Just a couple of weeks ago, the College Football Playoff hopes were dashed for the Illinois football program.
Despite having those hopes dashed, the Illini continue to fight. We trashed Rutgers by 22 points. This was a nice response to back-to-back losses.
On Saturday, Illinois had the challenge of a decent Maryland team. The Terrapins have a good freshman quarterback, and the Illini have a bad defense. Well, Illinois’ defense showed up in a big way.
This was only an eight-point game at the half. The Illini surged ahead in the second half, and Maryland couldn’t put points on the board. A 14-6 halftime lead would eventually turn into a 24-6 win over the Terrapins.
Here are five big observations from the Illinois football win over Maryland
1. Barry Lunney switched up the game plan
In the Bret Bielema era of Illinois football, this program has become more of a passing offense. That was a shock given the Bielema stigma, but it has been fun to watch.
On Saturday, Illinois switched things up a bit. Instead of Luke Altmyer flinging the ball around, Illinois went with more of a control-the-clock ground-and-pound style.
The game was never put away until late in the fourth quarter. Maryland could have made a comeback, but the Illini offensive strategy really threw them for a loop.
Illinois ended up having the ball for nearly 36 minutes of action compared to 24 minutes for the Terrapins. Altmyer only had 25 pass attempts, while the running game saw 48 attempts. Barry Lunney decided to run more run-pass option, which paid massive dividends with huge games and Altmyer going for 11 carries for 62 yards.
Maryland wasn’t ready for Illinois to run the ball more. We caught them off guard, and credit has to go to the Illini coaching staff and particularly Barry Lunney for his great game plan.
2. Luke Altmyer’s consistency is going to be missed
When you look at the box score, you wouldn’t think that Altmyer had a great game. He was 15-of-25 for 172 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
There is way more context to those numbers, though. The one interception was an incredible pick at the end of the first half by the Terrapins. I would argue it was one of the best catches I have seen against Illinois this season on both sides of the ball.
The Illini didn’t need Altmyer to be a hero on Saturday. We needed him to be consistent and not mess anything up. He did his job well, and that consistency will be missed after he finishes up the next three games.
I am excited about what Illinois has coming up behind Altmyer, but I am also nervous. I haven’t forgotten what this program looked like back in the 2010s, and I don’t want to go back to that.
Altmyer’s consistency has spoiled me a bit. I know he is going to go out there and give Illinois around 200 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He won’t have these bottom-out games where he throws four interceptions.
Illinois is going to have to move on from that soon. I don’t want to. Altmyer’s consistency behind center is going to be missed greatly, and let’s not forget how good we have it right now.
3. Illinois defense came through in a big way
The big bugaboo this season for the Illinois football team has been the defense. We have had some bad moments, and those are seared into our brains.
Giving up 63 points to Indiana and 42 points to Washington are two of the bad outings. But on Saturday, I was impressed with the Illinois defense. When they play well, you have to give them credit.
The Illini defense only gave up six points, which is the fewest points we have given up to a power-four program since November 26, 2022, when Illinois allowed just three points to Northwestern.
Illinois’ game plan against Maryland was flawless. Aaron Henry called a great game, and the Terrapins didn’t know what to do.
The best player on the Maryland offense, quarterback Malik Washington, was shut down completely. In his previous game against Rutgers, he had 164 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Illinois allowed just six yards on Saturday.
Washington’s passing game wasn’t good either. Illinois held him to just 238 yards passing on 46 pass attempts. He failed to have a touchdown through the air for the first time this season, and Washington had his third-worst QBR on Saturday.
Henry’s had some bad games this season, but while I point out his bad outings, I also have to point out his good outings. This was a great showing by our defensive coordinator.
4. The Illini running back room is set up for success
There are going to be a lot of departures from the Illinois football team after this season. The biggest blow is going to be at quarterback when Altmyer leaves for the bright lights on Sundays.
One position group that isn’t going to take a hit, unless the transfer portal rears its ugly head, is the running back room. Illinois should have all of our running backs return next season, and Saturday gave us a glimpse of what is to come in 2026.
The Illini running back room is set up for success. Kaden Feagin led the way, and he was running great against Maryland. He had his second-best game of the season in both rushing yards and yards per carry against the Terrapins.
Illinois loaded up Ca’Lil Valentine with carries on Saturday. He had 20 carries, which was the second-most carries he has had this season. Valentine showed his explosive tendencies at times, and he finished with 64 yards.
These two were the lead dogs against Maryland, as Aidan Laughery was out with an injury. The great thing is, Feagin and Laughery are only juniors, and Valentine is just a sophomore. We can run it back next season.
I haven’t even mentioned the up-and-coming running backs on the roster. So, whatever happens at quarterback moving forward, Illinois will have a running game to lean on. Now, we just need to improve the offensive line.
5. Hudson Clement seems to be comfortable in the Illinois offense
This past offseason was big for the Illini. We snagged some good talent that would help us this season in getting to, as of right now, seven wins. One of those big-time additions was wide receiver Hudson Clement.
Clement was a star for West Virginia, and Illinois was able to pluck him out of the transfer portal. The start for the talented pass catcher was quiet, but you could see glimpses of greatness every once in a while.
Over the past couple of games, and really on Saturday, Clement has shown his full repertoire. He finished the Maryland game with three receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Clement has now had over 70 yards in the past two games, which were the two best receiving days he has had this season. He has also had at least one touchdown grab in the last two games, and he hadn’t had one in the prior eight games.
It takes a minute for a player to get comfortable in a new offensive environment. It seems that Clement is starting to get settled in. This is going to help the Illini offense greatly next season, as we traverse into a world without Luke Altmyer. Clement is going to be a crucial piece in the quarterback transition.