Illinois Football: 5 observations from the Illini win over Toledo

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Sep 2, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) runs with the ball during the first half against the Toledo Rockets at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Luke Altmyer looks like the real deal

I still miss quarterback Tommy DeVito and the solid quarterback play he brought to the Illinois offense. He enabled the program to move the ball down the field. But his replacement, Luke Altmyer, looks to be, potentially, even better than what we saw with DeVito.

Altmyer, a former four-star recruit, never got to see extended time with Ole Miss. We weren’t exactly sure what Illinois was going to get with his services. What I saw on Saturday night made me happy, though.

The accuracy of Altmyer is what impressed me the most. He was on point with nearly every pass. Even the interception he threw was an accurate pass, it was just in double coverage. He finished the Toledo game going 18-of-26 for 211 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Those are numbers that will win Illinois a lot of games moving forward.

A pleasant surprise that came from Altmyer was his legs. I had no idea he was a capable runner, let alone a good one. Altmyer led Illinois in rushing with nine carries for 69 yards. His legs helped move the ball on numerous occasions, which was nice to see.

I don’t think we should discount it being Toledo either. The Rockets had more votes to be in the AP Top 25 coming into the game, and they had a great pass defense in 2022. Toledo only gave up 191.8 yards per game through the air last season, which ranked No. 17 in the country. Most of that secondary returned this year as well.

To me, Altmyer looks like the real deal. I think we might have a really good quarterback on our hands for the next few years. This could be the start of something special.

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