October 31, 2015 • Eastern Illinois at Murray State • Page 1 • www.eiupanthers.com • #EIUBleedBlue EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHER FOOTBALL Contact: Rich Moser • [email protected] • (217) 581-7480 • Fax (217) 581-7001 • www.EIUpanthers.com GAME 9 Panthers Look To Continue OVC Win Streak EIU Visit Murray State For Halloween Contest Eastern Illinois at Murray State Stewart Stadium (16,800) • Murray, Ky. October 31, 2015 • 1 p.m. • TV: OVC Digital Network THE GAME COACHES: Kim Dameron (Arkansas, 1983) • Eastern Illinois remained undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference race as the Panthers EIU Record .....................9-10 (2nd year) moved to 4-0 in the conference with a 51-20 win over Tennessee Tech. The game was OVC Record .....................9-3 (2nd year) the 100th homecoming celebration on campus. EIU kept pace with Jacksonville State vs. Murray State ................................ 1-0 and Eastern Kentucky with all three teams now 4-0. JSU and EKU play this weekend. • Some members of the Eastern Illinois coaching staff will celebrate a homecoming of Mitch Stewart (Valdosta State, 2005) sorts this weekend when the Panthers play at Murray State. Head coach Kim Dameron MUR Record ..................... 2-5 (1st year) along with assistant coaches Mark Hutson and Danny Nutt are all former assistant coaches OVC Record ...................... 1-3 (1st year) at Murray State under head coach Houston Nutt in the 1990s. Overall Record ...............................Same • Kamu Grugier-Hill was named the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the vs. Eastern Illinois ............................. 0-0 Week as the linebacker helped the Panthers force six turnovers in the win over Tennessee SERIES Tech. Grugier-Hill had eight tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. 31st meeting, EIU leads 17-13 It marked the second straight season that Grugier-Hill has won OVC Defensive Player of Last: @EIU 48, MUR 26 on Nov. 8, 2014 the Week after a performance against Tennessee Tech. • Eastern Illinois is being considered for the November 7 Ohio Valley Conference RANKINGS Game of the Week which will have the Panthers hosting current No. 1 Jacksonville Eastern Illinois ......................... RV / RV State on ESPN3. The selection will be made later this week with the other game under Murray State ................................... -- / -- consideration the UT Martin and Eastern Kentucky contest. ................................. STATS Media/FCS Coaches THE SERIES RADIO • This will be the 31st meeting between Eastern Illinois and Murray State. The Panthers Panther Radio Network hold a 17-13 all-time series edge including three straight wins over the Racers. EIU beat Hit Mix 88.9 FM, WSVZ 98.3 FM, WHOW 1520 AM & WMKR 94.3 FM MSU 48-26 last season in Charleston. The last Murray State win in the series was in 2011, www.network1sports.com/station/wsvz a 36-27 win in Murray. EIU has won five of its last six visits to Stewart Stadium. The www.weiu.net/hitmix/ school’s first met in the 1940s and played once in the 1986 FCS playoffs. Play-by-Play ........................ Mike Bradd Analyst ............................. Jack Ashmore Eastern Illinois (4-3, 4-0 OVC) Murray State (2-5, 1-3 OVC) TELEVISION Date Opponent Score/Time Date Opponent Score/Time OVC Digital Network Sept. 3 at Western Illinois L 5-33 Sept. 3 KENTUCKY WESLEYAN W 52-12 Play-by-Play ...................... Neal Bradley Sept. 12 at Northwestern L 0-41 Sept. 12 at Northern Illinois L 26-67 Analyst ...............................Josh McKeel Sept. 19 ILLINOIS STATE L 31-34 (ot) Sept. 19 at Western Michigan L 20-52 Oct. 3 • at Austin Peay W 40-16 Sept. 26 • TENNESSEE TECH L 29-31 FOLLOW-US Oct. 10 • SOUTHEAST MISSOURI W 33-28 Oct. 3 • at Southeast Missouri L 10-27 Live Stats ........................... goracers.com Oct. 17 • at Tennessee State W 25-22 (ot) Oct. 10 • AUSTIN PEAY W 34-18 Live Video ..... OVCDigitalNetwork.com Oct. 24 • TENNESSEE TECH W 51-20 Oct. 24 • at UT Martin L 45-52 Facebook ........................... /EIUPanthers Oct. 31 • at Murray State 1 pm Oct. 31 • EASTERN ILLINOIS 1 pm Twitter ...........................@EIU_Panthers Nov. 7 • JACKSONVILLE STATE 1 pm Nov. 7 • at Tennessee State 2:30 pm Instagram ......................eiupanthernation Nov. 14 • at UT Martin 2 pm Nov. 14 • EASTERN KENTUCKY 1 pm Nov. 21 • EASTERN KENTUCKY 1 pm Nov. 21 • at Jacksonville State 1 pm Nov. 28 FCS Playoffs • Ohio Valley Conference Game • Ohio Valley Conference Game #EIUBleedBlue All Times Central All Times Central EASTERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL • 15 NCAA FCS Playoff Appearances • OVC Champs 2013, 2012, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001 October 31, 2015 • Eastern Illinois at Murray State • Page 2 • www.eiupanthers.com • #EIUBleedBlue FCS TOP 25 • Eastern Illinois defense accomplished a rare feat on Saturday against Tennessee Tech as the Panthers intercepted the first three pass attempts by the Golden Eagles. The first 2015 STATS FCS MEDIA interception was on the first play from scrimmage. The second INT came on TTU’s second (WEEK 9) offensive play. On the Golden Eagles third drive they had two runs before attempting a Rk. Team 2015 Record pass which was picked off. 1. Jacksonville State (107) 6-1 2. Coastal Carolina (33) 7-0 • Eastern Illinois had five interceptions and six total turnovers in the win over Tennessee 3. Illinois State (20) 6-1 Tech on Saturday. The last time EIU forced six turnovers in a game was Aug. 30, 2012 4. Chattanooga 6-1 5. Eastern Washington 5-2 during a season opening win over Southern Illinois (4 fumble recoveries / 2 interceptions). 6. Richmond 6-1 The last time EIU had five interceptions in a game was Oct. 4, 1997 during a 32-7 win over 7. North Dakota State 5-2 Southeast Missouri. 8. Sam Houston State 5-2 9. James Madison 7-1 10. McNeese State 7-0 • Eastern Illinois defense has now forced a turnover in all seven games this season as the 11. Fordham 7-1 Panthers moved up to 20th in the FCS in turnovers gained with 15. EIU is 10th in the 12. Portland State 6-1 FCS in interceptions with 10. The Panthers have now picked off at least one pass in three 13. Eastern Kentucky 5-2 straight games. 14. South Dakota State 5-2 15. Harvard 6-0 16. William & Mary 5-2 • Jarvis Williams became the second EIU player to score a defensive touchdown this season 17. Montana 4-3 as the junior defensive lineman picked off a pass to open the fourth quarter and returned 18. Northern Iowa 3-4 it 24 yards for a score. Seth McDonald had a 20-yard interception return for touchdown 19. Montana State 4-3 20. North Carolina A&T 6-1 earlier this year against Illinois State. Williams has 24 tackles with 3 tackles for loss. 21. Indiana State 4-3 22. Dartmouth 6-0 • Kamu Grugier-Hill added three tackles for loss to his season total on Saturday against 23. Western Illinois 4-3 Tennessee Tech as the senior linebacker now ranks 10th in the FCS in tackles for loss. 24. Charleston Southern 6-1 25. Youngstown State 3-4 Grugier-Hill has 11.5 TFL for 58 yards including 3.5 sacks. He needs 3.5 tackles for loss Receiving Votes (OVC & 2015 EIU opponents): to crack the EIU single season top ten and three tackles for loss to move into the career top UT Martin, Eastern Illinois ten. • Jourdan Wickliffe picked off a pass for the second straight game as the senior safety moved into eighth on the EIU career interceptions list with 11. Wickliffe needs one interception 2015 FCS COACHES to move into a tie for fourth. The school record is 17 by Rich Brown (1977-80). Wickliffe (WEEK 9) also has 16 career pass break-ups, needing four more to crack the EIU career top ten. Rk. Team 2015 Record 1. Coastal Carolina (15) 7-0 • Seth McDonald finished with nine tackles in the win over Tennessee Tech. It was the 2. Jacksonville State (8) 6-1 fourth time this season the junior linebacker has led the Panthers in tackles for a game. 3. Illinois State (3) 6-1 McDonald currently ranks 32nd in the NCAA and second in the OVC in tackles with 67. 4. Chattanooga 6-1 5. Eastern Washington 4-2 He has four tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions. 6. North Dakota State 5-2 7. McNeese State 7-0 • Eastern Illinois pass defense is now fourth in the nation in passing efficiency defense with 8. Richmond 6-1 a 95.82 rating. EIU allowed TTU to complete just 10 passes in 30 attempts last Saturday 9. Sam Houston State 5-2 10. Fordham 7-1 with five interceptions and no touchdowns. South Carolina State is first in the nation with 11. Richmond 6-1 a 86.46 rating. The Panthers are 13th in pass defense allowing 161.9 yards per game. 12. Portland State 5-1 13. South Dakota State 5-2 • Running back Malik Harrison posted the Panthers third 100-yard rushing game of the 14. Eastern Kentucky 5-2 15. William & Mary 5-2 season finishing with 123 yards against Tennessee Tech. Harrison did most of the damage 16. Harvard 6-0 on one run in the fourth quarter as he sprung loose for an 83-yard score. The touchdown 17. Montana 4-3 was tied for the fifth longest in school history. 18. Montana State 4-3 19. Charleston Southern 6-1 20. North Carolina A&T 6-1 • Tray Mitchell continues to excel as the Panthers new kickoff returner. After returning 21. Northern Iowa 3-4 three kicks for 90 yards last week at Tennessee State, Mitchell had three returns for 78 22.