ORLANDO, Fla. — Illinois quarterback and Starkville native Luke Altmyer celebrated New Year’s Eve with a bowl win against South Carolina on Tuesday. The 20th-ranked Illini defeated the Gamecocks 21-17 in a hotly contested Citrus Bowl game to secure the program’s first 10-win season in 22 years.
Altmyer went 13-for-22 passing for 174 yards and a touchdown in the game, leading the team to its first win over a Southeastern Conference opponent in their history.
It was a bruising performance by the Illini, led by the game’s MVP, running back Josh McCray, who ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns in typical Big Ten fashion.
“It’s Big Ten ball,” Altmyer said of the team’s performance in post-game comments. “Been hearing all this talk about the SEC, getting in the playoff and things like that. Just tired of the disrespect, I think Illinois has been a disrespected program for a long time.”
In 2024, Altmyer led the Illini to a 10-3 record, throwing for 2,717 yards and 22 touchdowns. His passing efficiency rating of 144.04 is also the second-best mark for a quarterback in the program’s history.
The former Jacket initially signed to play for Ole Miss, backing up Matt Corral and taking the field in the 2022 Sugar Bowl loss to the Bears after an early injury to Corral. Altmyer transferred to the Illini in 2023 after Jaxson Dart became the starter in Oxford and has started in each of the last two seasons.
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