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Illinois enters the 2023 season with mixed expectations and some young pieces across the board. That group left Bret Bielema and Illini faithful everywhere sweating out the season opener against Toledo.
The Rockets went toe-to-toe with Illinois as things finally came down to the last drive of the game and a kick with less than 10 seconds to go. In the end, Caleb Griffin delivered a game-winning kick to give the Illini a 30-28 win to open the season.
Here are 3 key takeaways from that game:
Luke Altmyer is the guy at QB
Make no mistake about it, Altmyer is the guy for the Illinois offense. And he looked darn good to the Illini in the season opener.
That’s not to say he was perfect. For a player less experienced than last year’s starter Tommy DeVito, there are bound to be some growing pains, but Illinois will have to live with those on the fly.
Even with those growing pains, Altmyer delivered 2 major touchdowns in the second half to Pat Bryant as Illinois erased a 2-score lead. He also rushed for 69 yards on the ground, showing an ability to escape when things break down and make plays with his legs.
Altmyer even capped the night with a game-winning drive that included a massive conversion on 4th down. That type of guts and clutch throws are hard to come by.
Altmyer has plenty to clean up and will need to be more efficient at times, but he has a positive skill set for the program to build around.
Lack of discipline proves costly for Illinois
Ask any head coach for the biggest “pull your hair out” moments, and most coaches will go with penalties. For Bret Bielema, that was wholeheartedly the case in Week 1.
In the first half, Illinois was tagged for 9 penalties for 90 yards (and another that was declined by Toledo). The Illini cleaned that up in the second half but a particularly costly penalty hurt the team.
On a 3rd-and-long play in the fourth quarter, Illinois was flagged for roughing the passer to give Toledo a first down in the red zone. The Rockets would use that penalty to eventually score the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth.
No matter how talented and strong a team, it is hard to come away with wins when a program gives away a full football field worth in penalty yardage.
Prepare for the post-Ryan Walters growing pains
Last year was a special season for Illinois’ defense with the unit leading the nation in points allowed per game. The Illini can still be special this year but it will certainly take some time with a number of players in the NFL and Walters now the head coach at Purdue.
Now, give credit where credit is due. Dequan Finn is a true dual-threat QB who has won 16 games and gone to back-to-back bowl games with the Rockets. However, Illinois never had an answer for the Toledo offense and Finn’s running ability.
Finn did throw a bad pick-6, but he also finished with 3 total touchdowns and 67 yards rushing in the game. For a unit that still has talented pieces, this can be a growth game for DC Aaron Henry and his unit moving forward.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.