By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 16, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois badly failed the first lesson of Bret Bielema’s ‘Football 101’ as five turnovers buried any chance of the Illini pulling off an upset of a Top 10 opponent.

 In its first road test of the 2023 season, No. 7 Penn State used the giveaways to produce a comfortable 30-13 victory over Illinois.

Illinois sophomore quarterback Luke Altmyer tossed four interceptions and the Nittany Lions (3-0, 1-0 in Big Ten Conference) turned the mistakes into 20 points on its way to putting Illinois 0-1 in Big Ten play for the second straight year under head coach Bret Bielema. 

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who was making his first conference road start of his collegiate career, ended the afternoon with a conservative 208 yards passing but led the Nittany Lions to a 30-7 advantage with 14 minutes and 24 seconds left before being pulled for precautionary reasons. 

Altmyer, who was making his fourth career collegiate start and third start this season since transferring from Ole Miss, was instead pulled after three quarters for performance-based issues. The Starkville, Mississippi native finished 15 of 28 for 163 yards and four key interceptions that led to PSU points before being relieved by walk-on backup John Paddock. 

Penn State’s defense smothered the Illini all afternoon for only 4.8 yards per play as Illinois (1-2, 0-1 in Big Ten). The Illinois defense, which came into the contest after two disappointing efforts in the first two contests of the 2023 season, allowed just 383 total yards and forced five three-and-out possessions. 

Illinois will now face Florida Atlantic next weekend before rejoining Big Ten play the following weekend at Purdue for a Big Ten Saturday Night contest on NBC as the Illini face its former defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.