Ad Disclosure
Luke Altmyer sounds off on ‘disrespect’ from South Carolina players ahead of Citrus Bowl
Published:
Luke Altmyer and the Illinois Fighting Illini got a victory in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl over the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday. It was the team’s first bowl win in over a decade and the team also reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2001.
After the win, Altmyer revealed that he felt disrespected by the Gamecocks earlier this week. According to the QB, some of the South Carolina players thought the Illinois players were Syracuse players at a combined team event.
“They were calling us Syracuse,” said Altmyer. “They didn’t even know who they were playing. Not that we needed any extra motivation, but that was all we needed to hear.”
Altmyer also explained that he feels Illinois is a “disrespected” program and bemoaned all the talk about the SEC being the best conference.
“Been hearing all this talk about SEC, SEC in the Playoff and things like that, and I’m just tired of the disrespect,” said the QB. “Illinois has been a disrespected program for a long time. I know that because I’m from that area and that conference. I don’t think that’s the case anymore.”
Notably, Altmyer grew up in Starkville, MS, the home of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Altmyer started his college career at Ole Miss before transferring to Illinois ahead of the 2023 season.
Since coming to Illinois, Altmyer has thrown for 4,600 yards with 35 TDs. The QB helped lead the Illini to one of their best seasons in school history in 2024, so it’s understandable why he’s feeling good after the bowl win.
Against South Carolina, Altmyer threw for 174 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. The Illini won the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl 21-17.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
