The Illinois football team was doubted, but we came away with a huge win on Saturday.
Leading up to the game, there were multiple ESPN College GameDay pickers who went with Duke. The Blue Devils were slight underdogs, but the Illini were ready for what was coming our way.
The game started slowly, but Illinois eventually got in a groove. What was once a one-point game at halftime turned into a two-score game heading into the fourth quarter. Illinois laid it on in the final 15 minutes, winning the game over Duke, 45-19.
Here are five massive observations from the Illinois football win over Duke.
1. Luke Altmyer showing incredible progression
The start of the game against Duke wasn’t going well for the Illini. Luke Altmyer was consistently getting pressured, and the running game was going backward.
Altmyer fought through it, though. He didn’t let the tough start get him down, and he started to take over. The thing that caught my eye the most is the Altmyer we see today compared to what we have seen in the past.
Just two years ago, Altmyer was always hesitant with the ball and second-guessing himself. He was unsure where to go, and this led to a lot of bad plays.
In 2024, he took a step forward. Altmyer looked really good last season, but there were still some confidence and decision-making issues. Those seem to have been fixed.
Altmyer showed incredible progression against Duke. He was on-point with most passes, although there were a couple of bad throws that could have led to big gains. There weren’t throws that put the ball in jeopardy of being intercepted either.
I haven’t even mentioned Altmyer’s biggest progression to date. The ability to remain in the pocket and deliver a pass is incredible. He showed that in week one, and now he has shown the ability in week two against the Blue Devils. Altmyer is elite.