Hudson Card threw two touchdown passes, Devin Mockobee and Dylan Downing each had TD runs and Purdue used a 21-point third-quarter scoring flurry Saturday to pull away from Illinois 44-19.
The Boilermakers turned a close game into a rout with three third-quarter touchdowns - Card's 28-yard TD pass to Garrett Miller on the first possession of the second half, Mockobee's 3-yard scoring run late in the third quarter and Card's 10-yard TD pass to Deion Burks following a fourth-down stop.
Illinois took a 3-0 lead on the game's first possession, it gave the lead away when quarterback Luke Altmyer fumbled in the end zone and Malik Lagnham recovered it. The extra point was blocked.
Josh McCray's 7-yard TD run gave the Illini a 10-6 lead, but the Boilermakers answered with Downing's 16-yard TD run, a 40-yard field goal and the big third quarter to seal the victory.
Card was 18 of 26 with 217 yards. Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran 21 times for 112 yards and scored the day's final touchdown. Burks had five receptions for 83 yards.
Altmyer finished 16 of 25 with 202 yards and one TD. Isaiah Williams caught six passes for 113 yards.
