Illinois (2-3) continued to struggle against the Big Ten as they took another loss to the Purdue Boilermakers (2-3) in the Homecoming game. Illinois lost 17 to 24 as Purdue won back the Canon Trophy and won their first conference game since 2023.
Takeaways
Illinois: It was a rough start for Illinois. In their first drive of the game, they let Purdue get the first points, and they followed it up with a 21-yard touchdown to trail by 13 points in the second quarter.
Illinois would have a chance at a field goal but would miss it, adding to the rough afternoon for the Illini. As the first half began to come to an end, Illinois’ offense did find some life. The Illini marched 75 yards down the field for a Collin Dixon touchdown, his eighth of the season.
In the second half, much of the same struggles continued for Illinois. Illinois had a chance to cut into Purdue’s lead with another field goal at the end of the 3rd quarter. But Illinois decided to go for it on 4th down and couldn’t convert, allowing Purdue to go into the 4th quarter with a double-digit lead.
Purdue: The Boilermakers came into this game losing the previous two meetings and looked to bring back the Canon to Indiana. It was a strong start for Purdue as they kept Illinois from scoring for the majority of the first half and jumped out to a lead of their own. They focused on slowly taking off the time to give Illinois limited chances to respond.
Boilermakers nearly doubled Illinois’ offensive production with 219 total yards in the first half. The only problem was, Illinois was coming out of halftime with their first score of the day and the momentum.
As the game continued after the break, Purdue’s defense began to step up. They did not allow Illinois to get going on offense as they only allowed 10 points to be scored in the second half. As the Boilermakers celebrated on the turf of Gies Memorial Stadium, they raised the Canon trophy, and it was back in the possession of the black and gold for the first time since 2023.
Key Stat
Although there was not much to celebrate for the Illini, Dixon began to inch closer to breaking the program’s touchdown record. After hauling in a seven-yard catch, Dixon has accumulated eight touchdowns in five games. With seven games left in the regular season, the record seems inevitable.
Dixon ended his night with 131 yards and a touchdown.
Up Next
Illinois will travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans next Saturday. Kickoff will be at 2:30 pm for the third conference game of the season.
Takeaways
Illinois: It was a rough start for Illinois. In their first drive of the game, they let Purdue get the first points, and they followed it up with a 21-yard touchdown to trail by 13 points in the second quarter.
Illinois would have a chance at a field goal but would miss it, adding to the rough afternoon for the Illini. As the first half began to come to an end, Illinois’ offense did find some life. The Illini marched 75 yards down the field for a Collin Dixon touchdown, his eighth of the season.
In the second half, much of the same struggles continued for Illinois. Illinois had a chance to cut into Purude’s lead with another field goal at the end of the 3rd quarter. But Illinois decided to go for it on 4th down and couldn’t convert, allowing Purdue to go into the 4th quarter with a double-digit lead.
Purdue: The Boilermakers came into this game losing the previous two meetings and looked to bring back the Canon to Indiana. It was a strong start for Purdue as they kept Illinois from scoring for the majority of the first half and jumped out to a lead of their own. They focused on slowly taking off the time to give Illinois limited chances to respond.
Boilermakers nearly doubled Illinois’ offensive production with 219 total yards in the first half. The only problem was, Illinois was coming out of halftime with their first score of the day and the momentum.
As the game continued after the break, Purdue’s defense began to step up. They did not allow Illinois to get going on offense as they only allowed 10 points to be scored in the second half. As the Boilermakers celebrated on the turf of Gies Memorial Stadium, they raised the Canon trophy, and it was back in the possession of the black and gold for the first time since 2023.
Key Stat
Although there was not much to celebrate for the Illini, Dixon began to inch closer to breaking the program’s touchdown record. After hauling in a seven-yard catch, Dixon has accumulated eight touchdowns in five games. With seven games left in the regular season, the record seems inevitable.
Dixon ended his night with 131 yards and a touchdown.
Up Next
Illinois will travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans next Saturday. Kickoff will be at 2:30 pm for the third conference game of the season.