When Bret Bielema took over at Illinois before the 2021 season, one of his first requests was that a case be built for the hardware signifying the school's three trophy games.

That would be the Land of Lincoln (Northwestern), Illibuck (Ohio State) and Cannon (Purdue).

"We were able to get Northwestern in there for a couple, but we lost it last year and we've never been able to get Purdue, so it sat empty," Bielema said on Thursday at the Smith Center.

Saturday's 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium against the Boilermakers (1-4, 0-2 Big Ten) gives No. 23 Illinois (4-1, 1-1) a chance to fill one of the vacant spots in the case.

"That's kind of the way I've approached the whole week," Bielema said. "We can talk about it and express our opinion and desire to have it, but until you touch it, see it, smell it, feel it, it's not there."

That's only part of the message from the Illini coaching staff.

"This week is about playing Purdue, which is the next Big Ten opponent," Bielema said. "There's an emphasis on that. I think it's a little big more attainable once you have it."

Illinois is currently in the middle of the 18-team race. It doesn't control its conference destiny because of its 21-7 loss at Penn State on Sept. 27. A win Saturday moves Illinois within one victory of becoming bowl eligible after missing the postseason in 2023.

Welcome back

Saturday's game will be the first time Purdue coach Ryan Walters has worked at Memorial Stadium since leaving Bielema's staff after the 2022 season.

I asked Bielema earlier in the week about coaching against his former defensive coordinator. The fourth-year Illini boss didn't have a lot to say.

"When you're in season ... I've had seven or eight guys become head coaches," Bielema said. "I love them, care about them, respect them. But it's so entrenched."

Even during the open week, Bielema had his hands full and not much time to see how his former assistant coaches were doing with their current teams.

"I was in town literally two nights during the six-day stretch," Bielema said. "You're just so immersed in what you're doing. We're playing Purdue and that kind of brings it up, but it really is a non-factor."

Not in the Card(s)

Purdue starting quarterback Hudson Card could have spent the past two years at Illinois. That was a possibility.

Bielema and his staff recruited Card after the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Texas native decided to leave his home state and transfer away from the Longhorns after the 2022 season.

"We evaluated him and watched him when he was in the portal," Bielema said.

But Purdue and Walters jumped in and lured the quarterback to West Lafayette, Ind.

"A guy we saw last year, very live arm, he can run," Bielema said of Card, who completed 18 of 26 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns in Purdue's 44-19 rout of the Illini in 2023. "A great quarterback can make something happen when nothing is there. I think he falls in that category. He's a very dynamic player."

In Card's second season as Purdue's starter, the offense is struggling.

He has completed a solid 64 percent of his passes, but is averaging just 147.6 yards per game. He has seven touchdown passes and four interceptions.

Opponents have chased Card all over the field, knocking him down for 98 yards worth of losses. Those are big numbers when the offense isn't moving.

Hmmm, that's weird

The point spread for Saturday's game has changed significantly since Illinois opened as a 19 1/2-point favorite.

As of Thursday afternoon, that number is up to 23, according to Vegas Insider.

Usually, a dramatic change indicates a key injury or two for one of the participating teams or the return of a primary piece.

Or, perhaps, the bettors are putting big bucks on Illinois, which can also create a major shift in the spread as Purdue carries a four-game losing streak and has only beaten FCS foe Indiana State.

Game by game

Bielema was asked about the Oct. 19 Illinois-Michigan game, which has been announced as a sellout at the 60,670-seat Memorial Stadium in Champaign. That's just the second during his tenure, following a game earlier this season against Kansas, and first time the Illini will have two sellouts in the same season since 2009.

"I appreciate the question, but if we want to sellout Saturday, that's what I'd like to have," Bielema said. "We'll worry about next week when next week gets here."