Purdue returns to the field following its open week for a battle with Illinois for the Cannon Trophy on Saturday in Champaign at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast live on FS1.
The Cannon was conceived by Purdue students more than 100 years ago but was first presented as a trophy by an Illinois alumnus 75 years ago.
It all started in 1905 when a group of Purdue students took the weapon to Champaign in anticipation of firing it to celebrate a victory. Although Purdue did win the game 29-0, Illinois supporters, including Quincy A. Hall, had discovered the Cannon in its hiding place – in a culvert near the old Illinois field – and confiscated it before the Purdue students could start their "booming" celebration.
Later, Hall moved the Cannon to his farmhouse near Milford, Illinois, where it survived a fire and gathered dust until Hall suggested it be used as a trophy between the two schools when the rivalry was resumed in 1943 after a 12-year lapse. The Tomahawk Service and Leadership Honorary at Purdue and Illini Pride now share the maintenance duty. Purdue leads the Cannon series 35-29-2, including 10 wins in the last 13 matchups. Purdue won the 2017 meeting 29-10 in West Lafayette.
Series History- Illinois leads 44-43-6
- In Champaign: Tied 22-22-2
- First Meeting: Nov. 22, 1890 – Purdue won 62-0 at home
- Last Meeting: Nov. 4, 2017 – Purdue won 29-10 at home
Noteworthy: More than one-third of the Fighting Illini's wins in the series came between 1897 and 1919, when they went 15-2-2 against the Boilermakers. Purdue has won 10 of the last 13 games – including three in a row and five of six on the road – dating to 2003.
This Date in History: October 13- Record: 6-10
- First Game: 1894 – Won at Butler 30-0
- Last Game: 2012 – Lost vs. Wisconsin 38-14
Noteworthy: On this date in 1956, the Boilermakers, under first-year head coach Jack Mollenkopf, upset 18th-ranked Notre Dame 28-14 in South Bend, Indiana. Mel Dillard rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Mollenkopf would go on to post a 10-4 record against the Fighting Irish over the course of his 14-year tenure.
Knocking Off Ranked OpponentsPurdue sent No. 23 Boston College to its first loss of the season and booted it out of the AP Top 25 with a 30-13 win Sept. 22. The victory marked the Boilermakers' first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 23 Illinois 21-14 on Oct. 22, 2011. Purdue has defeated 35 teams in school history when the opposition is ranked and the Boilermakers are not. It was the first triumph over a ranked opponent in the last 20 tries, and the 17-point edge was the largest margin of victory over a top 25 team since beating No. 5 Michigan State 52-28 on Oct. 16, 1999.
Century MarkBrycen Hopkins' 103 receiving yards against Nebraska marked his second 100-yard receiving game of the season (also 136 vs. Missouri). He is the first Purdue tight end to reach triple-digit yards through the air more than once in a season since Dustin Keller did so three times in 2007.
An Exclusive ClubWith his next start, fifth-year quarterback David Blough will become the eighth signal-caller in Purdue history (since 1960) with 30 or more career starts.
Purdue Quarterback Career Starts (Since 1960)
- 45 - Mark Herrmann, 1977-80
- 41 - Curtis Painter, 2005-08
- 37 - Drew Brees, 1998-2000
- 35 - Kyle Orton, 2001-04
- 32 - Scott Campbell, 1980-83
- 30 - Bob Griese, 1964-66
- 30 - Eric Hunter, 1989-92
- 29 - David Blough, 2015-Present
When Jacob and Brennan Thieneman took the field together against No. 23 Boston College on Sept. 22, it marked the first time in 16 years that a pair of Boilermaker brothers shared the field at the same time. The last siblings to play together at Purdue were offensive lineman Rob and Matt Turner, who started five games together in 2002.
Rewriting the Record BookThrough the first five games of the season, Jeff Brohm's offense has rewritten decades-old records both at Purdue and in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have established new high-water marks four different times this season alone. See the notes below for more details on the record-setting feats.
| Record | New Record | Old Record |
|---|---|---|
| All-Purpose Yards | 313, Rondale Moore vs. Northwestern | 312, Otis Armstrong vs. IU, 11/25/72 |
| Passing Yards | 572, David Blough vs. Missouri | 546, Curtis Painter vs. CMU, 12/26/07 |
| Total Offense | 590, David Blough vs. Missouri | 540, Curtis Painter vs. CMU, 12/26/07 |
| Completion Pct. (50-59 att.) |
.709, David Blough vs. Missouri | .702, Drew Brees vs. MSU, 10/16/99 |
The Boilermakers have been very successful when playing in front of the chains this season. Purdue is converting 71 percent of its third downs (22 of 31) when facing four or less yards (including a perfect 11 for 11 on third-and-one). Overall, the Boilers are converting on third down 46 percent of the time, a figure that ranks 27th nationally.
Standing TallStanding 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-9, respectively, D.J. Knox and Rondale Moore have been two of the Boilermakers' most productive players this season. Combined, the duo have accounted for 40 of Purdue's 100 non-penalty first downs (40 percent), 10 of Purdue's 18 touchdowns (56 percent), 526 of 849 rushing yards (62 percent) and 487 of 1,601 receiving yards (30 percent).
Spinning ItQuarterback David Blough has been in a zone tossing the ball over Purdue's last three games. Against Missouri, No. 23 Boston College and Nebraska, Blough was 85 of 125 (68 percent), for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns against merely one interception. He is averaging 398.7 yards per game passing during the three-game run.
Bloughing ThroughAgainst Missouri, senior quarterback David Blough set the Purdue game passing yards record (572) and the Big Ten game total offense mark (590). The previous standards were 546 passing yards by Curtis Painter against Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl on Dec. 26, 2007, and 585 yards of total offense by Dave Wilson of Illinois against Ohio State on Nov. 8, 1980. Blough's passing yards rank second in Big Ten history, trailing only Wilson's 621 in that game (he had -36 yards rushing).
Finding PaydirtSenior running back Markell Jones' six-yard touchdown run at Nebraska was the 18th total score of his career (16 rushing, two receiving). He is tied with three others for 19th in school history.
| 17. | DeAngelo Yancey (2013-16) | 20 |
| 18. | Akeem Hunt (2011-14) | 19 |
| 19. | Jimmy Smith (1979-81) | 18 |
| Calvin Williams (1986-89) | 18 | |
| Antavian Edison (2009-12) | 18 | |
| Markell Jones (2015-P) | 18 |
With 12 carries for 109 yards against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 8, senior running back Markell Jones moved past two-time consensus All-American and 1968 Heisman Trophy runner up Leroy Keyes on Purdue's career rushing yardage list. Jones has rushed for 2,238 yards in his four-year Boilermaker career and currently sits 10th all-time.
| Career Rushing Yards | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8. | Corey Rogers (1991-95) | 2,436 |
| 9. | Jerod Void (2002-05) | 2,429 |
| 10. | Markell Jones (2015-P) | 2,297 |
| Career Rushing Attempts | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9. | Corey Rogers (1991-95) | 489 |
| 10. | Harry Szulborski (1946-49) | 478 |
| 11. | Markell Jones (2015-P) | 477 |
| Career Rushing Touchdowns | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9. | Stan Brown (1968-70) | 19 |
| 10. | Otis Armstrong (1970-72) | 17 |
| 11. | Wally Jones (1978-81) | 16 |
| Tony Butkovich (1943) | 16 | |
| Markell Jones (2015-P) | 16 |
David Blough's school-record performance against Missouri ranked among the top five individual efforts in the history of Jeff Brohm's head coaching career. A look at where it stands:
Passing Yards- 593, Brandon Doughty at Middle Tennessee (Sept. 13, 2014)
- 572, David Blough vs. Missouri (Sept. 15, 2018)
- 569, Brandon Doughty vs. Bowling Green (Aug. 29, 2014)
- 517, Mike White vs. Rice (Sept. 1, 2016)
- 491, Brandon Doughty at Marshall (Nov. 28, 2014)
- 46, Brandon Doughty vs. Bowling Green (Aug. 29, 2014)
- 43, Brandon Doughty at Middle Tennessee (Sept. 13, 2014)
- 39, David Blough vs. Missouri (Sept. 15, 2018)
- 38, Brandon Doughty at Navy (Sept. 27, 2014)
- 37, Brandon Doughty at LSU (Oct. 24, 2015)
- 37, Elijah Sindelar at Northwestern (Oct. 11, 2017)
- 66, Brandon Doughty at Middle Tennessee (Sept. 13, 2014)
- 61, Brandon Doughty at LSU (Oct. 24, 2015)
- 60, Elijah Sindelar at Northwestern (Nov. 11, 2017)
- 56, Brandon Doughty vs. Bowling Green (Aug. 29, 2014)
- 55, David Blough vs. Missouri (Sept. 15, 2018)
When D.J. Knox (152) and Markell Jones (109) both topped the century mark in rushing yards against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 8, it was the first time a pair of Boilermakers went for 100-plus yards in the same game since 2002 (Brandon Jones, 131, and Joey Harris, 102). It was merely the 27th time in school history that the feat has been accomplished and only the fifth time in the last 35 years. Please see page 101 of the Purdue Records Book for the entire list of the previous 26 100-yard rushing duos. It was the fifth time Jones rushed for over 100 yards in a game in his career and the third, and also a career-high, for Knox.
100-Yard Rushing Duos Since 1984- Sept. 17, 1994 vs. Ball State - Mike Alstott (156) and Corey Rogers (124)
- Nov. 4, 1995 vs. Wisconsin- Mike Alstott (204) and Edwin Watson (194)
- Oct. 26, 2002 at Northwestern - Brandon Jones (165) and Joey Harris (132)
- Nov. 23, 2002 vs. Indiana - Brandon Jones (131) and Joey Harris (102)
- Sept. 8, 2018 vs. Eastern Michigan - D.J. Knox (152) and Markell Jones (109)
True freshman Rondale Moore became a household name when he electrified the nation with a record-breaking performance in his collegiate debut against Northwestern on Aug. 30. With a FBS-best 313 all-purpose yards against the Wildcats (79 rushing, 109 receiving, 125 kickoff return), Moore eclipsed Otis Armstrong's single game school record of 312 yards set Nov. 25, 1972. Moore had a huge first half, racking up 302 all-purpose yards in the initial 30 minutes. That alone would have placed him third in the Purdue record book. With the Boilermakers trailing 14-0 in the first 10 minutes of the opening quarter, Moore hauled in a 32-yard touchdown reception from Elijah Sindelar and ripped off a 76-yard scoring run to even the score before the quarter ended.
More on MooreRondale Moore is the first freshman (true or redshirt) in school history to make his Boilermaker debut with a 100-yard receiving game. Moore hauled in a game-high 11 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate game against Northwestern … His reception total was the highest by any player in the Big Ten on the opening week of college football and his yardage tally was second to only Ohio State's Terry McLaurin's 121 vs. Oregon State … Moore's 76-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter against Northwestern was the longest run by a Boilermaker since Akeem Hunt went 82 yards to the house at Indiana on Nov. 29, 2014 … Moore's average of 8.2 receptions per game is second in the FBS and first in the Big Ten … Moore ranks third in the FBS and first in the Big Ten with an average of 179.0 all-purpose yards per game ... Moore ranks 13th in the nation and first in the Big Ten with 41 receptions on the year … His 457 receiving yards for the season are third among all Big Ten players.
Don't BlinkFreshman Rondale Moore has held the football 66 times in his five-game collegiate career and is averaging 13.7 yards per touch. He has caught a Big Ten-high 41 passes for 457 yards, seven carries for 136 yards, 13 kick returns for 269 yards and five punt returns for 33 yards entering the Ilinois game. Moore has 16 plays of 20 or more yards this season, including a 76-yard touchdown rush and a 70-yard scoring reception.
Moving Up The ChartsFifth-year senior David Blough continues to climb further into the Purdue career record book.
| Passing Attempts | |||
| 3. | Kyle Orton (2001-04) | 1,336 | |
| 4. | Mark Herrmann (1977-80) | 1,309 | |
| 5. | David Blough (2015-P) | 1,118 | |
| Completions | |||
| 3. | Kyle Orton (2001-04) | 786 | |
| 4. | Mark Herrmann (1977-80) | 772 | |
| 5. | David Blough (2015-P) | 669 | |
| Passing Yards | |||
| 5. | Scott Campbell (1980-83) | 7,636 | |
| 6. | Jim Everett (1981-85) | 7,411 | |
| 7. | David Blough (2015-P) | 7,347 | |
| Passing Touchdowns | |||
| 3. | Curtis Painter (2005-08) | 67 | |
| 4. | Kyle Orton (2001-04) | 63 | |
| 5. | David Blough (2015-P) | 51 | |
| Total Offense | |||
| 3. | Kyle Orton (2001-04) | 9,653 | |
| 4. | Mark Herrmann (1977-80) | 9,134 | |
| 5. | David Blough (2015-P) | 7,622 |
The Boilermakers achieved their longest and shortest touchdown drives of the season last vs. No. 23 Boston College on Sept. 29. The opening scoring drive, a one-yard rush by D.J. Knox, lasted a season-high 12 plays and took 5:58 off the clock. Rondale's Moore's amazing 70-yard score to open the second quarter lasted all of one play and took merely 13 seconds. For the year, Purdue is averaging 70.1 yards, 5.7 plays and 2:16 on its 18 touchdown drives.
Weekly Big Ten HonorsJoe Schopper's selection as the Oct. 1 Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week was the fourth time in the first five weeks to have a Boilermaker recognized by the conference office for their performance. The four weekly honors are the most in a season for Purdue since 2012, when it had five selections.
Weekly B1G Honors
- Sept. 3 - Rondale Moore (Freshman)
- Sept. 17 - David Blough (Offense)
- Sept. 24 - Rondale Moore (Freshman)
- Oct. 1 - Joe Schopper (Special Teams)
Eight Boilermakers were voted captains by their teammates for the 2018 season: junior linebacker Markus Bailey, fifth-year center Kirk Barron, fifth-year quarterback David Blough, fifth-year running back D.J. Knox, junior defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal, senior punter Joe Schopper, junior quarterback Elijah Sindelar and fifth-year safety Jacob Thieneman. Barron and Blough were voted captain for a second consecutive season.
Seeing TripleFor just the fifth time school history, Purdue had three different players reach the century mark in receiving yards in the same game. Freshman wide receiver Rondale Moore, junior tight end Brycen Hopkins and senior wide receiver Isaac Zico pulled off the rare feat against Missouri on Sept. 15. It was the first occurrence for the Boilermakers in 11 years.
100-Yard Receiving Trios- Oct. 3, 1998 vs. Minnesota - Randall Lane (137), Gabe Cox (133) and Cliff Jackson (101)
- Oct. 28, 2000 vs. Ohio State - Vinny Sutherland (142), Seth Morales (115) and Tim Stratton (100)
- Nov. 20, 2004 vs. Indiana - Kyle Ingraham (209), Taylor Stubblefield (138) and Dorien Bryant (131)
- Dec. 26, 2007 vs. Central Michigan - Dustin Keller (150), Greg Orton (136) and Jake Standeford (112)
- Sept. 15, 2018 vs. Missouri - Rondale Moore (137), Brycen Hopkins (136) and Isaac Zico (100)
The 1,220 combined yards amassed by Purdue and Missouri on Sept. 15 were the most shared with a Boilermaker opponent in school history.
1,000-Plus Combined Yard Performances| 1. | 1,222 | Purdue (614) vs. Missouri (608), Sept. 15, 2018 |
| 2. | 1,208 | Purdue (516) at Indiana (692), Nov. 30, 2013 |
| 3. | 1,145 | Purdue (486) vs. Indiana (659), Nov. 28, 2015 |
| 4. | 1,135 | Purdue (514) vs. Notre Dame (621), Oct. 1, 2005 |
| 5. | 1,225 | Purdue (472) at Hawaii (653), Nov. 25, 2006 |
David Blough's one-yard touchdown rush against Missouri on Sept. 15 improved his career total to 11. He needs five more in his final season in the Old Gold and Black to overtake Mark Vitali as the program's leader among quarterbacks.
Purdue Quarterback Career Rushing Touchdowns| Mark Vitali, 1974-76 | 15 |
| Bob Griese, 1964-66 | 14 |
| Drew Brees, 1997-2000 | 14 |
| Curtis Painter, 2005-08 | 13 |
| Bo Bobrowski, 1972-73 | 12 |
| Eric Hunter, 1989-92 | 12 |
| David Blough, 2015-Present | 12 |