Throughout their last four games, the Minnesota Golden Gophers offense has been enjoying quite a bit of success. The Gophers are averaging just under 30 points and 333 yards of total offense per game.

Thanks in part to the offense, the Gophers are in the midst of a three-game winning streak, picking up wins over USC, UCLA, and Maryland in recent weeks. All three defenses presented their own challenges, and the Gophers were able to navigate those challenges successfully.

Now, the Gophers will have a bigger challenge this week as they prepare for the No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini. The Illini defense will be one of the better defenses. The Gophers have faced this season and they've already faced some quality defenses in the likes of Iowa, Michigan, USC, and UCLA.

Illinois this season has kept opponents to just over 20 points and 360 yards per game. It's a defense that does a strong job of bending but not breaking and taking advantage of poor decisions from opposing offenses. Through eight games, the Illini have forced 14 turnovers .Their ability to create chaos does not stop there, the Illini also has 20 sacks this season which ranks top 30 in the nation.

"I think they have one of the most unique defensive schemes in college football," Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said about the Illini.

"It’s really hard to peel back the layers and dissect it for tendencies," Fleck explained. "You can’t simply say, 'OK, they’re doing this, so they’ll be in this coverage.' They can run their man coverage better than most teams, play cover three, play cover two—those are very different concepts requiring different plays, yet they can run them all from the same looks. Everything looks identical until after the snap."

It's a defense full of smart, strong fundamentals, and opportunistic players, reminiscent of the renowned style of defense that the Iowa Hawkeyes have had under defensive coordinator Phil Parker.

"They have a system that works really well, forcing you to be decisive and make good decisions," Fleck said. "They do everything they can to force mistakes and capitalize on them. They’re excellent tacklers, play hard, swarm to the football, and are smart. They understand their system and execute it at a high level."

"They play for each other; it’s a typical Brett team—hardworking and cohesive," Fleck elaborated. "They’re a very good defensive football team. Offensively, they can run and throw the football. They play smash-mouth football on both sides and are disciplined, especially in key situations. They understand their scheme and play it well."

The Golden Gophers and Illini will kickoff on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in Champaign, the game will be televised nationally on FS1.

============================

- Talk about it INSIDE GOPHER NATION.

- Follow us on Twitter: @MinnesotaRivals, @RivalsDylanCC

- SUBSCRIBE to Gophers Nation