EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHER FOOTBALL Contact: Rich Moser • [email protected] • (217) 581-7480 • Fax (217) 581-6434 • www.EIUpanthers.com GAME 10 OVC Leading EIU Visits Murray State Panthers Riding Nine Game OVC Win Streak No. 2 Eastern Illinois at Murray State Stewart Stadium (16,800) • Murray, Ky. Nov. 9, 2013 • 12 p.m. • TV: OVC Digital Network COACHES: THE GAME Dino Babers (Hawai’i, 1984) Eastern Illinois beat Tennessee Tech 56-21 on Saturday to improve to 8-1 on the season EIU Record .....................15-6 (2nd year) 5-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference. It was EIU’s ninth straight OVC win, the third longest OVC Record ...................11-1 (2nd year) streak of consecutive OVC wins in school history. EIU won 13 straight OVC games on two vs. Murray State ................................ 1-0 previous occasions (2000-02 and 2004-06). Eastern Illinois scored 56 points to increase its scoring average to 47.3 points per game Chris Hatcher (Valdosta State, 1995) MUR Record .................24-19 (4th year) which ranks second in the nation behind Coastal Carolina at 47.7 points per game. The OVC Record ...................17-12 4th year) Panthers are averaging 50 points per game in OVC contests while allowing only 16.8. Overall Record ..........117-46 (14th year) Eastern Illinois dropped to number two in the nation in total offense this week averaging vs. Eastern Illinois ............................. 2-1 587.6 yards per game. Stephen F. Austin is the new national leader in total offense averaging 596.6 yards per game. EIU had 552 yards of total offense in the win over Tennessee Tech SERIES despite losing two offensive drive opportunities on long punt return touchdowns by Shepard 29th meeting , EIU leads series 15-13 Little (75 yards) and Erik Lora (80 yards). Last Meeting: Last season Eastern Illinois and Murray State combined to run 210 plays during the @ EIU 50, MUR 49 (ot) on Sept. 22, 2012 Panthers 50-49 victory. That total set an FCS record for plays in a game. This season EIU is averaging 84.5 plays per game which ranks second in the FCS. Murray State is averaging RANKINGS 73.5 plays per game which ranks 24th in the FCS this season. Eastern Illinois ................................ 2 / 2 Murray State ............................................ THE SERIES .............................. Sports Network/FCS Coaches This will be the 29th meeting between Eastern Illinois and Murray State with the Panthers holding a slight 15-13 all-time series lead. EIU won last year’s game 50-49 RADIO Panther Radio Network scoring a two-point conversion in the first overtime. The Panthers won seven straight Hit Mix 88.9 FM, WRJM 1270 AM, between 2003 and 2009 before the Racers won two straight games. One of the bigger WHOW 1520 AM & WMKR 94.3 FM wins in the series for MSU was a 37-35 victory over EIU to end the 2002 season when www.wrjmdailynews.com EIU was ranked No. 2 in the nation. EIU is 5-8 all-time at Stewart Stadium. www.weiu.net/hitmix/ Play-by-Play ........................ Mike Bradd Eastern Illinois (8-1, 5-0 OVC) Murray State (5-4, 3-2 OVC) Analyst ............................. Jack Ashmore Date Opponent Score/Time Date Opponent Score/Time TELEVISION Aug. 31 at San Diego State W 40-19 Aug. 31 at Missouri L 14-58 None Sept. 7 at Southern Illinois W 40-37 (2ot) Sept. 7 CAMPBELLSVILLE W 83-14 Sept. 14 ILLINOIS STATE W 57-24 Sept. 14 MISSOURI STATE W 41-38 FOLLOW-US Sept. 21 at Northern Illinois L 39-43 Sept. 21 at Bowling Green L 7-48 Live Stats ........................... goracers.com Sept. 28 • EASTERN KENTUCKY W 42-7 Sept. 28 • at Jacksonville State W 35-34 (ot) Live Video ..........ovcdigitalnetwork.com Oct. 10 • at Austin Peay W 63-7 Oct. 5 • TENNESSEE TECH W 35-24 Facebook ........................... /EIUPanthers Oct. 19 • SOUTHEAST MISSOURI W 55-33 Oct. 12 • at Southeast Missouri L 34-37 (3ot) Twitter ...........................@EIU_Panthers Oct. 26 • at Tennessee State W 34-16 Oct. 19 • AUSTIN PEAY W 31-3 Instagram ......................eiupanthernation Nov. 2 • TENNESSEE TECH W 56-21 Nov. 2 • at UT Martin L 17-45 Nov. 9 • at Murray State 12 pm Nov. 9 • EASTERN ILLINOIS 12 pm Nov. 16 • JACKSONVILLE STATE 12 pm Nov. 16 • at Tennessee State 2 pm Nov. 23 • at UT Martin 1 pm Nov. 23 • EASTERN KENTUCKY 12 pm • Ohio Valley Conference Game • Ohio Valley Conference Game All times Central All Times Central EASTERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL • 14 NCAA FCS Playoff Appearances • OVC Champs 2012, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001 November 9, 2013 • Eastern Illinois at Murray State • Page 2 • www.eiupanthers.com • #DefendOurHouse EIU QUICK HITTERS FCS TOP 25 2013 SPORTS NETWORK (Week 11) Rk. Team 2013 Record 1. North Dakota State (159) 8-0 • Eastern Illinois had two players return punts for touchdowns in the win over Tennessee 2. EASTERN ILLINOIS 8-1 3. Eastern Washington 7-2 Tech. Erik Lora (80 yards) and Shepard Little (75 yards) each returned punts for a 4. Montana State 7-2 touchdown. Lora had an 82 yard punt return for touchdown called back preventing EIU 5. Coastal Carolina 9-0 from three punt return scores. 6. Sam Houston State 7-2 7. Fordham 9-0 8. Maine 8-1 • Erik Lora was named the OVC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance 9. Youngstown State 8-1 as a punt returner and wide receiver. It marked the second time this season that an EIU player 10. Montana 7-2 has won the Special Teams Player of the Week. It was Lora’s second career OVC award after 11. McNeese State 7-2 earning OVC and National Player of the Week awards last season following the win over 12. Bethune-Cookman 8-1 13. Towson 8-2 Murray State. 14. Northern Arizona 7-2 15. Delaware 7-2 • Erik Lora hauled in 12 passes for 119 yards against Tennessee Tech. It was Lora’s 14th time 16. Southeastern Louisiana 7-2 with double figure catches and the 17th time in his career he has finished with 100 or more 17. Wofford 5-3 18. Charleston Southern 9-1 yards in a game. Lora now leads the FCS in pass receptions this year with 87. He ranks third 19. South Dakota State 5-4 among all collegiate players. 20. Samford 6-3 21. Lehigh 6-2 • Erik Lora climbed into the FCS career top 25 for career receiving yards against Tennessee 22. James Madison 6-3 23. William & Mary 6-3 Tech as he now has 3,614 career receiving yards (24th all-time). Lora needs 289 more yards to 24. Chattanooga 7-2 break the OVC career receiving yards record of 3,903. Lora moved into seventh place on the 25. New Hampshire 4-4 FCS career receptions list with 296. He needs five catches to tie Jerry Rice for sixth. Receiving Votes (OVC & 2013 EIU opponents): Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Tennessee State, Illinois State, UT Martin • Erik Lora hauled in three touchdown passes against Tennessee Tech to give him 16 touchdown receptions this season and 32 for his career. Both figures moved Lora into a tie for first on both the OVC single season and career list for touchdown receptions. In the game Lora scored four touchdowns becoming the eighth player in school history with four touchdowns in a game. 2013 FCS COACHES • Erik Lora teamed with Keiondre Gober as both receivers finished with more than 100 yards (Week 11) receiving in the game. Gober caught five passes for 129 yards. It marked the fifth time this Rk. Team 2013 Record season that two receivers finished with more than 100 yards in a game. EIU has one additional 1. North Dakota State (26) 8-0 game this year where three receivers finished with more than 100 yards. 2. EASTERN ILLINOIS 8-1 3. Coastal Carolina 9-0 4. Eastern Washington 7-2 • Keiondre Gober hauled in a 79 yard pass for a touchdown giving the sophomore wide 5. Montana State 7-2 receiver nine touchdown receptions this season. Gober has four touchdown passes of more 6. Fordham 9-0 than 60 yards this season as he ranks 10th in the nation in touchdown receptions and 14th in 7. Sam Houston State 7-2 the nation in receiving yards. 8. Youngstown State 8-1 9. Maine 8-1 10. Bethune-Cookman 8-1 • Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 399 yards in the win over Tennessee Tech marking the ninth 11. Towson 8-2 straight game this season Garoppolo has passed for more than 300 yards in a game. He had 12. Montana 7-2 more than 200 yards in the first half for the ninth straight game. Garoppolo is first in the nation 13. McNeese State 7-2 14. Northern Arizona 7-2 in touchdown passes and passing yards. 15. Wofford 5-3 16. Charleston Southern 9-1 • Jimmy Garoppolo hit Keiondre Gober for the 79 yard touchdown pass giving the senior 17. Southeastern Louisiana 7-2 quarterback eight touchdown passes of 60 yards or more this season. Garoppolo had four 18. James Madison 6-3 19. Lehigh 6-2 touchdown passes in the game moving his season total to 39 which ranks 10th all-time on 20. South Dakota State 5-4 the FCS single season list. Garoppolo’s 104 passing touchdowns moved him into 11th on the 21. Delaware 7-2 all-time career list. 22. Samford 6-3 23. Chattanooga 7-2 T24. William & Mary 6-3 • Eastern Illinois tied its school record for touchdowns scored in a season on Saturday against T24.