When Lovie Smith was hired as the Illinois football coach in 2016, one of the biggest questions was how his trademark “Tampa 2” defense would translate to the college game, where teams run wild with up-tempo, spread offenses.
In reality, Illinois almost never plays the Tampa 2, which features zone coverage as both safeties occupy half of the field deep down the field.
This season, Illinois has been playing nearly exclusively with a single safety deep in the middle of the field, with another safety in the box near the line of scrimmage. The Illini have played man-to-man coverage for large periods of time this season, in addition to playing Cover 3, where the two cornerbacks and one deep safety are each responsible for one-third of the field.