Beat writer SCOTT RICHEY breaks down Illinois and Kent State:
OFFENSE
Just three teams scored fewer points per game than the 15.4 ppg Illinois put on the board last season. One of them was Kent State. So it's no surprise both teams made a change. Illini coach Lovie Smith brought in Rod Smith from Arizona to be his new offensive coordinator. Kent State made a change at the top, firing Paul Haynes and replacing him with 32-year-old offensive wunderkind Sean Lewis of the Dino Babers coaching tree. Both teams also have a new quarterback — AJ Bush Jr.