Fighting Illini splash through rain for 24-6 win at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Dre Brown kept Illinois grounded Saturday. Cornerback Tony Adams scored all the points the Fighting Illini needed. That combination helped Illinois mop up at Purdue. On a soggy afternoon, Brown splashed his way to a career-high 131 yards rushing, Adams returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown and Illinois pulled away for 24-6 victory to claim the Cannon Trophy for the first time since 2015. "It's nice to leave the place a little better than we found it," Brown said. "It's such a small cannon but it's cool to celebrate and take pictures with it." The steadily falling rain chased thousands of fans from their seats at halftime and turned the game into an ugly quagmire. But there was no dampening this postgame celebration. The Fighting Illini (4-4, 2/3 Big Ten) continued building momentum following last week's upset over then No. 6 Wisconsin.