How to Watch Illinois Football vs Purdue Boilermakers

Illinois Football is fresh off a statement win over Lincoln Riley and USC on Homecoming, and thanks to K David Olano’s 41-yard game-winner, it feels like this veteran squad’s ambitions are back on track. Now up one spot in the AP Poll going into week 6, the newly 22nd-ranked (4-1) Fighting Illini shift thier focus on a road trip to West Lafayette (IN), as Bret Bielema’s fired-up crew looks to keep momentum rolling against Purdue.

After a brutal defeat to Indiana in week 4, this resilient squad is once again feeling themselves and enters this matchup riding high from a much-needed win over the Trojans. However, considering the Illini’s recent track record (3-7 since 2015 ) in the Battle for the Cannon, with No. 1 Ohio State looming ahead, this matchup feels like a potential trap game for Illinois.

That said, it’s been a slow start to the Barry Odom era for Purdue.

The Boilers come in at 2-2 with uninspiring victories over Southern Illinois (35-17 @ home) and Ball State (38-0 @ home) to their name thus far. However, their two losses at Notre Dame (53-60) and at home against USC (33-17) aren’t exactly reasons to count them out. The Boilermakers always seem to push the Illini to the brink, and with this game taking place at Ross-Ade, home-field advantage could make things a bit tougher the Illini.

Notably, last season, the No. 16-ranked (5-1) Illini barely got past a struggling 1-5, Ryan Walters-led Purdue squad, who went on the road to Champaign and gave Illinois all they could handle. The Illini narrowly escaped with a 50-49 overtime victory in a shootout, which was a temporary shock to thier confidence, as they were wildly outplayed in the trenches—a trend which carried over to losses at Oregon and Minnesota. Could Purdue derail Illinois’ confidence once again? History tells it could end up being a nail-biter. However, if all goes to plan, the Illini should honestly dominate if this veteran team shows up for business.

Planning to watch or listen as Illinois Football battles for the Cannon? Here’s our breakdown of several ways you can.

Photo Credit: Illinois Football (@illinifootball) and @davidolano_.

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