Illinois Hosts Purdue for Homecoming with The Cannon On the Line
September 28, 2026 | Football
PREVIEW
| Illinois (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) vs. Purdue (1-3, 0-1 Big Ten) | |
|---|---|
| Date | Time | Saturday, Oct. 3 | 3:15 p.m. CT |
| Location | Champaign, Illinois (Gies Memorial Stadium) |
| Tickets | FightingIllini.com/tickets |
| TV | Big Ten Network |
| Radio | Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Listen | SiriusXM (257) | SXM App |
| Live Stats | illinois.statbroadcast.com |
| Illinois | Game Notes |
| Purdue | PurdueSports.com |
| Shop | Fighting Illini Store |
| Social Media | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
| App | Fighting Illini App |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois' 116th Homecoming football game is set for Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium with Purdue making the trip to Champaign for a 3:15 p.m. CT kickoff. The Fighting Illini and Boilermakers will battle for The Cannon rivalry trophy for the 77th time.
Saturday marks the 102nd meeting between Illinois and Purdue in the overall series dating back to 1890. Illinois is looking to even the all-time series, as Purdue holds a 48-47-6 advantage.
Purdue leads The Cannon series 42-32-2 since the trophy debuted in 1943. The Fighting Illini have won The Cannon in back-to-back years and look to keep trophy in Champaign for three consecutive seasons for the first time since a six-year run from 1988-93.
Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), and Dannie Rogers (reporter) have the national television broadcast on Big Ten Network. The state-wide Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the radio call with Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), and Kevin Mitchell (reporter) on the call.
Homecoming
• Saturday's Fighting Illini football game vs. Purdue is the final activity in a week-long celebration of Illinois alumni returning to campus. Homecoming week at Illinois celebrates its 116th year of Illinois traditions.
• Friday's Homecoming parade begins at 6 p.m. at Fourth and Kirby. A full calendar is available at homecoming.illinois.edu.
• The 2026 Homecoming Grand Marshal is former Illini football captain and retired NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins. Hopkins will also be the siren sounder at Saturday's game.
• Illinois boasts being one of the first universities to celebrate Homecoming, a tradition on almost every college campus. It was conceived in 1909 by students C.F. Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident senior society. They joined with another society, Phoenix, to organize the three-day event. The first Homecoming celebrated on Illinois' campus was on Oct. 15, 1910, which the Illini won 3-0 over Chicago.
• Illinois has won back-to-back Homecoming games (2024 Central Michigan, 2025 USC) and three of its last four Homecomings. The Illini are looking for three straight Homecoming wins for the first time since 2000-02.
Press Conference
Notes
The Cannon Rivalry Trophy
• Saturday marks the 102nd meeting between the Fighting Illini and Purdue in the overall series dating back to 1890. Illinois is looking to even the all-time series, as Purdue holds a 48-47-6 advantage. The full series history is on Page 26.
• Illinois and Purdue play for The Cannon rivalry trophy, with Purdue leading the trophy series 42-32-2, since 1943. The Fighting Illini have won The Cannon in back-to-back years and look to keep The Cannon in Champaign for three consecutive seasons for the first time since a six-year run from 1988-93.
The Illinois Offense
• WR Collin Dixon is among the top wide receivers in the nation:
» Tied for the national lead in receiving touchdowns (7) with Rutgers' KJ Duff and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith
» Seventh in the nation and third in the Big Ten in receptions (30)
» Seventh in the nation and third in the Big Ten in receiving yards (430)
» Seventh in the nation in total touchdowns (7)
• QB Katin Houser ranks fourth in the nation in ESPN's QBR metric (89.6), behind only Darian Mensah (Miami), Julian Sayin (OSU), and Gunner Stockton (Georgia).
• Houser ranks among the nation's top quarterbacks in passing touchdowns (21st, 9), passing efficiency (36th, 163.1), and completion percentage (37th, 68.6).
• WR Hudson Clement has caught a pass in 31 straight games, tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.
• RB Aidan Laughery ran for 113 yards at Ohio State, the first opposing player to rush for 100+ at Ohio Stadium since Michigan's Kalel Mullings (116 yards) on Nov. 30, 2024.
• Since offensive coordinator Barry Lunney's first season in 2022, Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten in completion percentage (65.3), fourth in passer rating (144.6), fifth in points (1,495), fifth in passing touchdowns (92), and fifth in passing yards (12,760) among the 14 teams that were in the league all six seasons (2022-26).
The Illinois Defense
• Illinois is second in the nation with two interceptions returned for touchdown behind only Alabama's three.
• DL Will Holmes ranks 23rd in the nation in total pressures (15) among defensive linemen and 20th in hurries (10). Holmes ranks 43rd in the nation with a 20.5% pressure rate among defensive linemen. (Holmes data by PFF)
• DB Matthew Bailey is the only player in the nation returning after leading his team in tackles in 2024 and 2025. Bailey is Illinois' leading tackler this season with 28, including a career-high 14 at Ohio State.
• Bailey had an 88-yard interception return for a touchdown against Southern Illinois, the 9th-longest interception return in Illinois history and the 9th-longest interception return in Gies Memorial Stadium history (by either Illinois or an opponent).
The Illinois Special Teams
• Illinois leads the nation in punt return average (30.7). Mac Resetich has returned three punts for 92 yards.
• Illinois has punted only six times through four games.
• Illinois is 41st in the nation in net punting (41.3) and 44th in punting average (44.5).
• Illinois punter Lars Rau landed both his punts inside the 10-yard line at Ohio State (4- and 7-yard lines).
• Illinois kicker Ethan Moczulski is 6-for-7 on field goals and a perfect 6-for-6 inside of 60 yards.
