FOR OPENERS
• Kicking Off: The Fighting Illini (4-4 overall, 1-3 B1G West) and Boilermakers (2-6 overall, 1-3 B1G West) will battle for The Cannon Saturday in West Lafayette (Noon ET/11 a.m. CT, BTN).
• Block Party: Illinois is tied with Temple for the FBS lead with five blocked kicks this season (2 punts, 2 PATs, 1 FG). Junior DT Rob Bain is tied for the individual NCAA lead with three of those blocked kicks (2 PATs, 1 FG).
• D-Fence: The Fighting Illini defense over the first six games has shown vast improvement since last season.
» The Illini have improved over 65 spots in the NCAA rankings in seven different categories, including third down defense (+82), first downs allowed (+71), total defense (+71), rushing defense (+70), interceptions (+70), blocked kicks (+69) and scoring defense (+67).
» Through eight games in 2014, the Illini were allowing 475.4 ypg and 34.4 ppg. This season, they are allowing 351.8 ypg and 22.6 ppg through seven games.
» The Illini rank sixth in the nation in third-down conversion defense, allowing just 35 first downs in 123 third-down attempts this season (.285).
» The Illini have forced 39 three-and-out drives this season (4.9 per game), 19th-most in FBS. Illinois forced 44 three-and-out drives in all of 2014 (3.4 per game).
• Senior WR Geronimo Allison continues to lead the B1G in receptions per game (6.5) and is one of two B1G players averaging over 90 yards per game (91.8). With 52 catches for 734 yards this season, Allison has blown by his production from the entire 2014 season (41-598). A midseason addition to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Allison has been better in B1G play, averaging 7.0 catches and 93.0 yards per game.
• Senior DB Clayton Fejedelem is having a breakout season, leading the Big Ten in tackles per game during conference play (12.2) and ranking second in the B1G and 10th in the nation for all games (10.9 tpg). The former NAIA transfer and Illinois walk-on had a career-high 19 tackles against Wisconsin, the most by a B1G player and sixth-most by an FBS player in a game this season. In addition to his team-high 87 tackles, Fejedelem also has two interceptions, 1.5 TFLs, four PBUs and a forced fumble on the season.
• Junior LEO Dawuane Smoot is having a big year, racking up 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks through eight games. He ranks 15h in FBS in TFLs per game (1.6) and 25th in sacks per game (.75). Smoot has at least 1.0 sack in four of the last five games.
• Senior DB V'Angelo Bentley is the Illinois career leader in kick return yardage (1,635). He surpassed Pierre Thomas' record of 1,495 yards against MTSU on Sept. 26. The Hornung Award candidate is the first Illinois player in school history to record kick, punt, interception and fumble returns for TD in his career.
• Senior LB Mason Monheim has 353 career tackles, third-most among active FBS players. The Butkus and Lombardi Award candidate has forced seven career fumbles, tied for fourth most in Illinois history and
sixth-most among active FBS players.
• Cardiac Illini: The last two Fighting Illini victories were each decided in the final 10 seconds of regulation by a total of three points. Against Nebraska on Oct. 3, QB Wes Lunt found WR Geronimo Allison for a 1-yard TD with 10 seconds left for a 14-13 Illini victory. That followed up a 27-25 win over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 26 after the Blue Raiders missed a 43-yard field goal with four seconds on the clock.
• Captain Comeback: Illinois has seven fourth-quarter comeback wins in the last two seasons (five in 2014 and two so far in 2015). QB Wes Lunt has orchestrated five of those seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including both this season (vs. Middle Tennessee and vs. Nebraska).
• Tough Slate: Illinois has faced the 23rd-toughest schedule in the nation thus far, with opponents posting a .617 vs. FBS foes. The Illini's four losses (UNC, Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State) have come against teams that are a combined 29-5 overall and 16-2 in conference play.
• OL Pride: The Fighting Illini offensive line, anchored by LT Austin Schmidt, LG Chris Boles, C Joe Spencer, RG Ted Karras and RT Christian DiLauro, has allowed just 12 sacks in eight games this
season. The Illini are allowing just 1.50 sacks per game which ranks 35th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten.
BATTLE FOR THE CANNON
• This week, Illinois and Purdue will play for the coveted Cannon rivalry trophy. Purdue leads the traditional trophy series by a 33-27-2 mark.
• The Cannon is one of three rivalry trophies the Illini play for along with the Illibuck (Ohio State) and the Land of Lincoln Trophy (Northwestern).
• The Cannon, more accurately known as the Purdue Cannon, made its first trip to Champaign-Urbana in 1905 when a group of Purdue students brought it to fire after a Boilermaker victory. Purdue won the game, 29-0, but the Cannon was never fired. Illinois student Quincy Hall found the Cannon hidden near the old Illinois Field. Hall and a group of Delta Upsilon brothers confiscated the Cannon and held it until 1943, when they donated it as a symbol of the UI-Purdue rivalry. Tomahawk Service and Leadership honorary at Purdue and Illini Pride of Illinois maintain the trophy when the respective school has won it. The Cannon was last fired Nov. 4, 2001, at the Illinois football complex following the victory, but is no longer functional.
PURDUE SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 91st meeting between the Illini and Boilers, dating back to 1890. The series with Purdue is the oldest in Illinois' 125-year history. Purdue was one of two teams that Illinois played in its inaugural year of college football (the other was Illinois Wesleyan).
• Illinois leads the overall series 43-41-6, but trails 21-20-4 in games played in West Lafayette.
• The average margin of victory of the last four meetings is 6.25, with no game being decided by more than 11.
• The Illini won on their last trip to Ross-Ade Stadium in 2013, 20-16, but the Boilers won last year in Champaign, 38-27, and have taken three of the last four overall and 11 of the last 15 dating back to 1994.
HIGHLIGHTS AGAINST THE BOILERMAKERS
• Illinois' defense held Purdue scoreless after four Illini turnovers and limited the Boilers to just 133 yards of offense in the game's final 48 minutes as the Orange and Blue snapped a 20-game Big Ten losing streak with a 20-16 victory at Ross-Ade Stadium on Nov. 23, 2013. Current running backs coach Nathan Scheelhaase completed 24 of 30 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
• The Illini's 450 passing yards vs. Purdue in 2014 is tied for the sixth-most in Illinois history. Wes Lunt threw for 332 of those yards before leaving early in the fourth quarter due to injury.
• WR Mike Dudek caught eight passes for 200 yards, the fourth-most receiving yards in program history, in last year's win over Purdue.
• RB Josh Ferguson is averaging 110.7 all-purpose yards in three previous game against Purdue. He accounted for 139 yards, including 10 rec. for 79 yards, in 2014. In 2013 he ran for 115 yards on 20 carries.
• DB V'Angelo Bentley snuffed out a potential game-winning drive by the Boilers by intercepting Danny Etling at the Illinois 13 with just over a minute left in the game in 2013.
• LB Mason Monheim has 23 tackles and 3.0 TFLs in three career games against Purdue.
• PK Taylor Zalewski made a career-long 54-yard field goal, the third-longest in school history, in the 2012 game against Purdue. He added two field goals in 2013 and has 11 career points against the Boilers.
• Illinois head coach Bill Cubit faced Purdue in the 2011 Little Cesars Bowl when he was the head coach at Western Michigan. The Boilermakers recovered two onside kicks in the first half en route to a 37-32 win over Cubit's Broncos.
• Purdue head coach Darrell Hazell is 1-1 against Illinois. Hazell, who was the head coach at Kent State from 2011-12, beat a Cubit-led Western Michigan team, 41-24, in 2012.
• Dan Beaver's 57-yard field goal vs. Purdue 10/18/1975 still stands as the longest in Illini history.
• David WIlliams set the Illinois single-game record with 16 receptions at Purdue 10/12/1985.
ILLINI FACING TOUGH STATE IN 2015
• Illinois has faced a formidable schedule thus far in 2015, as its slate is currently ranked as the 23rd-toughest among FBS institutions in the latest NCAA strength of schedule list. Opponents have combined for a 29-18 record (.617) against FBS opponents (not counting their games against the Illini).
• When the records of future opponents are factored in, including No. 1 Ohio State (8-0) on Nov. 14, the Illini schedule projects to rank as the 17th toughest in the nation.
• Illinois' four losses have come against teams that are a combined 29-5 overall and 16-2 in conference play – No. 21 North Carolina (7-1, 4-0), No. 10 Iowa (8-0, 4-0), Wisconsin (7-2, 4-1) and Penn State (7-2, 4-1).
Block Party
• Illinois leads the NCAA, along with Temple, with five blocked kicks in 2015 (2 punts, 2 PATs, 1 FG), the most for an Illinois team since the 2001 Big Ten Champs blocked six kicks. Junior DT Rob Bain is tied for the individual NCAA lead with three of those five blocks.
» In week eight at Penn State, Bain blocked two PATs back-to-back following the Nittany Lions' first two scores. It marked the first time the Illini had two blocked kicks in a game since 2003 at Purdue.
» In week four against Middle Tennessee, junior DB Caleb Day blocked a punt and senior FS Clayton Fejedelem recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
» In week two against Western Illinois, sophomore CB Jaylen Dunlap blocked a punt and sophomore WR Marchie Murdock returned it 12 yards for a touchdown. Prior to that, the last Illinois blocked punt for a touchdown was by Vontae Davis against Missouri on Sept. 1, 2007.
» In week one against Kent State, Bain blocked a field goal in the second quarter. It was the first blocked field goal by an Illini since V'Angelo Bentley on September 9, 2012, against Penn State.
NO FLY ZONE
The improvement of the Illini defense in 2015, led by co-defensive coordinators Tim Banks and Mike Phair, has been remarkable. The Illini have jumped over 60 spots in national rankings from last season in several categories and currently are in the top-30 nationally in blocked kicks, third down defense, TFLs and first downs allowed.
| ILLINOIS' DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT IN 2015 |
| Category | 2014 (Nat'l Rk) | 2015 (Nat'l Rk) | Improvement |
| Blocked Kicks (total) | 1 (70) | 5 (1) | +69 |
| Third Down Conversion % | .423 (88) | .285 (6) | +82 |
| Tackles for Loss (per game) | 6.3 (49) | 7.9 (15) | +34 |
| First Downs Allowed (per game) | 22.5 (101) | 17.9 (30) | +71 |
| Interceptions (total) | 7 (105) | 9 (35) | +70 |
| Total Defense (ypg) | 456.4 (109) | 351.8 (38) | +71 |
| Scoring Defense (ppg) | 34.0 (107) | 22.6 (40) | +67 |
| Pass Efficiency Defense (rating) | 136.0 (95) | 116.85 (41) | +54 |
| Rushing Defense (ypg) | 239.2 (115) | 145.8 (45) | +70 |
GERONIMOOOOOOOO!
• Senior WR Geronimo Allison has 52 receptions for 734 yards this season, leading the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.5) and ranking in the top-25 nationally in receptions and receiving yards per game (91.8, 20th).
• Allison has been hot as of late, with 38 receptions for 500 yards and two touchdowns in the last five games. He has five career 100-yard games, most recently an 8-catch, 148-yard performance at Iowa on Oct. 10, and narrowly missed his sixth two weeks ago against Wisconsin (8 catches, 99 yards).
• Allison caught the game-winning TD against Nebraska, a 1-yard strike from Wes Lunt with 10 second left in the game to put the Illini up 14-13. He finished with eight receptions for 91 yards against the Huskers.
HE'S LUNT, HE'S LUNT, HE'S LUNT, HE'S IN MY HEAD
• Junior QB Wes Lunt leads the Big Ten in completions per game (21.8) and ranks fifth in the conference in passing yards per game (228.9) and sixth in passing touchdowns (9).
• Lunt has thrown 23 touchdowns against just seven interceptions in his UI career.
• With just four interceptions in 313 pass attempts this season, Lunt is one of just eight players in the nation with over 250 attempts and four or less INTs this season, and one of just four with 300+ attempts.
• Lunt had a streak of 190 straight pass attempts without an interception snapped in the fourth quarter against Wisconsin. It was the third-longest active streak in the nation at the time.
Complete Illinois-Purdue Game Notes (PDF)
