For the first time since 2011 Purdue has won its conference opener. Now it has a chance to make an early statement in the Big Ten West race if it can beat an Illinois team that struggled in week 1. Last season the Illinois beat Purdue 24-6 in a game played in a bog to win back the Purdue Cannon and take a narrow 45-44-6 lead in the all-time series.
The Purdue-Illinois series in recent years has been dominated by the road team. Purdue has won four straight in Champaign and six of the last seven. The Illini have won three of the last four in West Lafayette.