How to Watch Purdue vs. Illinois With TV, Radio, Forecast, Stats & Preview
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For the second straight week, Purdue is playing a trophy game. The Boilermakers make the short drive to Champaign this weekend for a matchup against Illinois, playing for the Purdue Cannon.
Neither Purdue nor Illinois is off to a great start this season. Both teams are coming off lopsided losses last weekend, with the Boilers falling 49-10 to No. 3 Notre Dame and the Fighting Illini suffering a 42-19 defeat to No. 5 Ohio State.
A win would be significant for both programs and could potentially turn things around as we enter Big Ten play.
Here's everything you need to know for Saturday's rivalry bout between Purdue and Illinois.
How to follow along
- What: Purdue (1-3, 0-1 B1G) vs. Illinois (2-2, 0-1 B1G)
- When: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026
- Where: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
- Kickoff: 4:15 p.m. ET
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Stream: FOX One
- TV announcers: Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), Dannie Rogers (sideline)
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette) |100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne) |1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis) | 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute) |1450 AM WXVW (Louisville) | SiriusXM Ch. 180
- Radio announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Kelly Kitchel (sideline), Rob Blackmon (producer)
- Live stats: StatBroadcast
Forecast
Excellent football weather will grace the skies in Champaign on Saturday. It will be a chilly morning, with temperatures dipping below the 50-degree mark. By kickoff, it'll be a beautiful 70-degree day. However, be sure to pack a sweater, light jacket or hoodie, because the temperatures will drop to 60 degrees during Saturday's game (via weather.com).
- High temp: 70
- Low temp: 47
- Kickoff temp: 70
- Skies: Cloudy
- Rain chances: 0% (0% at kickoff)
- Wind: 4-8 mph (E)
- Humidity: 53% at kickoff, 66% average
Scouting Illinois
Bret Bielema, head coach
- 6th season at Illinois (2021-Present)
- 39-28 record with Fighting Illini
- Three bowl appearances in last four seasons
- 10-3 record in 2024
- Spent seven seasons at Wisconsin
- Posted 68-24 record with Badgers
- Guided Wisconsin to three straight Big Ten titles (2010-12)
- Four seasons with 10+ wins
- Coached at Arkansas for five seasons
- Went 29-34 with three bowl appearances
- Overall record of 136-86
- 13 bowl appearances in 17 seasons
- 2006 Big Ten Coach of the Year
Top players
- Katin Houser, QB — Houser is off to a good start at Illinois, throwing for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns through the team's first four games. Although the Fighting Illini struggled against Ohio State, he put up solid numbers against a talented defense, finishing the contest with 263 yards and a touchdown. He's completing 67.5% of his passes, as well.
- Aidan Laughery, RB — An explosive player out of the backfield, Laughery has rushed for 206 total yards in games against Southern Illinois and Ohio State. He totaled 93 yards on just four carries against the Salukis and averaged 10.3 yards per carry on his way to a 113-yard performance against the Buckeyes. Laughery is averaging 8.24 yards per carry on 33 touches this season.
- Collin Dixon, WR — The top target in Illinois' passing attack, Dixon has hauled in seven of Houser's nine touchdown passes so far this season. He has also posted team highs in receptions (30) and yards (430). He had 166 yards against Duke and followed it up with a 131-yard performance against Southern Illinois the next week.
- Ca'Lil Valentine, RB — Valentine has carried the football 48 times this season, accounting for 224 yards and a touchdown. He hasn't had those explosive performances like Laughery, but he's provided consistency out of the backfield for the Fighting Illini this season. He has had at least 10 touches in three of Illinois' first four games and has exceeded 50 yards twice.
- Matthew Bailey, DB — Through four games, Bailey has been Illinois' top defensive player. He has accounted for a team-high 28 tackles and had a pick-six in Week 3 against Southern Illinois. The defensive back has also had a tackle for loss and a pass break-up for the Fighting Illini.
- Joe Barna, DL — Barna has been Illinois' most disruptive defensive lineman, accounting for 2.5 tackles for loss and 11 total tackles. He needs more help in the trenches, but he's done a good job getting into the backfield and disrupting opposing offenses.
Boilers to watch
- Ryan Browne, QB — Browne has provided stability under center for the Boilermakers through four games, though he's coming off his worst performance of the season last week. He threw for just 111 yards against Notre Dame. In the first three games, he eclipsed the 300-yard mark and accounted for seven touchdown passes with just one interception.
- Asaad Waseem, WR — The transfer has been Purdue's best receiver through four games and has a pair of 100-yard games, putting together a 107-yard outing against Indiana State in the opener and going for 149 yards against UCLA in Pasadena. For the season, Waseem has 355 yards and a touchdown on 24 catches.
- Xavier Townsend, WR — Through four games, Townsend is the only Boilermaker with multiple touchdown catches. Both of those scores came against UCLA, a game in which he totaled 162 yards on just six receptions. He is one of the most explosive players on Purdue's roster and is a threat to break open on almost any play.
- Fame Ijeboi, RB — Ijeboi is currently the only Purdue player with a rushing touchdown, totaling six through the first four weeks of the season. He's been relatively quiet the last two weeks, accounting for just 88 total yards against UCLA and Notre Dame. The running back has been dinged up, though, which has probably played a role in his recent output.
- Jeremy Lewis, DE — The former junior college standout is Purdue's leader in sacks, though he has only accounted for 1.5 in four games. He has arguably been the most consistent pass rusher for the Boilers to start the year. Lewis also has 2.5 tackles for loss, 11 total stops and one quarterback hurry.
- Charles Correa, LB — Correa has been all over the field at the linebacker spot for the Boilermakers. He's the team's top defensive player, accounting for 25 tackles, five pass break-ups and a quarterback hurry. Not only does he set the example through his play, but he's also the vocal leader for Purdue defensively.
Key stats
Offense
Stats (per game) | Purdue | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 32.0 | 34.0 |
Rushing yards | 101.5 | 164.5 |
Yards per carry | 2.92 | 5.53 |
Passing yards | 319.5 | 255.3 |
Completion % | 72.2% | 67.5% |
Total yards | 421.0 | 419.8 |
Yards per play | 5.95 | 7.03 |
3rd down % | 46.15% | 42.86% |
Red zone % | 90% | 72.73% |
Turnovers (total) | 4 | 2 |
Defense
Stats (per game) | Purdue | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
Points allowed | 39.5 | 26.5 |
Run defense | 199.5 | 136.0 |
Yards per carry | 5.50 | 3.83 |
Pass defense | 246.5 | 255.0 |
Sacks (total) | 6 | 3 |
Total defense | 446.0 | 391.0 |
Yards per play | 7.08 | 5.73 |
Opp. 3rd down % | 51.11% | 41.82% |
Opp red zone % | 100% | 100% |
Takeaways (total) | 2 | 2 |
Penalties (yards) | 7.3 (56.5) | 4.8 (42.5) |
Fast facts
A competitive rivalry series
The Purdue-Illinois rivalry game has been competitive over the years. The two teams have played 101 times, with the Boilermakers owning a narrow 48-47-6 edge. In the Purdue Cannon series, the black and gold own a 40-32-2 advantage. The Fighting Illini have won the last two meetings, defeating the Boilers in 2024 and 2025.
While this rivalry series has been even, Bielema has had plenty of success against Purdue. He owns a 7-3 record against the Boilermakers, dating back to his time at Wisconsin. All three of his losses have come since his arrival in Champaign, dropping games to Purdue in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Two terrible defenses
There's no other way to put it, Purdue and Illinois have been atrocious on the defensive side of the football through the first four weeks. The numbers outline that above. Both teams rank 15th or worse in the Big Ten in several major statistical categories, including scoring defense, total defense, run defense and pass defense.
Saturday's game has the potential to be a fast-paced, high-scoring shootout at Memorial Stadium. It may come down to which defense creates a turnover or which offense makes fewer mistakes. Don't be surprised if this contest reaches a total of 80 points or more.
Three Boilers return to Champaign
Purdue has three players who played for Bielema at Illinois, which makes for an interesting "homecoming" for those individuals. All three are defensive players: defensive lineman Curt Neal, linebacker Jojo Hayden and defensive end Trey Smith.
Neal and Hayden transferred from Illinois to Purdue after the 2025 season and Smith joined the Boilermakers in 2024. Will this game carry a little more weight for those three players?
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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