Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirms QB Luke Altmyer will start against Iowa
This Saturday will see the Illinois Fighting Illini come to town to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. One large, looming storyline was which quarterback would be leading the Illini.
That question has since been answered. Bret Bielema has confirmed that Luke Altmyer is healthy and will be resuming his starting quarterback duties against the Hawkeyes. He announced this on Sirius XM’s Big Ten Radio with Matt Schick.
Altmyer sat out last week against Indiana as he was sidelined due to a head injury. He has since cleared the concussion protocol and will resume his duties as the Illini’s starting quarterback.
"As of yesterday, Luke has been totally cleared to play. Because of that, he is our starting quarterback before he left and that's where I sort of see it now…. if there's any part of that that gets gray we have a guy that has proven he can play…"
— Matt Schick (@ESPN_Schick) November 15, 2023
Last week, John Paddock stepped in for the injured Altmyer and had himself a monstrous day. Paddock led the way for Illinois to win a thrilling overtime game over the Indiana Hoosiers. He threw for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
On the season Altymer is 175-270 (64.8% completion percentage) with 1,883 yards. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has been able to get some stuff going on the ground as he has run for 282 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Iowa hosts the Illini this Saturday, Nov. 18 at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. An Iowa win would clinch the Big Ten West and guarantee them a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game. An Illinois win would get them to 6-5 and bowl-eligible.
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