Purdue Cannon

The Illinois–Purdue football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Illinois Fighting Illini football team of the University of Illinois and Purdue Boilermakers football team of Purdue University. The Purdue Cannon is presented to the winner of the game. The cannon was conceived by Purdue students years ago but was first presented as a trophy by an Illinois alumnus in 1943.

It all started in 1905 when a group of Purdue students took the weapon to Champaign in anticipation of firing it to celebrate a Boiler victory. Although Purdue did win the game 29-0, Illinois supporters, including Quincy A. Hall, had discovered the Cannon in its hiding place - in a culvert near the old Illinois field - and confiscated it before the Purdue students could start their "booming" celebration.

Later, Hall moved the Cannon to his farmhouse near Milford, Ill., where it survived a fire and gathered dust until Hall suggested it be used as a trophy in the football series between the two schools when the rivalry was resumed in 1943 after a 12-year lapse.

The Tomahawk Service and Leadership Honorary at Purdue and Illini Pride now share the maintenance duty.

Game results

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