West Lafayette, IU- As always, chants of “IU sucks” rang out at kickoff inside Ross-Ade Stadium, but the roar faded as Illinois ripped momentum away from Purdue, rolling to a 43-27 win Saturday in West Lafayette. The Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) lit up the scoreboard with nearly 400 passing yards from quarterback Luke Altmyer, while Purdue (2-3, 0-2) dropped its third straight game and fell deeper into Big Ten West trouble.
Illinois owned the second quarter, flipping the game from a 7-0 Purdue lead into a halftime cushion they’d never give back. After Michael Jackson III’s costly fumble, Altmyer connected with Hank Beatty for a 62-yard strike, then kept torching the Boilers with explosive plays through the air. Kaden Feagin’s 6-yard run and Ca’lil Valentine’s 25-yard burst capped a scoring frenzy that had Illinois up 24-7 before the break. A late 60-yard bomb from Purdue QB Ryan Browne to Corey Smith gave the Boilers a glimmer, but Illinois tacked on a field goal to head into halftime up 27-14.
The second half brought more of the same. Altmyer continued dealing, finishing just shy of 400 yards passing while spreading it around to Beatty, Ashton Hollins, and others. Purdue managed touchdowns from Antonio Harris and Devin Mockobee to keep the crowd alive, but the Illini always had an answer, closing it out 43-27. Harris led the Boilermakers’ backfield with 68 yards, including a 41-yard burst, while Mockobee chipped in on the ground.
Purdue actually started hot, sparked by a 10-play, 62-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter that ended on a wild QB sneak from Browne—who bobbled the snap before scrambling into the end zone. Jojo Hayden’s highlight-reel tackle and early defensive stops had the stadium rocking. But once Illinois’ air raid started clicking, the Boilers couldn’t keep up.
Purdue coach Barry Odom didn’t mince words afterward:
“We didn’t do anything defensively well enough to win a game against anyone. Credit to Illinois, they have a good team and good players. But for us to get where we want to go, we have a long ways to go.”
The Wright Take
Illinois came into West Lafayette and straight-up punched Purdue in the mouth during the second quarter, taking control and never letting go. The Boilers had their moments—big plays from Browne, Harris, and Smith—but the secondary got cooked all afternoon, and Odom’s squad couldn’t string together enough stops. Purdue has to tighten up or risk sliding deeper in the Big Ten cellar.
Next Up: Purdue heads to Minnesota looking to snap the skid, while Illinois preps for a major showdown with Ohio State.
