CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois football team kicks off its home schedule Saturday with the Battle for the Cannon against Purdue. Big Ten Network will carry the television broadcast at 11 a.m. CT with Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst), and Rick Pizzo (sideline) on the call. 

HOME OPENER UNLIKE ANY OTHER

LIMITED ATTENDANCE

• Illinois will host families of coaches and student-athletes from both teams as the only fans in attendance in accordance with the Big Ten rule due to COVID-19. 
• There are expected to be about 1,000 people in the 60,670-seat Memorial Stadium. 
• More than 1,100 cutouts will also be in the stands, including photos of the Marching Illini, Illinettes Dance Team, and the Illinois cheerleading team. For an added donation to the Bobby Roundtree Trust, cutouts could be returned to fans with a Lovie Smith autograph.

HOME OPENER WINNING STREAK

• Illinois has 22 consecutive home-opening wins, the fourth-longest active streak in the nation behind only Florida (31), Oklahoma State (25) and Wisconsin (25).
• Illinois has not lost a home opener since 1997, a 24-7 loss to Southern Mississippi on 9/6/1997.
• Illinois is 92-33-5 all-time in home-openers.

PANDEMIC TIMELINE

• March 13 » Big Ten suspends all athletic activities.
• June 8 » Members of the Illinois team begin returning to campus for voluntary workouts.
• June 30 » Lovie Smith and the staff begin returning to campus.
• Aug. 5 » Big Ten announces 10-game schedule beginning Sept. 3.
• Aug. 6 » Illinois begins football practice. 
• Aug. 11 » Big Ten presidents and chancellors postpone all fall sports. 
• Sept. 16 » Big Ten announces the season will begin Oct. 23-24.
• Sept. 19 » Big Ten schedule announces 9-game schedule. 
• Sept. 30 » Illinois begins padded practices, exactly nine months after the Redbox Bowl.
• Oct. 12 » Illinois at Wisconsin moved to Friday, Oct. 23.

ILLINOIS STATS AND NOTES

THE CANNON

• Illinois is looking to claim The Cannon rivalry trophy for the second consecutive year after a 24-6 rain-soaked win last season at Purdue.
• Illinois rushed for a season-high 242 yards 10/26/19 at Ross-Ade Stadium in the second win of what ended up being a four-game winning streak.
• The conditions were so bad that Illinois never attempted to get a passing game going, attempting only' seven passes and completing only three (both Illinois' fewest in a game since at least 2000).
• Illinois held Purdue to six points, the Boilermakers' lowest total since a 56-0 loss vs. Ohio State 11/2/2013.
• Illinois' six points allowed were the fewest allowed by the Illini in a Big Ten road game since a 3-3 tie at Wisconsin 11/25/1995. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

• Illinois is 10-7-1 all-time on Halloween.

BARNES BREAKS OUT

• LB Jake Hansen left last week's game in the first half with an injury and was replaced by Tarique Barnes, who received his first significant playing time. Barnes had a team-high 11 tackles (seven solo), 1.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, and a 39-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
• Barnes is fourth in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation in tackles per game (11.0).
• Barnes is the No. 4 graded linebacker in the nation according to PFF (88.2), behind only Tulsa's Zaven Collins (92.1), Army's Jon Rhattigan (90.40, and North Texas' Grayson Murphy (89.3).
• Barnes was the No. 6 graded linebacker in the nation last week according to PFF.

ALL-ILLINOIS OFFENSIVE LINE

The offensive line returns four starters from one of the best groups in the Big Ten in 2019. Returning are junior Kendrick Green, senior Doug Kramer, senior Vederian Lowe, and senior Alex Palczewski.      

• In addition to the returning four, Illinois starts an all-Illinois offensive line. Sophomore Verdis Brown was announced as the starting right guard by head coach Lovie Smith on Oct. 19.
• Palczewski-Kramer-Green-Lowe have started 25 games together (all 12 in 2018, 12 of 13 in 2019, 1 in 2020). The group had started 24 straight games together before Kramer missed the Redbox Bowl with an injury.
• The group has combined for 130 career starts, the most in the Big Ten.
• Illinois has the highest rated returning offensive line in the Big Ten according to Pro Football Focus. The Illini's returners grade 81.6, ahead of second place Ohio State (80.1) and third place Iowa (79.8).

TRANSFER U

The Illini's have had huge success in the transfer market. Some of the notables...      

• RB Chase Brown – Brother of DB Sydney Brown transferred from WMU and has competed for the starting running back spot
• WR Desmond Dan Jr. – New Mexico State grad transfer adds WR depth
• LB Milo Eifler – Second-year starter for the Illini after transferring from Washington
• TE Luke Ford – Former No. 1 TE recruit in the nation sat out last year after transferring from Georgia
• WR Brian Hightower – Former four-star recruit transferred from Miami (Fla.)
• TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe – Brother of Josh and former USC TE is a grad transfer
• WR Josh Imatorbhebhe – Illini's leading receiver last year after transferring from USC
• OL Blake Jeresaty – FCS All-American grad transferred from Wofford (injured, out for the year)
• WR Donny Navarro – Valpo transfer had a big second-half of the season in 2019
• DL Roderick Perry II – NFL Draft prospect grad transferred from South Carolina State
• QB Brandon Peters – Second-year starter for the Illini after transferring from Michigan
• WR Trevon Sidney – USC transfer had 16 catches for 123 yards last year before an injury
• LB Derrick Smith – Potential starter sat out last year after transferring from Miami (Fla.)

THREE TWO-TIME CAPTAINS

• Illinois has five captains for the season: Doug Kramer, Brandon Peters, Jake Hansen, Nate Hobbs, and Blake Hayes.
• The captains were selected by a vote of the student-athletes and staff.
• Kramer, Hansen, and Hayes were named captains for the second consecutive year. It is the first time in program history the Illini have had three two-time captains on the roster.

ALL-TIME SERIES

ILLINOIS vs. PURDUE

• Series: Illinois leads, 45-44-6
• Last: Illinois 24, Purdue 6 (10/26/2019 at Purdue)
• Streak: Illinois W1
• at Champaign: Series tied, 22-22-2
• Illinois and Purdue will play for the coveted Cannon rivalry trophy. Purdue leads the traditional trophy series by a 36-29-2 mark (though Illinois leads the overall series, 45-44-6).
• 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.
• Illinois AD Josh Whitman grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana.
• Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm was the quarterbacks coach at Illinois from 2010-11.