The all-time series between Purdue and Illinois is currently tied at a perfectly balanced 45-45-6, but Purdue has not had the overall lead since 1905. Last season the Illinois game was one of the few happy moments for Purdue, as the Boilers won in Champaign to regain the Cannon. The Boilers are now 37-30-2 all-time in the Cannon portion of the series as a result.
It is the first conference game of the season, and after the offense underwhelmed at Notre Dame it is a chance to start league play on the right foot. Illinois has been... bad. They have a win, but it was mostly the result of Nebraska playing worse. It is a game Purdue should win, but in this series the road team has won 8 of the last night meetings, so nothing is a guarantee.
Let’s hope it is not played in a rainy swamp like it was two seasons ago.