Battle for the Cannon: Illinois vs. Purdue
September 19, 2021 | Football
News
On Saturday, Illinois and Purdue will play for the coveted Cannon rivalry trophy in West Lafayette (2:30 p.m. CT on BTN).
• Purdue leads the traditional trophy series by a 39-30-2 mark dating back to 1943, while the overall series is tied 45-45-6.
• The Boilermakers currently hold the Cannon after a 31-24 win in Champaign last season.
• Illinois last took The Cannon in 2019 with a 24-6 rain-soaked win in West Lafeyette.
• The away team has won seven of the last nine meetings between the two teams.
• 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.
