Rutgers was able to keep the game close early on, but the Illinois football team was just too much for the Scarlet Knights.
The Illini looked good for most of this game. Rutgers was able to move the ball on us in the first quarter, but the Illinois defense line started to ratchet up the pressure a bit, and this got Athan Kaliakmanis back on his heels.
Luke Altmyer was the star of the show, though. Illinois wouldn’t be in the position we are at without him behind center. With his arm and legs, Altmyer led the Illini to a 35-13 win over Rutgers.
Here are five encouraging observations from the Illinois football win over Rutgers
1. Luke Altmyer is an NFL quarterback
Man, I really wish Illinois could have Luke Altmyer around for another season. He has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks to ever come through the program.
Altmyer put Illinois on his shoulders throughout the Rutgers game. The score was close early on, and his legs are what helped widen the margin and get Illinois out ahead of the Scarlet Knights. The Illini actually drew up some plays to use Altmyer’s legs, and they worked to perfection.
As a team, Illinois had 210 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Altmyer contributed nearly half of those yards, going for 88 yards. Oh yeah, and the touchdown was his, too.
I haven’t even mentioned Altmyer’s arm. This, to me, is what makes him an NFL quarterback. The ability for Altmyer to sit back in the pocket and let the ball fly is there and has continued to develop over the years. What impresses me the most right now is how well he improvises.
The pocket breaks down a lot around Altmyer. He has the ability to see it breaking down, move a little bit, and hit his pass catcher. He can adjust arm angles well, and he can take a hit, which is underrated.
Illinois will miss Altmyer dearly. His play on Saturdays will enable us to watch the kid sling the ball around on Sundays.