Defense leaning on veteran leaders Hansen, Carney | Sports | news-gazette.com – Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
CHAMPAIGN — Even after a disappointing start to the season, the Illinois defense would be in a much darker place without its core group of fifth-year veterans.
A month into their final season with the Illini, Jake Hansen and Owen Carney Jr. joined the Bret Bielema Show on Wednesday night. As it stands, the duo is leading a struggling defense that is the 122nd-ranked unit in total yards out of 130 FBS teams.
That’s a standard that must change under first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, and both players had faith that the team can turn its fortunes around.
Carney emphasized the team’s quest to put together a complete four quarters of sound football, especially after a last-second field goal allowed Maryland to escape Memorial Stadium with a 20-17 victory on Friday night.
“Throughout the whole offseason, when we train and how we practice, we break it down like four quarters, so always finish strong,” Carney said. “That’s a constant and strong reminder with us as a whole team.”
A couple of key injuries sidelined linebacker Calvin “CJ” Hart — out for the season with an ACL tear — and disruptive defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr., who may return at Purdue this week. Whether Randolph is able to go, Hansen thinks the Illini have the depth to withstand adversity.
“It was really disappointing when (Hart) went down, especially with what he was able to do in the short time that he showed with us,” Hansen said. “But we have some guys that are stepping in and taking that role. Tarique Barnes and Alec McEachern are doing a great job for us. And we have guys like Khalan Tolson. They’re stepping up to show what they can do.”
Carney, who has 14 tackles and one sack through four games, is seeing flickers of promise that he hopes the Illini can convert into consistent execution. He pointed out one such bright spot in redshirt freshman outside linebacker Seth Coleman.
Coleman, who has two quarterback hurries and two sacks so far, made a pivotal play in the Maryland loss, forcing and recovering a fumble late in the game.
The Illini didn’t take advantage of the takeaway as quarterback Brandon Peters threw an interception on the very next play, but for Carney, it was a proud moment. He said he’d taken the 6-foot-5 Coleman under his wing last fall when he arrived in Champaign.
“To come up big with that strip and the fourth quarter, I’m just extremely proud of him,” Carney said. “Just every step that he takes, every time he grows as a player.”
Carney, a Miami native, sees similarities and untapped potential in Coleman, who is from Melbourne, Fla.
“I know me and him spent a lot of time together, off the field, on the field,” Carney said. “And since I came in, I always wanted to have a little brother. I was the youngest of three (kids), so to bring him under my wing was very big, and to see him grow, it makes me proud every time he makes a play.”
The Illini have other younger players, like Virginia Tech transfer Alec Bryant and sophomore Ezekiel Holmes, both of whom Carney and Hansen think can benefit from senior leadership.
Working their way into Big Ten ball steadily — with upperclassmen taking the bulk of the snaps — allows for some ease in adjusting to Big Ten football.
“There is definitely a big learning curve that’s pretty steep,” Hansen said.
Hansen and Carney are just two of seven fifth-years manning the Illini defense in varying roles, along with Tony Adams, Isaiah Gay, Jamal Woods, Roderick Perry II and Kendall Smith. While some of the seniors are competing for snaps — such as Adams, who was benched for part of the Maryland game in place of redshirt freshman Tahveon Nicholson — Hansen said it’s important to have some friendly competition on the field as the season unfolds.
“Of course, it’s just more motivating when everyone’s making plays and your guys are making plays,” Hansen said. “It gets that level of competition higher.”