to convert 42.86% of third downs, which ranks No. 80 in the country. That is in the bottom half of the FBS, for those counting at home.
Southern Illinois isn’t a great third down conversion program, though. They only convert 40.4% of third downs this season, which ranks No. 41 in the FCS.
If the Illini want to make this a blowout, we have to get the Salukis off the field on third downs. We can’t allow them to bleed the clock and move the ball.
This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the previous section. A spy on Williams will help him not scramble for 4-6 yards to convert a backbreaking third down.
Another note is not to let Southern Illinois get into third-and-short situations. Let’s get positive plays on first down and get the Salukis into tougher situations for the rest of the series. This game needs to be a confidence builder for the Orange and Blue.
3. Illinois has to limit the depth of passing
I know some of these sound simple, but Illinois has failed at them so far this season. The Illini secondary hasn’t been good, and that can’t happen against the Salukis.
Illinois has allowed big plays through the air this season. In fact, the Illini give up 12.9 yards per opponent completion, which ranks No. 91 in the country. That is a bad stat.
Meanwhile, in the last game Williams played for Southern Illinois, he had 17 completions for 286 yards. That is 16.8 yards per completion.
I need more out of the Illinois secondary. I am looking at you, Xavier Scott. You were going to be an NFL Draft pick until the injury. Now, you are healthy and back on the field. I want to see that NFL talent again.
Illinois has a legitimate chance to struggle defensively. Southern Illinois is no joke. If the Illini don’t tighten things up, this game is going to be too close for comfort.
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