Luke Altmyer's Renewed Spirit Showed In Season-Opening Victory

Zachary Draves | Aug 30, 2024

Aug 29, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) reacts after a touchdown during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer's confidence was on full display Thursday night.

He finished with 214 passing yards, four touchdowns, and a pass completion rate of 79.2 percent in the Fighting Illini's 45-0 victory against Eastern Illinois University 45-0 in the season opener. In addition, he had no turnovers.

The offensive line also made his job easy.

After a year where he had a hard time adjusting to the role of starting quarterback, Altmyer says he's reached a place where he feels more comfortable in his element.

He strongly credits his spiritual foundation for helping him get to this place.

“I just think I’m mentally and spiritually in a new place,” he said. “My confidence is so set. I’m realizing and becoming so aware of the talents and grifts gods given me and ultimately while I’m out there I just want to thank him with my play and how hard I play and my leadership. "

Altmyer's outlook on the game is different, especially considering he now knows what it takes to be an effective starting quarterback.

"My vision and my perspective is a little bit different this year, a lot different," he said. "Looking forward to keep playing with that same perspective.”

With a strong belief in himself, his teammates, and God, there is no telling what Altmyer can accomplish.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

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