Luke Altmyer Will Start At Quarterback For Illinois Against Iowa Hawkeyes

Illinois coach Brett Bielema names Luke Altmyer as the starting quarterback against Iowa Hawkeyes, replacing John Paddock

After a week of building speculation on who Brett Bielema would start this Saturday as the Illinois Fighting Illini travel to Kinnick Stadium to face the Iowa Hawkeyes, Luke Altmyer will start.

Despite John Paddock have much success against the Indiana Hoosiers defense, and throwing winning touchdowns in consecutive weeks, Bielema confirmed on the SiriusXM Big Ten Radio show that Altmeyer would indeed start for the Illini.

The announcement comes days after Bielema told reporters after the Indiana game that he has never benched someone due to injury.

"He was our starting quarterback before he left [the Minnesota game], and that's where I see it now," Bielema said. "The best part that we have is if there's any part of that that gets gray, we have a guy who has proven he can play and do some good things. Super excited about both of those guys."

Many expected the starter to be announced the morning of the game to give the Illini a scouting edge over the Hawkeyes. However, fan expectations do not seem to be a worry to the third-year head coach, as many within the fan base believe Paddock should get the nod to start.

As the Illini prepare for their road trip, the locker room feels that this win would be a statement win, in a season that has failed to live up to expectations. With this win the Illini will clinch bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2010 and 2011 seasons. 

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Sam King is a contributor to Illini Now. He can be reached at sjking258@gmail.com.