SATURDAY'S PROMOTIONS
   » Homecoming – Celebrating the University of Illinois' 108th Homecoming | Details
   » Tailgating at Grange Grove – 11:30 am-2:30 pm (Interactive games, food trucks and live music)
   » Illini Walk – 12:15 pm through Grange Grove
OPENING KICK
• No Place Like Home: Fresh off a road win at Rutgers, the Fighting Illini (3-2, 1-1 B1G) return home to host Purdue (2-3, 1-1 B1G) at Memorial Stadium Saturday as part of the University of Illinois' 108th Homecoming celebration (2:30 pm CT on FS1).
• Lovie Ball: Takeaways have long been a staple of Lovie Smith defenses. That trend continues this year as the Illini lead the Big Ten and rank sixth nationally in turnovers gained per game (2.40).Â
   » The Illini's 2.0 interceptions per game leads the B1G and is tied for second nationally. The 10 total interceptions is tied for fourth in FBS. Â
   » Illinois' turnover margin of +1.60 per game leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally.
   » A pair of Illini share the Big Ten lead and are tied for fourth in FBS – CB Jartavius Martin and LB Del'Shawn Phillips with three interceptions each.Â
   » Illinois has forced a turnover in 19 straight games and has at least two in every game this season. The last time the Illini did not have at least one takeaway was 11/12/16 at Wisconsin.
• Big Play Run Game: The Illini running game is not only one of the best in the nation, it's also very explosive.Â
   » After rushing for 330 yards at Rutgers, the Illini are averaging 260.8 yards per game, good for 13th in FBS.Â
   » Illinois has 11 rushing plays of 30+ yards and seven of 40+ yards, both tied for third-most in FBS. In all of 2017 (12 games), the Illini had five and two, respectively.Â
   » Running backs Reggie Corbin (7.86 ypc) and Mike Epstein (6.79 ypc) rank 1-2 in the Big Ten in yards per carry. Corbin ranks fourth in FBS while Epstein is 12th.Â
• Getting Offensive: The revamped Illinois offense, directed by new offensive coordinator Rod Smith, has made huge improvements in 2018. The Illini have jumped at least 50 spots in the national rankings from 2017 to 2018 in several key offensive categories, the biggest a 109-place jump in rushing offense. Â
| Â ILLINOIS OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT IN 2018 |
| Category |
2017 (Final Nat'l Rk) |
2018 (Current Nat'l Rk) |
Difference |
| Rushing Offense (ypg) |
105.6 (122) |
260.3 (13) |
+109 |
| Turnovers Lost (total) |
26 (115) |
4 (6) |
+109 |
| Rushes of 40+ Yards |
2 (95) |
7 (3) |
+92 |
| Scrim. Plays of 40+ Yards |
8 (114) |
8 (32) |
+82 |
| Total Offense (ypg) |
280.4 (126) |
411.0 (66) |
+60 |
| Scoring Offense (ppg) |
15.4 (126) |
29.2 (71) |
+55 |
| First Downs (per game) |
14.5 (125) |
21.2 (70) |
+55 |
• Bush is Back: After missing the previous 2 1/2 games due to injury, graduate transfer QB AJ Bush Jr. returned to start in the win at Rutgers, running for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Bush also rushed for 139 yards against Kent State, making him the first Illini QB with multiple 100-yard rushing games in a season since Nathan Scheelhaase recorded four in 2010. Bush also threw his first touchdown pass as an Illini against the Scarlet Knights, an 11-yard back-shoulder throw to Ricky Smalling in the fourth quarter.
• Breaking Up Is (Not) Hard To Do: Illinois ranks seventh in the nation in passes defended per game (6.80). The Illini have 34 passes defended on the year (24 PBUs and 10 interceptions).Â
   » The Illini defensive line has racked up 11 pass breakups in the first five games, led by sophomore DE Bobby Roundtree, who is tied for the FBS lead in PBUs by a defensive lineman (5) with ECU's Kendall Futrell.
• Well Isn't That Special: Special teams has been a big plus for the Illini, with senior PK Chase McLaughlin leading the nation in 50+ field goals (3, tied) and ranking second in 40+ field goals (7) and sophomore P Blake Hayes leading Big Ten and ranking 11th in FBS in punting average (45.6 ypp).
HONORING THE GALLOPING GHOST
• For the fifth straight Homecoming game, the Fighting Illini will honor Hall of Famer Harold "Red" Grange, the Galloping Ghost, by wearing special "Gray Ghost" alternate uniforms against the Boilermakers.
• The uniforms debuted at Homecoming 2014 on the 90th anniversary of Grange's historic Homecoming performance against Michigan in the Memorial Stadium dedication game on Oct. 18, 1924. In that game, Grange scored four touchdowns and racked up 262 total yards in the first 12 minutes, then ran for a fifth touchdown and threw for a sixth to lead the Illini to a 39-14 victory in what many consider the greatest single-game performance in college football history.Â
ILLINOIS HOMECOMING FACTS
• The first homecoming celebrated on Illinois' campus was on Oct. 15, 1910, which the Illini won 3-0 over Chicago. This year's game against Purdue marks the 108th #ILLINOIShomecoming.
• Illinois has an all-time record of 45-60-2 on Homecoming, with its last victory coming against Minnesota in 2014.Â
• This year marks the ninth time overall and the first time since 1997 that the Illini will host Purdue on Homecoming. Illinois is 1-6-1 all-time in Homecoming games against the Boilermakers.Â
• Illinois boasts being one of the first universities to celebrate Homecoming, a tradition on almost every college campus. It was conceived in 1909 by students C.F. Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident senior society. They joined with another society, Phoenix, to organize the three-day event.
• For years, there has been a debate over which university had the first homecoming. Historians from various schools found research that puts Illinois among one of the first five universities to celebrate the Homecoming tradition. Baylor has documented proof of a formally named Homecoming celebration in 1909, but took a six-year hiatus before celebrating the second event at the school in 1915. Northern Illinois had alumni events beginning in 1906, but didn't use the proper noun "Homecoming" until 1911. Indiana University renamed their 1909 Gala Day to Homecoming on Nov. 5, 1910, and Michigan began inviting alumni back to campus in 1897, but the formal name began on the Ann Arbor campus in 1916.
BATTLE FOR THE CANNON
• Illinois and Purdue will play for the coveted Cannon rivalry trophy. Purdue leads the traditional trophy series by a 35-28-2 mark (though Illinois leads the overall series 44-43-6).
• Purdue currently holds the Cannon after wins in 2016 and 2017.
• 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.
THE ILLINOIS-PURDUE SERIES
• Saturday marks the 94th meeting between the Fighting Illini and the Boilermakers.
• Illinois leads the all-time series against Purdue 44-43-6, including a 23-21-2 record in Champaign.
• Purdue beat Illinois 29-10 last season in West Lafayette in QB Cam Thomas' first career start. Thomas was 10-for-20 passing for 159 yards. TE Lou Dorsey caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Jeff George Jr.
• In 2016, Purdue's last visit to Champaign, Illinois fought back from a halftime deficit for a chance to win with three seconds left in a 31-31 game against Purdue in Champaign, but a last-second field goal hit the upright to force overtime. The Boilermakers capitalized with a 28-yard game-winning field goal to defeat the Fighting Illini 34-31. QB Chayce Crouch entered the game for an injured Wes Lunt and ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns and passed for another 142 yards. RB Reggie Corbin rushed for a then career-best 92 yards and two touchdowns and WR Malik Turner had nine catches for 129 yards.
• Purdue has won two straight meetings since Illinois blew out the Boilermakers 48-14 in West Lafayette in 2015. Wes Lunt threw three first-half touchdowns, Ke'Shawn Vaughn finished with 16 carries for 180 yards, and Josh Ferguson added 12 rushes for 133 yards. Malik Turner caught a 32-yard TD pass from Lunt in the first quarter and Kendrick Foster scored his first-career TD on an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter.
ILLINOIS-PURDUE CONNECTIONS
• Illinois AD Josh Whitman grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana.
• Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm was the quarterbacks coach at Illinois from 2010-11.
• Purdue co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Nick Holt served the same position at USC during the 2007 season when Illinois faced the Trojans in the 2008 Rose Bowl.
• Adam Solomon is the only Illini from Indiana. Purdue has nine Illinois natives on its roster.Â
• QB Jeff George Sr. played at both Purdue (1986) and Illinois (1988 & '89) before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1990 NFL Draft.
» Complete Illinois-Purdue Game Notes (PDF)
