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First Look at Illinois Football Week 6 Opponent: Purdue Boilermakers

The Illini must stay focused in a tricky rivalry matchup at Purdue to protect their strong start to the season
Pranav Hegde|
Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) throws a pass during the second half against the USC Trojans at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) throws a pass during the second half against the USC Trojans at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting IlliniPurdue Boilermakers

It was a massive, potentially season-saving win for Illinois in Saturday's homecoming matchup against USC in Champaign. Now sitting at 4-1 (1-1 Big Ten) and No. 22 in the AP poll, the Illini have set themselves back on track – with all of their preseason goals still within reach, so long as the team continues to take care of business week after week. Next up is a trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, where Purdue – coming off of a bye week – awaits in the Battle for the Cannon.

Purdue at a glance

The Boilermakers roll into Week 6 looking far different from the group that stumbled to a 1-11 finish a year ago. First-year head coach Ryan Odom – coming off a successful run at UNLV – has wasted no time reshaping the roster, bringing in a staggering 54 transfers, according to 247Sports.

But even with the influx of new talent, it’s clear that Purdue is still very much a work in progress. The Boilermakers are 2-2, with their only wins coming against Ball State and FCS foe Southern Illinois. Against tougher competition, they have struggled to find consistency – although they did show some fight in a home loss to USC, playing the Trojans within two scores before falling by 16.

For now, Purdue remains one of the Big Ten’s lower-tier teams, but Odom’s rebuild is only just beginning, and Illinois can’t afford to overlook a rivalry game on the road.

The Boilermakers on the field

Purdue is led by a quarterback who is all too familiar to Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. Sophomore Ryan Browne made his first career start last season in Champaign – and lit up the Illini defense, leading the Boilermakers to a 49-point outburst. After a brief stop in the transfer portal, Browne returned to West Lafayette and has been steady through four games, passing for more than 1,000 yards, with six touchdowns against five interceptions.

Browne doesn’t key in on one target, instead spreading the ball around to a balanced receiving corps. Senior Michael Jackson II (no relation to the King of Pop) provides the veteran presence, while sophomores Nitro Tuggle and Arhmad Branch have quickly emerged as reliable options. Together, the trio has accounted for six scores and nearly 600 yards.

On the ground, the Boilermakers lean on senior running back Devin Mockobee, one of the few holdovers from last year’s roster. He has logged 276 yards and three touchdowns, though his 3.5 yards per carry suggests a rushing attack still searching for consistency.

Defensively, Purdue has been up and down. The Boilermakers showed life by "limiting" USC’s explosive offense to just 33 points, but they were exposed a week later by Notre Dame. The defensive line has been disruptive, tallying 10 sacks through four games, but takeaways have been scarce; Purdue has forced just one turnover in 2025.

Illinois vs. Purdue matchup


Coming off a huge win over USC and with a clash against No. 1 Ohio State on deck, Purdue has all the makings of a classic trap game. It’s almost deja vu for Illinois – last year’s meeting with the Boilermakers fell between a matchup with Penn State and a marquee showdown with Michigan, and the Illini almost paid the price. The expectation this time around is that Bret Bielema and his staff recognize the danger and will have their team locked in to handle business against a lesser opponent.

Team

2025 Record

PPG

PPG Allowed

3rd Down %

3rd Down % Allowed

Red Zone %

Red Zone % Allowed

TOs

Opponent TOs

Illinois

4-1

35.8

23.4

43.4

44.4

81.8

87.5

3

8

Purdue

2-2

28.0

26.5

45.3

40.4

72.2

78.6

6

1

For offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. and company, this week presents a chance to keep the momentum rolling. Luke Altmyer is fresh off perhaps the best performance of his career, and he’ll have an opportunity to build on it against a Purdue defense that was shredded by Notre Dame. The Illini offensive line looked revitalized against USC and should be able to continue finding rhythm before facing a far more daunting Ohio State front.

Defensively, Illinois still has questions to answer. After the debacle at Indiana, the unit was expected to bounce back at home, but while its play improved, the Illini D still struggled to get off the field on third and fourth downs. A veteran group, it will be looking to re-establish an identity in West Lafayette.

All told, this is a game Illinois should control if it approaches it with focus. But rivalry games rarely follow the script. Overlook Purdue, and the Illini risk a letdown that could derail their postseason aspirations.

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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