3 crucial changes Illinois football needs to make to beat Kansas

It is a new season, but a familiar team awaits the Illinois football team this Saturday.

In 2023, the game against Kansas didn’t go as planned. The Illini were down 28-7 at halftime, and we couldn’t find enough points to make a decent comeback.

This time around, it should be different, though. Illinois looked good in week one against Eastern Illinois, and I think this is a better team. We will be more prepared for the Jayhawks this weekend.

Illinois has a few key areas to correct if we want to come away with the win.

Here are three key changes Illinois football needs to make to beat Kansas

1. Luke Altmyer efficiency

Illinois goes as Luke Altmyer goes in 2024. We saw this in week one, as he threw for 213 yards and four touchdowns.

Altmyer had some good games during his inaugural season in Champaign, but one of his worst games in 2023 was against Kansas. He did not play well against the Jayhawks, and the results showed by the game’s end.

While Kansas won the game 34-23, Altmyer was struggling to be efficient with the football. He threw for 202 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

Those two interceptions were brutal, but Altmyer couldn’t get the Illinois offense going early. Illinois’ longest drive in the first four drives of the game was just 20 yards. By the time we could put a drive together, Kansas was up 21-0.

In the second half, any real hope of mounting a comeback was squashed when Altmyer threw an interception on the second drive of the final 30 minutes of action.

Altmyer looked good in the first game of the season against Eastern Illinois. He showed an ability to push the ball down the field without making drastic mistakes. If we can get 85% of how Altmyer looked in game one this season, then I think we have a solid chance to knock off Kansas on Saturday.