Luke Altmyer was a big reason Illinois lost to Penn State last season.
When the team needs its quarterback to be at his best, he was at his worst, throwing four interceptions and eventually being pulled in a 30-13 loss.
But it’s a different season now.
Illinois, which finished 5-7 last season and benched Altmyer permanently, has started 4-0 with two wins over teams who came in ranked in the top 25 (No. 19 Kansas and No. 22 Nebraska).
Altmyer is been as big a reason as any for this turnaround.
He has 10 touchdowns passes through four games and hasn’t yet thrown a pick. His completion percentage (71.4) is also up from last year (64.8). Altmyer is also coming off his best game of the season, going 21-for-27 with 215 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in the win at Nebraska. Altmyer will have his biggest test Saturday against Tom Allen’s defense, but Penn State coach James Franklin knows his defense has a challenge, too.
“I think the biggest difference is the quarterback,” Franklin told reporters during his press conference Monday. “I think he’s got 10 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. I think he’s one of the more improved players right now in college football. So I think that’s kind of the big story.
So what specifically has Altmyer done to get better?
“It’s the same thing with our guys,” Franklin said. “A lot of times we want to point to a specific reason on why a guy is playing better or certain area a guy is playing better. Sometimes it’s just they’re a year older, right? They’re a year older, more experienced, more comfortable, more confident, more confident in the system, more confident in their own skin.”
For Franklin, Altmyer is doing “a really good job of managing the game.
“He’s throwing completions for a high percentage,” he said. “He’s protecting the football. He’s getting the ball into the end zone. He’s really doing a nice job, and they’re doing a great job of mixing the run and the pass so he doesn’t feel like he’s got to carry the burden himself.”
For Franklin, Luke Altmyer being better is a combination of things.
“He has really slightly improved across the board,” he said. “Part of that is his maturation and development. Part of that is the offensive coordinator doing a good job. Part of that may be the offensive coordinator knowing his quarterback better. So, it’s all of those things. I’ve been impressed with him.”
