Oct. 21, 1905: There are 45 states in the U.S., its President is former “Rough Rider” Teddy Roosevelt, and just two weeks earlier the Wright Flyer III had managed to stay in the air for a record-breaking 39 minutes.
And amidst all of this, the Illinois Fighting Illini under second-year head coach Fred Lowenthal prepare to kick off Western Conference play at home against the Purdue Boilermakers. The Illini entered the game with a perfect 4-0 record, after defeating the St. Louis Billikens the week before by a score of 12-6.
Purdue also entered the game undefeated, having earned a victory over the Wabash College Little Giants the previous week.