Gopher Football
Illinois Defense
You could sum up the Illini defense of 2004 in one word: young. The Illini were so fresh last season that they finished 97th in the country in defense, ahead of only Indiana in the Big Ten. They will have 7 starters returning, and will look to overcome an overall lack in size with a surplus of speed. Perhaps head coach Ron Zook can take advantage of the speed, since he comes from the land of speed, Florida.
Defensive Line
Xavier Fulton, 6’5″ 260 – Fulton is a big end, but he has surprising speed. In three starts last season, he had 6 tackles but will almost certainly improve on those numbers with more consistent starting time. His little pressure on the quarterback last season is disheartening, but he has a chance to show improvement in early contests versus Rutgers and San Jose State.
Ryan Matha, 6’3″ 300 – At 300 pounds, Matha is a huge inside force for the Illini. However, for being such a monster, his specialty last season was as a pass rusher. He had 7 tackles for loss and broke up 2 passes. With his size, however, the Illini need him to step up against the run and plug up the middle.
Chris Norwell, 6’6″ 290 – Norwell is almost the same weight as Matha, but his extra 3 inches takes away any comparisons. He is a bit undersized for being so big, but he has great skill and showed a lot of promise last year as a freshman, registering 40 tackles. He should improve on those numbers, and should be more aware of his surroundings in his second season.
Derek Walker, 6’4″ 245 – He is slim, but he is quick off the end. Walker could be the star of the defensive line, provided he can pick up on the system quickly enough. He is a redshirt freshman, but early cupcakes should give him a chance to get his feet wet.
Linebackers
Anthony Thornhill, 6’0″ 220 – Thornhill will be looking at his first starting season, and he will have to step up right away. He is quick, but still unrefined and a little small at 220 pounds. The Illini will need him to improve his pass coverage skills and instincts very soon, since next to him will be “¦
Remond Willis III, 6’1″ 220 – He was a star running back at New Madrid High School, but now he finds himself as the middle linebacker for the Illini. He is definitely undersized, but his athleticism could make up for that. He’ll need to pick up a defensive instinct right off the bat, or there could be a gaping hole in the middle.
J Leman, 6’2″ 235 – Leman is the best returning linebacker and should gobble up most of the tackles for the linebacking corps. He started the last five games of the season in 2004, and has the size to be a very good defensive player. He’ll need to be a leader next to Thornhill and Willis.
Defensive Backs
Alan Ball, 6’1″ 175 – He has limited experience, and isn’t much of a cover corner, but if he can develop early on, he could be serviceable. He’ll need to prove he can come up with interceptions when given the opportunity if he wants to be a leader on defense.
Morris Virgil, 5’10″ 200 – Virgil is one of two starters on defense, along with Matha, and should be the anchor of the secondary. He had 78 tackles and 2 interceptions last year. His speed is his best asset, though his defensive IQ is very good as well. He should be the “˜quarterback’ of the defense.
Justin Harrison, 5’11″ 215 – Prototypical size to go along with savvy instincts and skills, the sophomore Harrison finished second on the team in tackles last year with 79. He should be a great compliment to Virgil in the defensive backfield, but needs a bit more experience before he’s a star and leader for the Illini.
Charles Bailey Jr., 6’0″ 195 – Bailey is the fastest player on the Illinois defense, and should get chances to standout. Though he is still very raw, he has showed promise during spring practices this year and could come through as one of the biggest surprises for the Illini.
What this means for the Gophers
Minnesota won’t have to face Illinois this season, but it’s a shame on this side of the ball because the Gophers would likely have another field day, being bigger, stronger, and in many cases, faster than most of the Illini units. The Illinois defense will need to gel early on and show flashes of something that hasn’t been there before if they hope to lead the team to an upset or two during the Big Ten season that would ultimately help the Gophers, but I don’t see it happening.
Schedule – The schedule starts off easy, with home dates against Rutgers and San Jose State, but immediately becomes tougher with a trip to Cal looming on September 17th. Likely Big Ten losses will be at Iowa, at Ohio State, and at Purdue. The Illini will probably lose to Wisconsin at home, but the upset is possible. Against Indiana, Michigan State, and Northwestern are basically toss-ups.
Prediction ““ 4-7
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