5 massive observations from the Illinois football win over Michigan

5.Luke Altmyer was efficient

Someone who looks at the box score would probably roll their eyes at what Luke Altmyer put up passing. On paper, he didn’t have a good game through the air.

You have to watch the game to know the true impact of Altmyer. Sure, he was 9-of-18 for 80 yards and a touchdown. That doesn’t blow people away. But the game Altmyer had helped propel Illinois to the huge win on Saturday.

Illinois didn’t need to pass the ball for most of the second half. We wanted to run the clock out and force Michigan into tight situations. That was a success.

Altmyer’s numbers would have been a lot better if Michigan didn’t have multiple pass interference penalties as well. He was going to hit Zakhari Franklin for a touchdown up the left side but he was essentially tackled. Later in the game, Franklin was open in the middle but was interfered with and got a penalty.

I honestly believe Altmyer had a solid game through the air, but what was more impressive was his running ability.

Altmyer was a magician when it came to getting out of trouble. There was a miscommunication in the backfield, and Altmyer managed to scramble for a first down. He ran the ball effectively and finished with 10 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown. He would have been Michigan’s second-leading rusher.

This was a nice efficient game by Altmyer. Illinois didn’t need him to be Jeff George. We needed him to be smart and consistent with the football. The result? A victory.