Illinois brings stingy defense to Happy Valley

The Illinois defense has sparked the Fighting Illini this season - much like Penn State's powerful defense has invigorated its team - and the Nittany Lions are preparing to be tested Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

"They're doing a really, really good job on defense," Penn State coach James Franklin said of an Illinois team (4-3, 1-2 Big Ten) that ranks eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense and 22d in passing defense.

Franklin called the Fighting Illini "a veteran team. . . . They're big and physical. One defensive end is 6-foot-6, 290 pounds. They're big and strong."

That powerhouse of a defensive end is North Philadelphia native Jihad Ward, whom head coach Bill Cubit - a Sharon Hill native and then the offensive coordinator - helped recruit to Illinois out of junior college. Ward has logged 36 tackles over seven games this year - 11 in the team's loss to Iowa earlier this month.

Joining Ward on the line are 6-3, 290-pound Jarrod "Chunky" Clements and 6-3, 305-pound Rob Bain, who recorded five tackles and a sack in the team's 24-13 home loss to Wisconsin last week.

And then there's Dawuane Smoot, who plays a combination of linebacker and defensive end. Smoot possesses not only strength at 6-3 and 265 pounds, but the former high school track star also has shown impressive speed.

But the defense was not enough against Wisconsin last week. It certainly wasn't for lack of effort, Cubit said.

"Defensively, I think they played with a lot of heart," he said Monday.

Senior safety Clayton Fejedelem, who began his collegiate career as a walk-on, logged a particularly impressive game with 19 tackles.

This week, Illinois' defense will be going against an inconsistent Penn State (6-2, 3-1 Big Ten) offense that has struggled to establish its identity this season. Cubit's squad will be arriving in Happy Valley ready to take advantage of that.

"You know, the kids are upbeat, and I told them after the [Wisconsin] game: 'A true measure of a guy is really not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up,' " Cubit said.