By: Juan Roque for DieHardDevil.com

Arizona State will be traveling for the first time in 2011 to Champaign, Illinois to face the 2-0 Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois.  The Sun Devils, 2-0 and ranked #22 in the AP Poll and #18 in the Coaches Poll, are coming off a huge emotional overtime win against then ranked Missouri last Friday.  The Illini are on a three game winning streak that dates back to last December when they beat Baylor in the Texas Bowl 38-14.  Under Head Coach Ron Zook, Illinois is looking to make some noise in the new Big Ten Conference “Leaders Division.”  The Illini have had nominal success recently and want to develop consistency in their football program.  In 2007 they earned a Rose Bowl berth but lost the game 49-17 to USC and they were victorious in their bowl appearance last year.  They are a veteran team that is used to playing top caliber competition within their own conference like Ohio State and Wisconsin every year.  They will be amped up for this contest as it will be their first true test of the season after wins against Arkansas State and South Dakota State.   ASU, ranked for the first time since 2008, is looking to win its fifth game in a row which is something the Sun Devils have not done since 2007 when they shared the conference title and went to the Holiday Bowl.   For the Sun Devils, this is also the final opportunity to not only win on the road against a quality opponent before opening conference play but to show they are able to play at a high level after a huge emotional win.  The Illini, of course, will be looking to stop their momentum and gain their own heading into their conference games.

Meet the Illini Offense

Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Petrino likes to mix it up by using different formations and personnel.  The Illini, for the most part, run a Pro Style offense with a tight end and fullback but they also go into three receiver sets.  They like power football with their big offensive line and will also run a Zone Option package where the quarterback can either hand off or run.  When they go to three receiver sets they use  their speed at those positions to get the ball into the open field for big yardage, and it all revolves around their second year quarterback; sophomore Nathan Scheelhaase.  Scheelhaase (pronounced “Sheel-house”) is a unique type of signal caller in that he is athletic, fast, can throw and has excellent field vision given he is 6’03”.  He is very effective running the Illini scheme and in his second year is looking to earn some honors after a successful freshman campaign.  He has a good strong arm, has the ability to throw either out of the pocket in a classic drop-back or on the run in play action and delivers the ball in what’s called a “tight window” where only the receiver can catch it.  He has great vision in the Zone Option and reacts quickly to the defense.  He has the ability to “pull” the ball from the running back and carry it himself if he sees the defense commit to the inside run.  Scheelhaaase is also very smart with the football.  In two games he is yet to be intercepted.

The Illinois offensive line is an experienced bunch led by All America candidate and Outland/Lombardi Watch List player Jeff Allen.  Allen, a 6’05” 315 pound mountain, plays the old school “Weak Tackle” position where he lines up on the “open” side of the formation where the opponent’s best speed rushers will attack from.  He is big and moves extremely well for a young man of his size.  As a unit the Illini are all huge up front.  All players, except for “Strong  Tackle” Michael Heitz, are well over 300 pounds and are all 6’05” and above.  They are the typical Big Ten line in that they are big, can run you over in the run game yet have the athletic ability to pass protect effectively against smaller quicker defenders.  Center Graham Pocic is a potential All Big Ten player and anchors the line.  The guards are both over 6’05” 310 pounds.  This is a physical group that plays with a mean streak and does a great job opening holes for Illini running backs.

The Illini are very talented at the skill positions and have a star in the making in freshman tailback Donovan Young.  Young, only one year removed from high school, has all the skills necessary to be an All American.  He is fast, strong, nimble and can get the tough yards by churning his legs.  He scored two touchdowns against South Dakota State in limited action due to the game being a blowout.  Senior wide receiver A.J. Jenkins is a speedster who can break a game wide open with his pass catching abilities.  He runs his routes and catches the ball in traffic extremely well.  Jenkins had five catches for 71 yards last week in limited action due to the lopsided score.  The Illini have suffered a blow to their offense in that they lost their all purpose player Zach Becker for the season due to a broken leg suffered last week.  Becker, a senior, was the Illini’s “do it all” guy.  He played fullback but also lined up as a tight end and receiver.

How ASU matches up

This is a critical game for the front seven of ASU.  The defensive line and linebackers will need to play smart in order to stop the Illini offense.  This is especially true when Scheelhaase runs the Zone Option play.  The defensive line will need to get penetration in order to disrupt the option’s progression and force Scheelhaase into making bad decisions with the football.   This will then open up the door for Vontaze Burfict, Shelly Lyons and Colin Parker to make plays at the line of scrimmage and keep either Scheelhaase or Young from running free into the second level.  Discipline will be crucial for the Sun Devils to identify the option and then attack it with their speed and talent at linebacker.  The defensive line will have their work cut out for them but they need to find a way to keep those big Illini linemen off the linebackers so that they are free to make plays and clog up the interior of the Illini offense, thus forcing the running backs or Scheelhaase to run outside.  This will give ASU the advantage.

Pressuring Sheelhaase this week is another very important part of stopping Illinois.  The defensive linemen need to use their quickness on passing downs and get pressure on Scheelhaase and disrupt his progressions in making his reads.  This is an absolute must if they are to win this game.  Through the first two games the defensive line has only registered two sacks which is far below their ability; this needs to change if they are to be successful.  They have to limit Scheelhaase’s game breaking ability by finding a way to pressure him, hit him and sack him without relying on the blitz.  The defensive backs are going to face a talented receiver tandem this week but not the caliber of Missouri.  By getting pressure on the quarterback it will help the Sun Devil defensive backs and linebackers in their coverage and create turnovers.  Contrarily, pass coverage needs to hold up in order for the front seven to get to Scheelhaase.  They cannot allow receivers to get open off the line of scrimmage by not reading their keys correctly or using bad coverage techniques.
Tackling must also improve this week.

Key Matchup: ASU Front Seven vs. Scheelhaase

Meet the Illini Defense

Illinois runs a version of the 3-4 defense by using what they call a “Bandit” position.  The Bandit is a hybrid player that is a defensive end linebacker type who can speed rush in the passing game, attack in the running game but also be able to drop into coverage.  This position is what helps the Illini disguise their coverage in the secondary and get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  The Bandit for the Illini is Michael Buchanan who is 6’06” and weighs 240 pounds.  He is a very dangerous player in that he can rush the passer using his speed and agility but can also drop into coverage and use his height to knock down passes.  He is similar in body type to ex-NFL star Jevon Kearse.  He is a player that must be accounted for on every down.

The defensive line for the Illini is active and athletic and is anchored by senior defensive tackle Akeem Spence.  Spence is a stalwart at the position and is tough to move off the line of scrimmage due to his 300 pounds.  He is a technician and uses his hands well to get leverage and pursue in the run game or rush the passer.  He is a preseason All America candidate and has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Award and Outland Trophy.   Through two games he’s only had six tackles and no sacks but that’s due to teams double teaming him or running away from him.  Whitney Mercilus is a good player for them as well up front.  The 6’04” 265 pound junior already has a sack this season and has had 4 tackles, two of them for loss.

The strength of the Illini defense is their linebackers led by senior Ian Thomas.  Thomas, coming off an injury last week, was dominant against South Dakota State.  In two and a half quarters of play he was outstanding.  He recorded nine tackles, sacked the quarterback and was always around the football.  He is a smart football player who reacts with his feet to get to the point of attack.  He is tough to block but is not afraid to get physical.  Trulon Henry is also a great player.  The converted safety had a pick six last week and had five tackles.   Henry reads the offense very well and uses the ball hawking instincts of his safety pedigree to break passes up and is a terrific open field tackler.

In the secondary the Illini have talent and speed.  Senior cornerback Tavon Wilson is their best player.  He can cover, tackle and he is physical in supporting the run. Supo Sanni is a fierce hitter at free safety.  Strong safety Steve Hull is built like a linebacker and hits like one too.  They do a great job in using their speed to keep up with opposing receivers and avoid separation.

How ASU matches up

This defense will present a challenge for the Sun Devils.  Brock Osweiler and the offensive line will need to account for the Bandit at all times.  Michael Buchanan cannot be allowed to come full speed at Osweiler and get cheap sacks due to an error in protection.  The offensive line will need to adjust their assignments in order to account for him and must be disciplined at the tackle position in pass protection.  Osweiler must also be able to identify when Buchanan is dropping into coverage and exploit a potential mismatch with one of ASU’s slot receivers.  This will force the Illini to adjust their coverage to compensate for this which would then open up down field for the rest of the Sun Devil receivers.  ASU has the speed advantage at the skill positions. If Osweiler finds the weaknesses in the Illini coverage, he’ll succeed at connecting with his best receivers, Aaron Pflugrad and Gerell Robinson.

The interior offensive line will have their hands full with Akeem Spence and must keep him from making plays.  They need to double team this guy, get him off the line of scrimmage and find a way to get to the linebackers.  The second level is very important in this game if ASU is to  effectively run the ball.  The Sun Devils will need to control the line of scrimmage to open up running lanes.  Also, they must pressure Ian Thomas and Trulon Henry to keep them from teeing off on ASU running backs.  A break out game for Cameron Marshall would be timely this week.  By being effective in the running game, ASU will keep drives alive and keep the Illini offense on the bench.  Last week ASU averaged 3.6 yards per carry in the running game which is unacceptable for a team looking to compete for a championship.  If they are to win this Saturday they will need to drastically improve in this phase of the game.

Key Matchup: Aaron Pflugrad vs. Illini Secondary

This is a statement game for ASU.  This is another test that they need to pass if they are going to develop into a championship team.  The last time the Sun Devils travelled to a Big Ten school they suffered a heart breaking loss due to costly errors and penalties. Not this week. Even though they’re a good team, Illinois as a whole is a good fit for ASU.  They do have great players on both sides of the ball, but ASU has the speed advantage at the skill positions on offense and at the linebacker position on defense.  If ASU avoids the errors and penalties, they win this game. This will be a close one, but I’m predicting the Sun Devils will find a way to beat the Illini.

Prediction: ASU 24 Illinois 20