September 14, 2019 • Eastern Illinois vs. Illinois State • Page 1 • www.eiupanthers.com • #RunWithUs EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHER FOOTBALL Contact: Rich Moser • [email protected] • (217) 581-7480 • www.EIUpanthers.com • @EIU_Panthers GAME 3 Panthers / Redbirds Meet For 108th Mid-America Classic Eastern Illinois vs. No. 13/12 Illinois State O’Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill. Sept. 14, 2019 • 2 p.m. • TV: ESPN+ NOTES TO KNOW • Eastern Illinois plays its home opener under first year head coach Adam Cushing as COACHES: the Panthers host Illinois State for the Mid-America Classic. EIU is off to an 0-2 start Adam Cushing (Univ. of Chicago, 2002) following road losses at Chattanooga and Indiana. ISU is 1-1 following a road loss at EIU Record ................................0-2 (1st) Northern Illinois and a home win over Morehead State. OVC Record ...............................1st Year vs. Illinois State ................................. 0-0 • Eastern Illinois has lost its last five home openers with the last home opening win at Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) O’Brien Field coming on Sept. 14, 2013 when the Panthers beat Illinois State 57-24. EIU ISU Record ..........................75-46 (11th) head coaches are 5-1 in their first career home opener with the Panthers dating back to MVFC Record .....................48-32 (11th) the 1978 season. Overall Record ...............................Same vs. Eastern Illinois ............................. 6-4 • This will be the 108th playing of the Mid-America Classic between Eastern Illinois and Illinois State. The rivalry game was first played in 1901 and is the oldest FCS rivalry SERIES game in the State of Illinois and the 14th oldest in FCS football. The two teams began ISU leads 56-42-9 playing for a traveling trophy in 2011 to mark the 100th meeting in the series. Last: @ISU 48, EIU 10 on Sept. 8, 2018 • Eastern Illinois was shutout at Big Ten member Indiana last Saturday snapping a streak RANKINGS of 44 straight games in which the Panthers had scored. The last time EIU had been Eastern Illinois .............................--- / --- Illinois State .................................13 / 12 shutout was Sept. 12, 2015 at Northwestern. On the sidelines as part of the NU coaching .............................. STATS Media/AFCA Coaches staff in that game was current EIU head coach Adam Cushing. RADIO THE SERIES Panther Radio Network • Eastern Illinois and Illinois State will be meeting for the 108th time in the Mid-America Hit Mix 88.9 FM, WSVZ 98.3 FM, Classic. Illinois State leads the all-time series 56-42-9 and has won two straight in the series WHOW 1520 AM & WMKR 94.3 FM following a 48-10 win in Normal last year. It marked the first win in the series by the home www.network1sports.com/station/wsvz team since the 2013 season when EIU last won the rivalry game at O’Brien Field. The two www.weiu.net/hitmix/ schools first met in 1901 with a 28-0 EIU victory and have met one time in the FCS playoffs Play-by-Play ........................ Mike Bradd with Illinois State winning that 2006 match-up 24-13. Analyst ............................. Jack Ashmore Eastern Illinois (0-2, 0-0 OVC) Illinois State (1-1, 0-0 MVFC) TELEVISION Date Opponent Score/Time Date Opponent Score/Time ESPN+ Aug. 29 at Chattanooga L 10-24 Aug. 31 at Northern Illinois L 10-24 Play-by-Play ........................ Mike Bradd Sept. 7 at Indiana L 0-52 Sept. 7 MOREHEAD STATE W 42-14 Analyst ............................ Jack Ashmore Sept. 14 ILLINOIS STATE 2 pm Sept. 14 at Eastern Illinois 2 pm Sept. 21 at Indiana State 12 pm Sept. 21 at Northern Arizona 6:30 pm FOLLOW-US Sept. 28 • TENNESSEE TECH 4 pm Oct. 5 • NORTH DAKOTA STATE 12 pm Live Stats ...................... eiupanthers.com Oct. 5 • at Murray State 1 pm Oct. 12 • at Southern Illinois 6 pm Live Video ...................................ESPN+ Oct. 12 • JACKSONVILLE STATE 12 pm Oct. 19 • at Western Illinois 1 pm Facebook ........................... /EIUPanthers Oct. 19 • at UT Martin 2 pm Oct. 26 • INDIANA STATE 2 pm Twitter ...........................@EIU_Panthers Oct. 26 • EASTERN KENTUCKY 2 pm Nov. 2 • NORTHERN IOWA 12 pm Instagram ......................eiupanthernation Nov. 9 • at Tennessee State 2 pm Nov. 9 • at South Dakota State 2 pm FB Twitter ................... @EIUPantherFB Nov. 16 • SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 12 pm Nov. 16 • MISSOURI STATE 12 pm Nov. 23 • at Austin Peay 2 pm Nov. 23 • at Youngstown State 11 am • Ohio Valley Conference Game • Missouri Valley Football Conference Games #RunWithUs All Times Central All Times Central EASTERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL • 16 NCAA FCS Playoff Appearances • OVC Champs 2013, 2012, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001 September 14, 2019 • Eastern Illinois vs. Illinois State • Page 2 • www.eiupanthers.com • #RunWithUs 2019 STATS FCS MEDIA -- (Week 2) • It will be a family affair on Saturday when EIU and ISU meet for the 108th Mid- Rk. Team 2019 Record America Classic. Brothers Ben Solomon and Adam Solomon will be lining up for 1. North Dakota State (149) 2-0 opposite teams with both starting on the offensive line. Ben will be starting his third 2. James Madison (9) 1-1 game as the Panthers offensive center while Adam is a graduate transfer from Illinois 3. South Dakota State 1-1 that starts at tackle for ISU. 4. Eastern Washington 1-1 5. UC Davis 1-1 • Eastern Illinois once again had a young offensive line start the game against Indiana 6. Weber State 1-1 7. Maine 1-1 with three true freshmen as starters. Chad Strickland started at tackle while Anthony 8. Towson 2-0 Sottosanto and Elkhanan Tanelus started at the guards. The veteran statesmen on the 9. Kennesaw State 1-1 line was Aaron Miller who started nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2017 before 10. Montana State 1-1 missing last season with an injury. Center Ben Solomon has made his first career starts 11. Northern Iowa 0-1 this year. 12. Nicholls State 0-1 13. Illinois State 1-1 • Despite its youth, the Eastern Illinois offensive line has allowed only three sacks 14. Central Arkansas 2-0 this season with two coming last week to Big Ten member Indiana. The three sacks 15. North Carolina A&T 1-1 16. Furman 1-1 allowed ranks the Panthers 45th in the FCS and third in the Ohio Valley Conference. 17. Jacksonville State 1-1 Last season with a more veteran offensive line EIU ranked 61st in the FCS in sacks 18. Delaware 2-0 allowed. 19. Southeast Missouri 1-1 20. Montana 2-0 • Eastern Illinois once again had a solid defense against the run as they held Indiana 21. Wofford 0-1 to 114 yards on the ground on 34 carries. For the season EIU ranks 24th in the FCS 22. Villanova 2-0 and second in the OVC in run defense allowing 104 yards per game with a 3.1 yards 23. Southeastern Louisiana 1-0 24. Sam Houston State 1-1 per carry average. The Panthers have not allowed a 100-yard individual rusher in four 25. Elon 1-1 straight games dating back to last season. • Eastern Illinois run defense has been anchored by senior Terrell Greer who was named a preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selection at defensive tackle. Greer currently ranks first among EIU defensive linemen with four tackles as that unit has played by committee this season with ten different down linemen making at least one 2019 AFCA FCS COACHES -- (Week 2) Rk. Team 2019 Record tackle this year. 1. North Dakota State (26) 2-0 2. James Madison (1) 1-1 • Eastern Illinois defense was led for the second consecutive week by linebacker Joe 3. South Dakota State 1-1 Caputo. The senior captain has a team high 15 tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss 4. UC Davis 1-1 this season. Caputo currently has 14 solo tackles which ranks him first in the OVC in 5. Eastern Washington 1-1 that category and 17th in the FCS. Last season Caputo led EIU with 86 tackles and was 6. Weber State 1-1 second on the team with 45 solo stops. 7. Kennesaw State 1-1 8. Towson 2-0 9. Maine 1-1 • Eastern Illinois offense did not turn the ball over in the loss at Indiana after having 10. Norhthern Iowa 1-1 three turnovers in the week one loss at Chattanooga. The last time EIU did not have a 11. Nicholls State 0-1 turnover in a game was last November 10 when the Panthers beat Austin Peay 52-21 on 12. Illinois State 1-1 senior day at O’Brien Field. EIU committed 15 turnovers last season. 13. Furman 1-1 14. Central Arkansas 2-0 • While Eastern Illinois offensive did not turn the ball over at Indiana, the Panthers also 15. Montana State 1-1 failed to create any takeaways against the Hoosiers. EIU had two interceptions in the 16. Jacksonville State 1-1 17. North Carolina A&T 1-1 week one contest at Chattanooga with Bryce Dewberry and Raymond Crittenden each T18. Delaware 2-0 collecting a pick. Both players currently rank tied for 31st in the FCS for interceptions T18. Montana 2-0 this year. 20. Southeast Missouri 1-1 21. Sam Houston State 1-1 • Freshman linebacker Anthony Shockey stepped in and played most of the second half 22. Wofford 0-1 against Indiana following an injury to starter Iziah Gulley. Shockey responded with 23. Villanova 2-0 five tackles against the Hoosiers as he currently ranks fourth on the team in tackles with 24. Southeastern Lousiana 0-1 25. Princeton 0-0 eight including one tackle for loss. • Freshman Christiaan Masucci saw his first collegiate action at Indiana as he was called on to punt in the second half of the contest.