How to Watch Purdue vs. No. 22 Illinois — TV Info, Key Players, Prediction and More

Another chapter gets added to the Purdue-Illinois rivalry this weekend. On Saturday, the 22nd-ranked Fighting Illini travel to West Lafayette for a showdown with the Boilermakers, the first Big Ten game in October.

These two teams have produced highly competitive games over the years. Can we expect another one this weekend?

Here's everything you need to know about Saturday's Big Ten clash.

Purdue (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) vs. Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)

Fighting Illinois players celebrate with the Purdue Cannon in a 50-49 win | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

What: Big Ten Conference game/Rivalry game (Purdue Cannon)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025
Kickoff time: Noon ET
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. (61,441 capacity)
TV: Big Ten Network
TV announcers: Mark Followill (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst), Rhett Lewis (sideline)
Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); SiriusXM Ch. 138; View all listings: CLICK HERE
Radio announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Kelly Kitchel (sidelines), Rob Blackmon (producer).
Spread: Illinois is a 9.5-point favorite as of Wednesday, Oct. 1 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
All-time series: Purdue leads Illinois 48-46-6.
Last meeting: Illinois defeated Purdue 50-49 (OT) in Champaign on Oct. 12, 2024
Weather: The high is 83 degrees and the low is 61 degrees in West Lafayette on Saturday, per Weather.com. The temperature at kickoff is expected to be 78 degrees, with 0% chance of rain. Winds are expected to be between 5 and 9 mph with gusts up to 16 mph from the SW.

Team stats

Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) looks to throw | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Offense

Offensive statistics	#22 Illinois Fighting Illini	Purdue Boilermakers
Scoring	35.8 ppg	28.0 ppg
Rushing yards	133.4 ypg	106.3 ypg
Passing yards	242.6 ypg	279.5 ypg
Total yards	376.0 ypg	385.7 ypg
Turnovers	3	6
3rd down conversions	43.4%	45.3%
Red zone conversions	81.8%	72.2%

Defense

Defensive statistics	#22 Illinois Fighting Illini	Purdue Boilermakers
Points allowed	23.4 ppg	26.5 ppg
Rushing yards allowed	132.0 ypg	157.3 ypg
Passing yards allowed	242.4 ypg	213.0
Total yards	374.4 ypg	370.3
Takeaways	8	1
Opp. 3rd down conversions	44.4%	40.4%
Opp. red zone conversions	87.5%	78.6%

Players to watch

Purdue

Ryan Browne, QB — Nobody will forget Browne's unbelievable performance against Illinois last season, throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 118 yards in a 50-49 loss. Can he replicate that type of performance? Browne has had some great moments this season, but has also endured some struggles. Through four games, he's thrown for 1,036 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. He also has a pair of rushing touchdowns.

Nitro Tuggle, WR —Tuggle is a player who has improved as Purdue's 2025 season has continued. He has totaled more than 65 receiving yards in each of the last two games and has caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive contests. He's an explosive playmaker at receiver and is gaining confidence with each passing week.

Myles Slusher, DB — Slusher has really produced over the last two weeks and is now Purdue's top tackler with 28 stops on the season. In the Sept. 20 loss to Notre Dame, the senior defensive back also put a big hit on quarterback CJ Carr, jarring the ball loose and resulting in the team's first takeaway of the year. The Boilermakers need more big-time plays from one of their veteran defensive backs.

Charles Correa, LB — Through four games, Correa has provided Purdue with a solid level of consistency at the linebacker spot. He's recorded at least three tackles in every game and has caused a lot of chaos in the backfield, totaling a team-best 3.5 tackles for loss. It's been a tremendous start for a player who tallied just 16 stops at UNLV last year.

Illinois

Luke Altmyer, QB — Altmyer has lived up to the hype so far this season. The senior quarterback has thrown for 1,183 yards with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. He's also maintained a 71.4% completion rate through five games. He's incredibly efficient, plays mistake-free football, and can use his legs well when under pressure. Altmyer is also coming off one of his best performances of the year, throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-32 win over USC.

Hank Beatty, WR — Is there anything the senior receiver can't do? Not only has Beatty been Illinois' top receiver with 383 yards on 27 receptions, but he's also scored a touchdown on a punt return, has a rushing touchdown, and has thrown a touchdown pass. Basically, Beatty knows how to find the end zone. He's the most versatile player on Illinois' offense and can hurt opponents in a variety of ways.

Gabe Jacas, LB — Offensive lines have had a lot of trouble trying to block Jacas this season. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound linebacker is among the Big Ten's leaders in sacks, totaling 4.0 through five games. He also has 16 tackles, three quarterback hurries and has forced two fumbles. Jacas has been a major problem since the beginning of the season and can cause trouble for Purdue's offensive front.

Leon Lowery Jr., LB — Lowery is another effective Illini linebacker. He's tallied three tackles for loss and two sacks in the first five games, continuing to give Illinois a great push in the trenches.

The coaches

Barry Odom, Purdue

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Odom is in his first year at Purdue after a successful two-year run at UNLV. The Rebels won 20 games in the past two seasons, reaching the Mountain West Championship Game each of the last two years. It was an impressive turnaround for a program that has struggled to find and sustain success over the course of its history.

Now, Odom comes to Purdue hoping to turn things around in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers ended the 2024 campaign with a 1-11 record. Although many would consider this a rebuilding project, Odom has refused to use that terminology with his team.

This year will be Odom's seventh as a college head coach. He was at Missouri from 2016-19, posting a 25-25 record and reaching a bowl game twice in that span. As an assistant coach, Odom has worked at Missouri (2003-15) and Arkansas (2020-22).

Overall record: 46-35
Record at Purdue: 2-2

Bret Bielema, Illinois

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Bielema is in his fifth year at Illinois, 12th as a head coach in the Big Ten, and 17th season overall. He has completely revitalized and rejuvenated the Fighting Illini, taking the program from a bottom-feeder in the conference to a regular postseason contender.

In 2024, Bielema led Illinois to a 10-3 record, the program's first 10-win season since 2001. In his first four seasons with the Fighting Illini, the program had a 28-22 record and two postseason appearances.

A former nose guard at Iowa, Bielema jumped into coaching in 1994 as a graduate assistant for the Hawkeyes, where he stayed through 2001, working as a linebackers coach beginning in 1996. He then went to Kansas State for two seasons (2002-03) and was hired at Wisconsin as the defensive coordinator in 2004. In 2006, Bielema took over for legendary coach Barry Alvarez. He coached the Badgers from 2006-12, piling up a 68-24 record and winning three straight Big Ten titles from 2010-12.

Bielema then left Wisconsin to become the head coach at Arkansas. He spent five years with the Razorbacks, going to three bowl games and posting a 29-34 record. Bielema was let go following the 2017 season and spent time with the NFL's New England Patriots and New York Giants before taking the job at Illinois.

Overall record: 129-81
Record at Illinois: 32-23

Preview and prediction

Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) runs with the ball | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

There were some questions about Illinois' legitimacy after a 63-10 loss to Indiana on Sept. 20 in Bloomington. Injuries and poor play allowed things to spiral out of control, but Bielema's squad responded with a thrilling 34-32 win over USC last weekend. How do the Illini feel headed into Ross-Ade Stadium this weekend?

Illinois is a team that gets tremendous play from its defensive line and linebackers, tallying 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks through five games. That poses trouble for a Purdue offensive line that has really struggled in both run blocking and protecting the quarterback.

Purdue will have to rely heavily on quick passes and unique play designs to keep the Fighting Illini off balance. The good news? The Boilermakers have had an extra week to prepare, having last weekend off.

The Boilermakers' secondary will have to show some significant improvements. They're charged with keeping Altmyer in check, a quarterback who has 11 touchdowns and no interceptions through five contests. In other words, he's incredibly efficient and doesn't make mistakes.

Again, that poses some problems for Purdue, because the defense has forced just one turnover this season and has surrendered 18 scrimmage plays of 20 yards or longer, 14 of which have come through the air.

Purdue is still a team that has scratched and fought until the final second, regardless of score. Bielema had troubles against Odom in the SEC (0-2) and has struggled against Purdue since taking over at Illinois (1-3). Plus, this will be the Illini's sixth straight game without an off week.

There is a lot favoring Illinois in this game, but I believe the Boilers find a way to pull off an upset.

Score prediction — Purdue 31, Illinois 27