After watching our pathetic attempts to play defense for five seasons under Wolford, the rest of the league might still not be fully aware of our transformation on that side of the ball. The keys to this game for me come down to the performances of the Illinois State offensive line and receivers. Can their relatively inexperienced o-line neutralize Rivers, Moss, and Williams and dislodge our tackles from the middle? If not, they might be in for a long evening, despite the obvious excellence of Coprich and Roberson. Likewise, can their receivers, a group which apparently includes some backups, get open against our secondary?
We had better come out of that locker room with fiery intensity, and the memory of the Robert Morris horror show is still fresh in our minds. But I like the matchups in this game. Funny how having a real defense can change a person's outlook.