EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHER FOOTBALL Contact: Rich Moser • [email protected] • (217) 581-7480 • Fax (217) 581-6434 • www.EIUpanthers.com GAME 2 High Powered Quarterbacks Set To Meet As Eastern Illinois Faces Western Michigan Eastern Illinois (1-0, 0-0 OVC) at Western Michigan (0-1, 0-0 MAC) Waldo Stadium (30,200) • Kalamazoo, Mich. September 8, 2012 • 6 pm (Central) • TV: ESPN3 QUICK FACTS THE GAME Eastern Illinois and Western Michigan meet on Saturday night with the two schools entering the contest following far different results. The game will feature COACHES: Dino Babers (Hawai’i, 1984) two high powered quarterbacks as both offenses like to pass the ball. EIU Record ........................ 1-0 (1st year) EIU will be led by junior quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who was named OVC Record ...................... 0-0 (1st year) the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week following a 369 yard vs. Western Michigan ........ First meeting passing day. The Panthers beat Southern Illinois 49-28 in their home opener Bill Cubit (Delaware, 1975) Thursday night at O’Brien Field. Garoppolo passed for five of the teams school WMU Record ................47-40 (8th year) record setting seven touchdown passes. Mid-American Conf. .....34-21 (8th year) Just an hour north of Charleston on Saturday afternoon, Western Michigan’s Overall Record ........ 81-58-1 (12th year) high powered offense was shut down by Illinois, 24-7. Alex Carder, the nation’s vs. Eastern Illinois ............. First meeting returning passing leader, was limited to 239 yards passing while being intercepted three times. WMU rushed for negative six yards against Illinois. SERIES 2nd meeting, EIU leads 1-0 THE SERIES Last Meeting: Eastern Illinois holds a 1-0 series advantage over Western Michigan as the EIU 28, @ WMU 20 on August 29, 1996 two teams previously met on August 29, 1996. Mike Simpson, making his first RANKINGS start at quarterback for EIU, led the Panthers to a 28-20 win. Simpson was 24-of- Eastern Illinois .......................... RV / --- 38 for 321 yards and four touchdowns. EIU could have extended the margin but Western Michigan ....................... --- / --- missed three field goals and had another blocked. The Broncos were coached by .............................. Sports Network/FCS Coaches former EIU head coach Al Molde. RADIO Eastern Illinois (1-0, 0-0 OVC) Western Michigan (0-1, 0-0 MAC) Panther Radio Network Hit Mix 88.9 FM, WRJM 1270 AM, WHOW 1520 AM & WMKR 94.3 FM Date Opponent Score/Time Date Opponent Score/Time www.weiuhitmix.net Aug. 30 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS W 49-28 Sept. 1 at Illinois L 7-24 Play-by-Play ........................ Mike Bradd Sept. 8 at Western Michigan 6 pm Sept. 8 EASTERN ILLINOIS 6 pm Analyst ............................. Jack Ashmore Sept. 15 at Illinois State 1 pm Sept. 15 at Minnesota 11 am Sept. 22 * MURRAY STATE 6:30 pm Sept. 22 CONNECTICUT 2 pm TELEVISION Sept. 29 * AUSTIN PEAY 1:30 pm Sept. 29 * TOLEDO 6 pm ESPN3 (ESPN produced broadcast) Oct. 6 * at UT Martin 2 pm Oct. 6 * MASSACHUSETTS 1 pm Play-by-Play ....................Dan Gutowsky Oct. 13 * JACKSONVILLE STATE 1:30 pm Oct. 13 * at Ball State 2 pm Analyst ...................................Ben Leber Oct. 27 * at Eastern Kentucky 11 am Oct. 20 * at Kent State 2:30 pm Nov. 3 * at Tennessee Tech 1:30 pm Oct. 27 * Northern ILLINOIS 11 am INTERNET Nov. 10 * SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11 am Nov. 3 * at Central Michigan Noon Live Stats ...........www.wmubroncos.com Nov. 17 at Central Arkansas 3 pm Nov. 10 * at Buffalo 2:30 pm Live Video ..................www.ESPN3.com Nov. 17 * EASTERN MICHIGAN 2 pm Facebook ........................... /EIUPanthers * Ohio Valley Conference Game * Mid-American Conference Game Twitter ...........................@EIU_Panthers A NEW ERA OF PANTHER FOOTBALL • 13 NCAA FCS Playoff Appearances • OVC Champs 2009, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001 September 8, 2012 • Eastern Illinois at Western Michigan • Page 2 • www.EIUpanthers.com EIU QUICK HITTERS 2012 SPORTS NETWORK TOP 25 (Week 1) Rk. Team 2012 Record 1. Sam Houston State (87) 0-0 • EIU is 3-4 all-time against the Mid-American Conference. EIU has wins over Eastern 2. North Dakota State (65) 1-0 Michigan (2004), Northern Illinois (1998) and Western Michigan (1996). EIU’s losses 3. Georgia Southern (4) 1-0 4. Montana State (1) 1-0 were to Toledo (1984 & 2000) and Central Michigan (1999 & 2008). EIU’s other win 5. James Madison 1-0 over an FBS school was against current MAC member Akron in 1989 when Akron was 6. Youngstown State (7) 1-0 an independent. 7. Old Dominion 1-0 8. Northern Iowa 0-1 9. Eastern Washington 1-0 • Jimmy Garoppolo was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the 10. Wofford 1-0 Week. It was Garoppolo’s first Player of the Week honor. He was also named the 11. Appalachian State 0-1 12. Montana 1-0 CFPA National Offensive Player of the Week and College Sporting News National 13. Towson 0-1 Offensive Player of the Week. 14. New Hampshire 1-0 15. Delaware 1-0 • EIU’s defense forced six turnovers in the opener against Southern Illinois. It was the 16. Lehigh 1-0 17. Stony Brook 1-0 first time since Oct. 8, 2005 that EIU had forced six or more turnovers in a game. The 18. Illinois State 1-0 last time was against Southeast Missouri during a 48-24 win. 19. Stephen F. Austin 1-0 20. Maine 0-0 21. Eastern Kentucky 0-1 • Dino Babers became only the sixth coach all time at EIU to win his first game on the 22. McNeese State 1-0 sidelines. He joins Al Molde (1983), Darrell Mudra (1978), Winfield Angus (1935), 23. Indiana State 0-1 Joseph Brown (1904) and Thornton Smallwood (1902) as coaches to win their first 24. Jacksonville State 0-1 25. Central Arkansas 0-1 game. Only Brown and Mudra won their first two games as EIU’s head coach. Receiving Votes (OVC & 2012 EIU opponents) • EIU set a school record with seven touchdown passes on Thursday night against SIU. UT Martin, Tennessee Tech, Eastern Illinois, Murray State, Tennessee State, Southeast Missouri. The previous record was six touchdown passes set on two occasions. The last was on Oct. 14, 2000 against Murray State. The other was Nov. 13, 1982 against Kentucky State. 2012 FCS Coaches Poll (Week 1) • The 49 points in the opener were the most scored by EIU since a 49-14 win over UT Rk. Team 2012 Record Martin at O’Brien Field in 2009. It was the most points scored in a season opener for 1. North Dakota State (23) 1-0 EIU since the Panthers beat Lock Haven 62-16 in 1991. 2. Sam Houston State (2) 0-0 3. Georgia Southern 1-0 4. Montana State 1-0 • Jimmy Garoppolo passed for a career high 369 yards in the win over SIU. It was 5. Old Dominion 1-0 the junior quarterback’s fifth career 300-yard game moving him into fourth on the 6. James Madison 1-0 Panthers all-time list for 300-yard games. The total was the 18th best single game total 7. Northern Iowa 0-1 8. Appalachian State 0-1 in EIU history. 9. Montana 1-0 10. Youngstown State 1-0 • Jimmy Garoppolo passed for five touchdowns becoming only the seventh player in 11. Eastern Washington 1-0 school history to pass for five or more touchdowns in a game. The last player to do it 12. New Hampshire 1-0 13. Wofford 1-0 was Tony Romo on Oct. 19, 2002 against Southeast Missouri. 14. Lehigh 1-0 15. Delaware 1-0 • Erik Lora hauled in 13 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns against SIU. The 13 16. Towson 0-1 17. Stony Brook 1-0 receptions are the fourth best total in school history, two shy of Willie White’s record 18. Maine 0-0 of 15 set in 1971 against Illinois State. 19. Illinois State 1-0 20. Central Arkansas 0-1 21. Stephen F. Austin 1-0 • The 151 yards receiving by Erik Lora was a career high for the junior receiver who 21. McNeese State 1-0 missed last season with a hip injury after leading EIU with 50 catches in 2010. It was 23. Harvard 0-0 Lora’s second career game with more than 100-yards receiving. It was his second 24. Norfolk State 1-0 25. Eastern Kentucky 0-1 career double digit reception game. Receiving Votes (OVC & 2012 EIU opponents) • EIU is now 4-2 in its last six openers including a 4-0 record against FCS opponents. Jacksonville State, UT Martin, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State All four of those wins have come in Thursday night contests at O’Brien Field. The last loss to open a season against an FCS opponent was in 2004 to Indiana State. A NEW ERA OF PANTHER FOOTBALL • 13 NCAA FCS Playoff Appearances • OVC Champs 2009, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001 September 8, 2012 • Eastern Illinois at Western Michigan • Page 3 • www.EIUpanthers.com TALE OF THE TAPE WESTERN MICHIGAN HEAD COACH BILL CUBIT Western Michigan head coach Bill Cubit is in his eighth season as the Broncos head coach. He has led the program to three straight Points Per Game ...............................49............................ 7 bowl games including the 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Cubit Average Points Allowed ...................28........................... 24 was the 2005 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year and has First Downs ......................................22........................... 13 a 47-40 record at WMU. Prior to taking over the WMU program Rushing Yards Per Game .................89........................... -6 in 2005 Cubit was the offensive coordinator at Stanford.