Illinois’ Keshawn Vaughn rambles in for a touchdown during a 48-14 Illinois rout of Purdue Saturday afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium. (Photos by Dave Deak)

WEST LAFAYETTE – Wes Lunt threw three first-half touchdown passes, and Illinois snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with a 48-14 Big Ten victory against Purdue.

Illinois (5-4, 2-3), which had scored 33 total points in consecutive losses to Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State, drove 76, 58 and 72 yards for touchdowns during the opening 30 minutes, running 44 plays for 295 yards and 17 first downs before halftime.

Purdue quarterback David Blough moves upfield.

Purdue (2-7, 1-4), which defeated Illinois last season in Champaign and beat Nebraska this past Saturday, gained only 25 yards in the first quarter on homecoming and finished the opening half with 39 plays for 105 yards.

The Illini, who welcomed the return of running back Josh Ferguson from an injury, took a 7-0 lead with 11:41 remaining in the first half on Lunt’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Malik Turner, capping a five-play, 76-yard drive that included a 29-yard Ke’Shawn Vaughn run to the Purdue 42.

Vaughn finished with 16 carries for 180 yards, and Ferguson added 12 rushes for 133 yards. Lunt completed 19 of 33 passes for 169 yards and the three TDs.

Illinois increased its lead to 10-0 with 4:48 to go in the first quarter on Taylor Zalewski’s 46-yard field goal. That scoring drive included Ferguson’s 17-yard run to the Purdue 28.

Through one quarter, Illinois gained 142 yards.

Zalewski’s 34-yard field goal with 8:42 remaining in the second quarter extended the lead to 13-0. The drive was kept alive when Purdue free safety Robert Gregory was called for pass interference on a fourth-down play from the Boilermaker 28.

Illini safety Taylor Barton’s interception of Purdue quarterback David Blough at the Illinois 42 set up a five-play, 58-yard touchdown drive that gave the Illini a 20-0 lead. A personal foul face mask penalty against Boilermaker linebacker Jimmy Herman moved the ball to the Purdue 23. Two plays later, Lunt threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ferguson.

Purdue running back Markell Jones drags Illinois defenders.

Purdue countered with its only opening half score, driving 71 yards in 16 plays with Blough running 3 yards for a touchdown with 57 seconds left in the half.

Lunt then capped his active first half with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Cain with 14 seconds remaining in the half. Vaughn’s 31-yard run to the Purdue 38 set up the score. That Illini drive covered 72 yards in seven plays.

Lunt finished the first half 17 of 29 for 156 yards and no interceptions. Ferguson and Vaughn each rushed for 72 yards during the opening half. Illinois entered ranked last in Big Ten rushing.

Blough, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, was 11 of 19 for 42 yards in an opening half in which his longest completion was for 9 yards.

Illinois’ lead swelled to 34-7 with 2:30 left in the third quarter on Vaughn’s 6-yard touchdown run, capping an 11-play, 81-yard drive. Ferguson had rushes of 33, 19 and 10 yards in that drive.

With more than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Ferguson had 12 carries for 133 yards.

Vaughn ran 78 yards for a touchdown with 1:41 to play in the third quarter, scoring on the first play from scrimmage after a Purdue punt, increasing the advantage to 41-7.

Blough’s 25-yard touchdown pass to DeAngelo Yancey with 10:42 remaining in the game sliced the deficit to 41-14. Frankie Williams‘ 51-yard punt return to the Illini 25 set up the Boilermakers’ second touchdown.

Illinois running back Kendrick Foster ran 18 yards for the game’s final score with 1:47 to play.

Josh Ferguson of Illinois scores a touchdown against Purdue.