WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Cannon Trophy is not the only thing that is up for grabs when Purdue Football travels west to face No. 21 Illinois. A victory would move the Boilermakers into a tie atop the Big Ten West with just two weeks remaining in the season. Kickoff from Memorial Stadium is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Boilermakers have won five of the past six Cannon Trophy games, as well as five in-a-row in Champaign dating back to 2010.
CANNON TROPHY HISTORY
• The Cannon was conceived by Purdue students more than 100 years ago but was first presented as a trophy by an Illinois alumnus 76 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.
BATTLE FOR THE CANNON TROPHY
• Purdue leads the Cannon series 38-30-2, including winning five of the past six battles. The Boilermakers have collected 13 wins in the last 17 matchups dating back to 2003.
• The two schools first played in 1890, with Purdue holding a slight 46-45-6 edge in the all-time series.
• The Boilermakers broke the all-time series tie with a 13-9 win in West Lafayette a season ago.
• Purdue has won the five consecutive Cannon Trophy games in Memorial Stadium.
LAST TIME WE MET
• Last year, Aidan O'Connell came off the bench to engineer a clutch fourth-quarter drive, throwing for 89 yards on a 94-yard march up the field that culminated in the game's lone touchdown and propelling Purdue to a 13-9 victory over Illinois at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• T.J. Sheffield caught the go-ahead 14-yard touchdown pass from O'Connell with 5:44 remaining in the game.
• Purdue racked up a season-high nine tackles for loss, including 2.5 from Branson Deen.
O'CONNELL VS. ILLINOIS
• Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell has had some memorable moments against the Illini over his career.
• He tossed his first career touchdown pass in the 2019 game, an 11-yard connection to Payne Durham.
• Leading Purdue to a 31-24 victory in 2020, O'Connell threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns to record the first 300-yard game of his career.
• Last season, O'Connell came off the bench to rally the Boilermakers to a 13-9 win. The quarterback orchestrated a 94-yard drive, including 89 yards through the air, for the only touchdown of the game.
A B1G OPPORTUNITY
• Saturday's game is perhaps Purdue's biggest of the season. With a win, the Boilermakers would secure a spot atop the Big Ten West.
• Purdue would be tied with Illinois at 4-3 alongside the winner of the Iowa-Wisconsin game, while Minnesota could join the fray with a victory over Northwestern.
• The Boilermakers have finished second in the Big Ten West twice under head coach Jeff Brohm (2018, 2021), seeking their first divisional title since the conference went to the championship game format in 2011.
B1G LEADERS
• Purdue leads the Big Ten in passing offense (298.0 yards per game).
• In league games, the Boilermakers top the conference in passing offense (300.5 yards per game) as the only team to average more than 300 yards through the air.
• Aidan O'Connell paces the conference in completions per game (28.6), passing yards per game (304.8) and total offense (296.2 yards per game).
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones leads the B1G in receptions per game (9.2), receiving yards per game (104.9) and receiving yards (944).
• In B1G games, O'Connell tops the conference in passing offense (300.5 yards per game) and total offense (288.0 yards per game).
• Jones' 9.0 receptions and 94.0 yards per conference game lead the Big Ten.
BIG WINS AWAY FROM HOME
• Playing on the road in Big Ten play hasn't fazed Purdue lately. The Boilermakers have won five of their past seven conference games away from home, including the two this season against Minnesota (Oct. 1) and Maryland (Oct. 8).
• Two of those victories were over ranked teams. Purdue beat No. 2 Iowa 24-7 last season (Oct. 16, 2021), while knocking off No. 21 Minnesota this October.
• Last season, Purdue went 3-1 in B1G games away from home, which included a neutral site win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Boilermakers ended the 2021 campaign with five victories away from Ross-Ade Stadium, their most since 1943.
BOWLING ON THE HORIZON
• Purdue is one win away from becoming bowl eligible for the fourth time in six seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm.
• Taking the Boilermakers to another bowl game, Brohm would join Joe Tiller as the only coaches in Purdue history to make four bowl appearances in their first six years guiding the program.
• The last time Purdue went to four bowls over a six-year span, Tiller led the Boilermakers for four appearances in five years (2003-2007). In 12 seasons under Tiller, Purdue reached 10 bowls, including a Rose Bowl trip during the 2000 campaign.
CHUCK'S SIZZLIN'
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones has made an immediate impact since transferring to Purdue from Iowa, ranking second nationally in receptions per game (9.2), fourth in receiving touchdowns (9) and sixth in receiving yards (944).
• Jones has recorded six 100-yard games this season, including four in B1G play, to become the sixth Boilermakers to accomplish the feat in a single year.
• In conference action, Jones has hauled in 9.0 receptions per game to average 94.0 yards per game; both marks lead B1G wide receivers.
• He is one touchdown away from becoming the 10th receiver in Purdue history to record 10 touchdowns in a single season.
• It's safe to say Jones enjoys the Purdue offense. After making 21 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns during the entire 2021 season, it only took him three games to surpass last year's totals with the Hawkeyes.
• With three multi-touchdown games, Jones is just the sixth Purdue receiver since 2000 to have three-or-more multi-touchdown games in a season.
ALL ABOARD THE MOCK TRAIN
• Don't underestimate redshirt-freshman Devin Mockobee. The walk-on running back leads the Purdue rushing attack with 626 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
• In regards to freshman running backs throughout Purdue history, Mockobee ranks fourth in yards, fifth in touchdowns, sixth in attempts and seventh in yards per carry.
• Mockobee's 78.3 yards per game on the ground rank fourth nationally among freshman running backs, while leading the B1G.
• He has produced three 100-yard games this season, the most by a Purdue freshman running back since Brandon Jones in 2002.
BRING ON THE PAYNE
• Tight end Payne Durham has been an important piece of the Purdue offense, hauling in 41 catches for 411 yards and four touchdowns to rank second among Boilermakers in all three categories.
• A semifinalist for the Mackey Award, Durham's 41 catches rank fifth in the nation among tight ends, including second in the Big Ten.
• In the win over Nebraska, Durham eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for his career to become just the eighth Purdue tight end to accomplish the feat.
• Durham came through in the clutch against Maryland (Oct. 8), catching the go-ahead touchdown pass before rumbling 56 yards to set up another late Purdue touchdown. He made seven catches for 109 yards, both team highs, to record the third 100-yard game of his career.
• Durham sits into a tie for 10th in program history with 17 receiving touchdowns, second among tight ends, trailing Dave Young (27, 1977-80). He is tied with Jim Beirne (1965-67) and Calvin Williams (1986-89) on Purdue's all-time receiving TDs list.
• Durham's progression in college from backup to all-conference caliber is made more impressive when you consider he played one year of high school football after playing lacrosse all his life.
STRENGTH ON THE LINE
• Purdue veteran offensive line has been a major factor for success on that side of the ball.
• The Boilermakers allow only 3.78 tackles-for-loss per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation.
• The trio of Gus Hartwig, Spencer Holstege, and Eric Miller have started the past 24 games alongside one another. Holstege leads the way with 27 straight starts, followed by Hartwig (25) and Miller (24).
• In the win over Nebraska, the line paved the way for 217 rushing yards, the most by a Purdue offense in four years.
AIDAN ADDING TO HIS LEGACY
• Beginning his career as a walk-on and eighth on the quarterback depth chart, Aidan O'Connell worked his way up to the starting role and didn't stop there. The sixth-year QB has etched his name in the school record books, and he continued to rise up the career charts this season.
• O'Connell already ranks in the program's Top 10 in several career categories: completion percentage (1st – 67.0%), 500-yard games (T1st – 2), 400-yard games (2nd – 5), 300-yard games (2nd – 13), touchdown passes (6th – 58), passing completions (6th – 735) and passing yards (6th – 8,167).
• Aidan O'Connell paces the Big Ten in passing yards and total offense. Completing nearly 30 passes per game, he sits fourth in the country. His 304.8 passing yards per game rank ninth nationally.
• O'Connell has kept up his game against conference opponents, throwing for an average of 300.5 yards in B1G games to lead the league.
• In his 13 300-yard games over his career, O'Connell has eclipsed 350 yards in 12 of them. Prior to Saturday, he threw for 300 yards in three straight games, accomplishing the feat for the second time in his career. Drew Brees and Jim Everett are the only other QBs in Purdue history to produce three straight 300-yard games twice over a career.
• O'Connell torched the Syracuse defense with a season-high 424 passing yards and three touchdowns. He has five career 400-yard passing games; only Brees has more (7).
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting six wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure following the 20-10 win at No. 21 Minnesota.
• Five of the six wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Three of those victories were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
• Last season, Purdue knocked off previously unbeaten No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16) and No. 3 Michigan State (Nov. 6), giving the Boilermakers two wins over Top 5 teams for the first time since 1960.
• The Boilermakers beat three ranked teams during the 2018 campaign, Brohm's second season, for the most victories over ranked teams in a single-season since 2003.
• Prior to Brohm's arrival in West Lafayette in 2017, Purdue only won two out of 27 games against AP-ranked teams over the previous 10 seasons.
The Boilermakers have won five of the past six Cannon Trophy games, as well as five in-a-row in Champaign dating back to 2010.
CANNON TROPHY HISTORY
• The Cannon was conceived by Purdue students more than 100 years ago but was first presented as a trophy by an Illinois alumnus 76 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.
BATTLE FOR THE CANNON TROPHY
• Purdue leads the Cannon series 38-30-2, including winning five of the past six battles. The Boilermakers have collected 13 wins in the last 17 matchups dating back to 2003.
• The two schools first played in 1890, with Purdue holding a slight 46-45-6 edge in the all-time series.
• The Boilermakers broke the all-time series tie with a 13-9 win in West Lafayette a season ago.
• Purdue has won the five consecutive Cannon Trophy games in Memorial Stadium.
LAST TIME WE MET
• Last year, Aidan O'Connell came off the bench to engineer a clutch fourth-quarter drive, throwing for 89 yards on a 94-yard march up the field that culminated in the game's lone touchdown and propelling Purdue to a 13-9 victory over Illinois at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• T.J. Sheffield caught the go-ahead 14-yard touchdown pass from O'Connell with 5:44 remaining in the game.
• Purdue racked up a season-high nine tackles for loss, including 2.5 from Branson Deen.
O'CONNELL VS. ILLINOIS
• Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell has had some memorable moments against the Illini over his career.
• He tossed his first career touchdown pass in the 2019 game, an 11-yard connection to Payne Durham.
• Leading Purdue to a 31-24 victory in 2020, O'Connell threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns to record the first 300-yard game of his career.
• Last season, O'Connell came off the bench to rally the Boilermakers to a 13-9 win. The quarterback orchestrated a 94-yard drive, including 89 yards through the air, for the only touchdown of the game.
A B1G OPPORTUNITY
• Saturday's game is perhaps Purdue's biggest of the season. With a win, the Boilermakers would secure a spot atop the Big Ten West.
• Purdue would be tied with Illinois at 4-3 alongside the winner of the Iowa-Wisconsin game, while Minnesota could join the fray with a victory over Northwestern.
• The Boilermakers have finished second in the Big Ten West twice under head coach Jeff Brohm (2018, 2021), seeking their first divisional title since the conference went to the championship game format in 2011.
B1G LEADERS
• Purdue leads the Big Ten in passing offense (298.0 yards per game).
• In league games, the Boilermakers top the conference in passing offense (300.5 yards per game) as the only team to average more than 300 yards through the air.
• Aidan O'Connell paces the conference in completions per game (28.6), passing yards per game (304.8) and total offense (296.2 yards per game).
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones leads the B1G in receptions per game (9.2), receiving yards per game (104.9) and receiving yards (944).
• In B1G games, O'Connell tops the conference in passing offense (300.5 yards per game) and total offense (288.0 yards per game).
• Jones' 9.0 receptions and 94.0 yards per conference game lead the Big Ten.
BIG WINS AWAY FROM HOME
• Playing on the road in Big Ten play hasn't fazed Purdue lately. The Boilermakers have won five of their past seven conference games away from home, including the two this season against Minnesota (Oct. 1) and Maryland (Oct. 8).
• Two of those victories were over ranked teams. Purdue beat No. 2 Iowa 24-7 last season (Oct. 16, 2021), while knocking off No. 21 Minnesota this October.
• Last season, Purdue went 3-1 in B1G games away from home, which included a neutral site win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Boilermakers ended the 2021 campaign with five victories away from Ross-Ade Stadium, their most since 1943.
BOWLING ON THE HORIZON
• Purdue is one win away from becoming bowl eligible for the fourth time in six seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm.
• Taking the Boilermakers to another bowl game, Brohm would join Joe Tiller as the only coaches in Purdue history to make four bowl appearances in their first six years guiding the program.
• The last time Purdue went to four bowls over a six-year span, Tiller led the Boilermakers for four appearances in five years (2003-2007). In 12 seasons under Tiller, Purdue reached 10 bowls, including a Rose Bowl trip during the 2000 campaign.
CHUCK'S SIZZLIN'
• Wide receiver Charlie Jones has made an immediate impact since transferring to Purdue from Iowa, ranking second nationally in receptions per game (9.2), fourth in receiving touchdowns (9) and sixth in receiving yards (944).
• Jones has recorded six 100-yard games this season, including four in B1G play, to become the sixth Boilermakers to accomplish the feat in a single year.
• In conference action, Jones has hauled in 9.0 receptions per game to average 94.0 yards per game; both marks lead B1G wide receivers.
• He is one touchdown away from becoming the 10th receiver in Purdue history to record 10 touchdowns in a single season.
• It's safe to say Jones enjoys the Purdue offense. After making 21 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns during the entire 2021 season, it only took him three games to surpass last year's totals with the Hawkeyes.
• With three multi-touchdown games, Jones is just the sixth Purdue receiver since 2000 to have three-or-more multi-touchdown games in a season.
ALL ABOARD THE MOCK TRAIN
• Don't underestimate redshirt-freshman Devin Mockobee. The walk-on running back leads the Purdue rushing attack with 626 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
• In regards to freshman running backs throughout Purdue history, Mockobee ranks fourth in yards, fifth in touchdowns, sixth in attempts and seventh in yards per carry.
• Mockobee's 78.3 yards per game on the ground rank fourth nationally among freshman running backs, while leading the B1G.
• He has produced three 100-yard games this season, the most by a Purdue freshman running back since Brandon Jones in 2002.
BRING ON THE PAYNE
• Tight end Payne Durham has been an important piece of the Purdue offense, hauling in 41 catches for 411 yards and four touchdowns to rank second among Boilermakers in all three categories.
• A semifinalist for the Mackey Award, Durham's 41 catches rank fifth in the nation among tight ends, including second in the Big Ten.
• In the win over Nebraska, Durham eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for his career to become just the eighth Purdue tight end to accomplish the feat.
• Durham came through in the clutch against Maryland (Oct. 8), catching the go-ahead touchdown pass before rumbling 56 yards to set up another late Purdue touchdown. He made seven catches for 109 yards, both team highs, to record the third 100-yard game of his career.
• Durham sits into a tie for 10th in program history with 17 receiving touchdowns, second among tight ends, trailing Dave Young (27, 1977-80). He is tied with Jim Beirne (1965-67) and Calvin Williams (1986-89) on Purdue's all-time receiving TDs list.
• Durham's progression in college from backup to all-conference caliber is made more impressive when you consider he played one year of high school football after playing lacrosse all his life.
STRENGTH ON THE LINE
• Purdue veteran offensive line has been a major factor for success on that side of the ball.
• The Boilermakers allow only 3.78 tackles-for-loss per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation.
• The trio of Gus Hartwig, Spencer Holstege, and Eric Miller have started the past 24 games alongside one another. Holstege leads the way with 27 straight starts, followed by Hartwig (25) and Miller (24).
• In the win over Nebraska, the line paved the way for 217 rushing yards, the most by a Purdue offense in four years.
AIDAN ADDING TO HIS LEGACY
• Beginning his career as a walk-on and eighth on the quarterback depth chart, Aidan O'Connell worked his way up to the starting role and didn't stop there. The sixth-year QB has etched his name in the school record books, and he continued to rise up the career charts this season.
• O'Connell already ranks in the program's Top 10 in several career categories: completion percentage (1st – 67.0%), 500-yard games (T1st – 2), 400-yard games (2nd – 5), 300-yard games (2nd – 13), touchdown passes (6th – 58), passing completions (6th – 735) and passing yards (6th – 8,167).
• Aidan O'Connell paces the Big Ten in passing yards and total offense. Completing nearly 30 passes per game, he sits fourth in the country. His 304.8 passing yards per game rank ninth nationally.
• O'Connell has kept up his game against conference opponents, throwing for an average of 300.5 yards in B1G games to lead the league.
• In his 13 300-yard games over his career, O'Connell has eclipsed 350 yards in 12 of them. Prior to Saturday, he threw for 300 yards in three straight games, accomplishing the feat for the second time in his career. Drew Brees and Jim Everett are the only other QBs in Purdue history to produce three straight 300-yard games twice over a career.
• O'Connell torched the Syracuse defense with a season-high 424 passing yards and three touchdowns. He has five career 400-yard passing games; only Brees has more (7).
SPOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has become known as the Spoilermakers under Jeff Brohm, collecting six wins over ranked teams during the head coach's tenure following the 20-10 win at No. 21 Minnesota.
• Five of the six wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Three of those victories were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
• Last season, Purdue knocked off previously unbeaten No. 2 Iowa (Oct. 16) and No. 3 Michigan State (Nov. 6), giving the Boilermakers two wins over Top 5 teams for the first time since 1960.
• The Boilermakers beat three ranked teams during the 2018 campaign, Brohm's second season, for the most victories over ranked teams in a single-season since 2003.
• Prior to Brohm's arrival in West Lafayette in 2017, Purdue only won two out of 27 games against AP-ranked teams over the previous 10 seasons.