Ron Zook's Last Stand: Illinois Fighting Illini Face Northern Illinois Huskies

Led by first-year defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, the Fighting Illini defense has played exceptionally well this season.

Koenning, who has had excellent years as the defensive coordinator at Clemson and Kansas State, brought his defensive mindset to Champaign this season and the results speaks for themselves.

The Fighting Illini defense currently gives up 13 points a game this season, which is good for 22nd nationally. 

Under Koennig's tenure, the Clemson defense ranked in the top 20 and, even more impressively, he turned around Kansas State’s defense in one season, improving from 117th nationally to 40th.

The Northern Illinois Huskies come to Champaign with an offense that has exploded for 379 yards a game.  Led by junior quarterback Chandler Harnish and senior running back Chad Spann, the Huskies will be a good test for the Illini as they prepare for the opening of the Big Ten schedule in two weeks against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Although Harnish is known as a mobile quarterback, head coach Ron Zook welcomes the challenge of having to defend him, stating that it will help the Illini get ready for the running quarterbacks of the Big Ten.

For an Illini offense that seems to be coming into its own, a Huskies defense that is currently allowing 368 yards of offense a game should not present much of a problem.

Mikel LeShoure and the Illinois rushing attack should have no problem putting up big numbers again this week.

LeShoure, a 2010 Doak Walker candidate, passed 1,000 career rushing yards last week against Southern Illinois, and Northern Illinois will have a tough time trying to stop him as he looks to add to his total.

Today’s game will only be the fourth meeting between the Northern Illinois Huskies and the Illinois Fighting Illini, with the Illini having won the three previous meetings.  The Illini also have a streak to protect, having never lost to an Illinois public university.

Anthony Santella, the Fighting Illini punter, is averaging 49 yards a punt, which is good for eighth in the nation.  He has also just been named to the William V. Campbell Trophy Watch List for the nation’s best scholar-athlete. 

Stopping the Illini offense will only be half of the battle for the Huskies because Santella is not going to give them good field position either.

The Huskies will present more of a challenge than Southern Illinois did last week, but expect the Illini to remain undefeated against Illinois public universities and earn their first win against an FBS team Saturday.