Quick Takeaways From Illinois' Last-second Win Over Toledo

Quick takeaways from Illinois’ last-second win over Toledo – The Champaign Room

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Illinois came away with a win. But what does it all mean?

By PleasAHoneywood
on September 2, 2023 11:04 p.m

Illinois defeated a MAC team on Saturday night. What does all this mean?

Luke Altmyer is a guy. Altmyer finished his first start as an Illini with [STATS]. But it’s not just the numbers, it’s the style points. Altmyer looked like this guy. Yes, he intercepted poorly. And he threw for 211 yards, not an earth-shattering number. But the fourth down against Casey Washington was an epic gunslinger move that produced a fan favorite. Altmyer also led the Illini with 69 rushing yards. Maybe the Hudson Card failure won’t end up hurting Illinois after all. Altmyer demonstrated the dual-threat ability that made him a highly sought-after quarterback prospect. He gives Illinois’ offense the potential to reach new heights.

Kaden Feagin, your table is set. Josh McCray ran for 17 yards on eight carries. He was largely ineffective. His use as the primary ball carrier out of the shotgun seemed at odds with his best abilities. He wasn’t the late-game hammer his reputation would suggest. I’m not sure he’s fully healed from his injuries, but Illinois needed more production from the thunder of their running game. Could it be time to give in-state true freshman Kaden Feagin a chance? He has the power profile that made McCray such a revelation in his first season. But this season is being won on the margins. It’s the next man’s turn.

TThe defense has improved, but are they ready for prime time? The stars of the Illinois defense were silent. The linebackers lost track of Dequan Finn several times. There were sloppy tackles and missed assignments in the secondary. But rotations will change and evolve as the season progresses. Miles Scott’s pick-six was a game-changing play. Elijah Mc-Cantos seemed like a potential starter as a redshirt freshman. Without Matthew Bailey, the secondary has had to cobble together solutions. The defense didn’t dominate like last year. But there is room for development. The defensive backs definitely stepped it up in the second half. Can the defensive line and linebackers improve their play?

Kansas will be a tough test. Lance Leipold, like Jason Candle, is a great coach. He will have the Jayhawks ready for Friday Night Lights in Lawrence. Jalon Daniels is undoubtedly one of the best quarterbacks Illinois will face all season. If Dequan Finn can give Illinois fits, Daniels could be a destructive force against an unproven Illinois defense. A tough road test at the start is a good barometer for the season. If Illinois can get out of Kansas with a win and a 2-0 start, the Big Noon Kickoff game against Penn State is coming up. A loss isn’t a setback, but it adds pressure to beat teams like Nebraska, Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana and Florida Atlantic. Illinois didn’t look great in the opening game. How much will they improve from week to week?

What happened to Tough, Smart and Reliable tonight? The 90 penalties on 9 penalties in the first half ruined Illinois. Mental errors were commonplace. This is the opposite of what Illinois showed last season. Sure, winning is a great disinfectant. But this team needs to clean up its mistakes. As good as Toledo is, the competition in Illinois will increase significantly this season. This team needs to figure out how to play with more consistency and discipline. Perhaps the leadership and maturity gap left by the departing NFL players is insurmountable. But either way, playing the same game in Lawrence as against Toledo probably won’t work.

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