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In the recent Illinois football game against Toledo, quarterback Luke Altmyer played a crucial role in preventing a potentially demoralizing defeat for his team. Altmyer skillfully directed a late offensive drive, ultimately resulting in a 29-yard field goal by Caleb Griffin, securing a narrow 30-28 victory on Saturday.
Altmyer and the University of Illinois football team will aim to achieve a 2-0 record on Friday evening as they embark on a journey to Lawrence, Kansas. This matchup will mark their initial encounter with the Kansas Jayhawks since the year 1968.
The former Ole Miss player certainly made an impression in his first game for the Illini. He led the club in rushing with 69 yards on 9 runs and completed 18 of 26 throws for 211 yards and two touchdowns. His fourth-down pass of 33 yards to Casey Washington helped transform a losing situation into a winning one.
A defense that carried the load and kept the Illini in the Big Ten West title hunt a year ago was less remarkable this time around. With 27 first downs and 416 total yards, Toledo dominated the game in terms of time of possession.
When playing the 1-0 Jayhawks, Illinois will need to step up its defensive efforts because Kansas is hoping to have quarterback Jalon Daniels back after he was injured during Friday’s 48-17 demolition of FCS opponent Missouri State.
Backup quarterback Jason Bean carved up the Bears for 276 yards and two touchdowns on 22 of 28 passing, so Daniels wasn’t needed in the season opener.
Despite the final score, the Jayhawks had to fight hard in their opening contest. Despite Kansas outgaining the Bears 521-217, Missouri State held a brief 10-7 lead and stayed close until scoring on the first play of the fourth quarter.
In the overall series between these two teams, the Illini hold a 3-2 advantage. This Friday’s game will be the first between the two teams in Lawrence since 1892.
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Illinois Fighting Illini vs Kansas Jayhawks Game Information
- Date: 09/08/2023
- Time: 07:30 PM ET
- Location: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS.
- How to Watch Illinois vs Kansas : ESPN2
- Live Stream: fubo.tv
