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After porous effort, Illinois looking to improve defense

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:36 AM Eastern Illinois (0-1) at No. 25 Illinois (0-1), 12:00pm EDT

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (Ticker) -- Illinois has plenty of juice on offense with Juice Williams at the helm, but the Fighting Illini need to improve their defense if they are going to contend in the Big Ten Conference as expected.

No. 25 Illinois has two weeks to work on its defense before conference play begins, starting with Saturday's contest against Eastern Illinois of the Football Championship Subdivision.

Williams passed for 451 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes in last week's season-opening 52-42 loss to the Missouri - one more than he threw in last year's 28-21 upset of then-No. 1 Ohio State. But it was not enough, as the Fighting Illini (0-1) allowed 532 yards.

Illinois hosts Louisiana-Lafayette next week before opening Big Ten play with a pair of road games at Penn State and Michigan.

The Fighting Illini are facing Eastern Illinois for only the second time, posting a 42-17 in the previous meeting in the 2006 season opener that snapped Illinois' nine-game losing streak.

Eastern Illinois (0-1) will have to contend with its second straight dual-threat quarterback after failing to slow down Dan LeFevour in last week's 31-12 loss loss to Central Michigan. LeFevour passed for 213 yards and three touchdowns.

The Panthers are 4-22 all-time against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision.