WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After a week off, Purdue Football returns to the gridiron for another rivalry trophy matchup. The Boilermakers host No. 22 Illinois with the Cannon Trophy up for grabs. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
QUICK HITS
- Purdue holds a 40-31-2 advantage in Cannon Trophy games. The first Cannon Trophy game took place in 1943, but the two teams have battled on the gridiron since 1890 with the Boilermakers leading the all-time series 48-46-6.
- The Boilermakers have won four of the past five over the Fighting Illini as well as seven of the past nine.
- Purdue has won two of the past three meetings when facing a ranked Illinois team.
- Strange but true, the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini have met twice on October 4 throughout history. Both games resulted in Purdue victories (43-10 in 2003, 38-27 in 2014).
- Purdue has defeated seven ranked teams over the past seven seasons despite being the underdog in each of those games.
- Defensive end Trey Smith began his career at Illinois, redshirting for the Illini in 2023 before joining Purdue in the spring of 2024.
- Purdue ranks second nationally in net punting with a 48.0 average.
- The Boilermakers have only committed 17 penalties this season, ranking 12th nationally.
- Purdue is one of 18 teams nationwide and one of only four Big Ten teams that has not lost a fumble this season.
- Myles Slusher (23) and Tahj Ra-El (22) join 2018 Boilers Derrick Barnes (25) and Markus Bailey (22) as the only two pairs of Purdue teammates to have at least 22 solo tackles through the first four games of a season since 2006.
- Slusher ranks sixth in the nation, averaging 5.75 solo tackles per game, while Ra-El ranks ninth nationally with 5.50 solo tackles per game.
- Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne is one of three players in the FBS with at least one passing, rushing and receiving touchdown this season (Kiael Kelly - Ball State, Luke Altmyer - Illinois). He is the first Big Ten quarterback to have at least one passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in a season since Iowa's Spencer Petras in 2020.
- Devin Mockobee is currently ranked in the program Top 10 in several career categories: 100-yard rushing games (4th), rushing yards (5th), rushing touchdowns (9th).
- Nitro Tuggle has hauled in a TD reception in each of the past three games, the first Boilermaker to have a touchdown catch in three straight games since All-American Charlie Jones in 2022.
- Tuggle and Arhmad Branch crack the Big Ten's Top 5 in yards per reception. Branch is third with 20.6 yards per catch, while Tuggle ranks fifth in the league with 18.9 yards per catch.
- Spencer Porath is a perfect 7-for-7 on field goals this season, the most consecutive makes by a Purdue kicker to start a season since Mitchell Fineran made nine in 2021.
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 77 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 for the Cannon.
SUCCESS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
- Purdue has beaten seven ranked teams over the past seven seasons despite being the underdog in each one of those games.
- Three of those wins were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
- The victories during the 2021 campaign (No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State) gave Purdue multiple wins over Top 5 teams in one season for the first time since 1960 (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 1 Minnesota).
- Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
- Purdue has won two of the past three matchups against a ranked Illinois team. The Boilermakers knocked off No. 23 Illinois in 2011 (21-14) at home, beat No. 21 Illinois on the road in 2022 on their way to the Big Ten West title, and fell in a double overtime thriller last season.
- The Boilermakers have faced off with the No. 22 team in the nation just twice before, falling against Washington in 1990 and Notre Dame in 2012.
MOCKOBEE CANNON BALL
- When the Cannon Trophy is on the line, Devin Mockobee thrives. The Purdue running back has racked up 343 total yards (275 rushing, 68 receiving) and four touchdowns in three career games against Illinois.
- As a redshirt freshman, Mockobee produced his fourth 100-yard game of the season (Purdue freshman record) with 106 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries to help the Boilermakers upset No. 21 Illinois 31-24 in Champaign. Mockobee outrushed Chase Brown (Cincinnati Bengals), who rushed for less than 100 yards for the first time that season (98 yards).
- He added 67 rushing yards and a touchdown as a sophomore, leading to a dominant 44-19 Purdue victory in West Lafayette.
- Last season, Mockobee eclipsed the 100-yard mark again. Averaging 9.3 yards per carry, he ran for 102 yards and a touchdown. Mockobee also caught three passes for 31 yards and a receiving touchdown, rallying the Boilermakers from a 21-point halftime deficit to force overtime.
BROWNE’S BIG DEBUT
- Ryan Browne made his first career start a season ago, on the road against the Illini (Oct. 13, 2024). After Purdue fell behind 24 points in the second half, he nearly led the largest comeback in Purdue Football history.
- Browne recorded 415 yards of total offense, throwing for 297 while adding 118 on the ground to join Brandon Kirsch (2002) as the only Purdue quarterbacks since 1970 to record 250 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game.
- The Clarkston, Michigan, native also became just the sixth Boilermaker quarterback to eclipse 100 yards rushing in a game, joining Mike Phipps, Bob Bobrowski, Gary Danielson, Rob Henry and Kirsch. His 118 rushing yards were the most by a Purdue quarterback since Henry had 132 at Northwestern on Oct. 9, 2010.
- Browne's day on the ground eclipsed his 85-yard game he had in relief against Northwestern in 2023, and he joined Drew Brees as the only Purdue quarterbacks (since 1996) to produce a pair of 80-yard rushing games.
- For his performance, Browne was named Shaun Alexander Player of the Week.
PERFECT PORATH
- Just four games into his sophomore year, Spencer Porath has already made as many field goals as he did all of last season. He went 7-for-11 as a freshman, and he is a perfect 7-for-7 to start the 2025 campaign.
- Porath’s perfection through the first third of the season has been the best start by a Purdue kicker since Mitchell Fineran made his first nine field goals in 2021.
- In just 13 career games, Porath has moved into a tie for 18th on the Purdue career charts with 14 made kicks.
- Last time out, he made a career-high three field goals at No. 21 Notre Dame. That included a career-long 48-yard field goal in the second quarter.
- Against Southern Illinois, he scored 10 points thanks to a pair of field goals and splitting the uprights on four PATs. For his performance, Porath became Purdue’s first Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week since J.D. Dellinger six seasons ago (Nov. 11, 2019).
DEALING WITH DELAYS
- The past two games, Mother Nature has brought lightning to Purdue gamedays to lead to delays totaling nearly five hours.
- The start of the Boilermakers’ game against USC (Sept. 13), the first Big Ten contest of the Barry Odom era, was delayed three hours and five minutes.
- One week later, Purdue forced a fumble and was driving in Notre Dame territory before the game was called due to lightning in the area. That delay lasted one hour and 54 minutes before resuming the second quarter and transitioning right into the second half.
- Two years ago (Sept. 9, 2023), Purdue and Virginia Tech were part of the longest weather delay in college football history (five hours, 27 minutes). After resuming play, the Boilermakers emerged with a 24-17 road victory.
BY LAND, AIR AND RE(SEA)VING
- Ryan Browne has accounted for nine touchdowns through the first four games of the season.
- Not only has he thrown for six touchdowns while adding a pair on the ground, the Purdue quarterback also has caught a touchdown pass.
- Using a little trickery against Notre Dame, Devin Mockobee took the handoff from Browne before tossing the ball back to the quarterback in the flat. Wide open on the swing pass, Browne caught the first pass of his career and strolled into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.
- Browne became just the second player in the country to have at least one passing, rushing and receiving touchdown (Kiael Kelly - Ball State) this season, and is now one of three. Browne was the first Big Ten quarterback to accomplish the feat since Iowa's Spencer Petras in 2020. Illinois' Luke Altmyer joined Browne after catching a touchdown pass against USC this past weekend.
- Since 2001, Browne is one of two Purdue QBs to record a receiving touchdown (David Blough - 2018). He joined Blough, Brandon Hance (2001) and Drew Brees (1999, 2000) as the only Boilermaker quarterbacks since 1995 to catch a touchdown pass.
FROM GEORGIA TO PURDUE
- In the offseason, the Purdue wide receiver room welcomed a pair of Georgia transfers who have become an important part of the Boilermaker offense.
- After making the move north, Michael Jackson III and Nitro Tuggle have combined for 28 catches for 400 yards and four touchdowns through the first four games of the season.
- Jackson leads the Boilermakers in receptions (18) and receiving yards (211), while Tuggle’s three receiving touchdowns are tied for a team best.
- Scoring a touchdown against Notre Dame, Tuggle became the first Purdue wide receiver to find the end zone in three straight games since Charlie Jones (Cincinnati Bengals) accomplished the feat during his 2022 All-American season.
- Both receivers had their biggest games as Boilermakers in the B1G opener against USC. Jackson paced Purdue with seven receptions for 70 yards, and Tuggle added four catches for 69 yards and a touchdown, all season highs for the dynamic duo.
SOLO TACKLE STARS
- The Purdue secondary features two of the nation’s best when it comes to making solo tackles.
- Myles Slusher and Tahj Ra-El both rank Top 10 nationally in solo tackles per game. Slusher leads the Boilermakers, ranking sixth in the country with 5.75 solo tackles per game, while Ra-El sits ninth among defenders nationwide (5.50 solo tackles per game).
- Slusher (23) and Ra-El (22) joined 2018 Boilermakers Derrick Barnes (25) and Markus Bailey (22) as the only two pairs of Purdue teammates to have at least 22 solo tackles through the first four games of a season since 2006.