August 28, 2014 • Eastern Illinois at Minnesota • 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 1 Kim Dameron Era Begins At Minnesota Panthers Facing Sixth Big Ten Opponent No. 11 Eastern Illinois at Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium (50,805) • Minneapolis, Minn. August 28, 2014 • 6 p.m. • TV: Big Ten Network COACHES: THE GAME Kim Dameron (Arkansas, 1983) Eastern Illinois and Minnesota meet for the first time as the two schools open the EIU Record ................................. 1st year 2014 season on Thursday night. For the second straight year EIU will open the season on OVC Record ............................... 1st year the road facing an FBS opponent. EIU beat San Diego State, 40-19, last year to open the vs. Minnesota .................... First meeting season. It marked the fifth win for EIU over an FBS school. The August 28 opening date marks the earliest date EIU has ever opened a football Jerry Kill (Southwestern (KS), 1983) season. EIU has previously opened on August 28 on two other occasions - in 1997 at Minnesota Record .........17-21 (4th year) Western Illinois and in 2008 at Central Michigan. Big Ten Record ................8-16 (4th year) Overall Record ........... 144-94 (21 years) Eastern Illinois is opening its 111th season of intercollegiate football under the vs. Eastern Illinois ............................. 2-1 direction of first year head coach Kim Dameron. The Panthers are coming off a 12-2 season in which they were ranked No. 4 in the final FCS polls after advancing to the FCS SERIES playoff quarterfinal round. EIU was led last season by Walter Payton Award winning First Meeting: quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (now a 2nd round draft pick of the New England Patriots) EIU is 0-6 against Big Ten Conference and wide receiver Erik Lora (now a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings). The Panthers former head coach Dino Babers was hired as the head coach at Bowling Green. RANKINGS Minnesota opens its 130th season of football with head coach Jerry Kill entering his Eastern Illinois ............................ 16 / 11 fourth season leading the program. The Gophers were 8-5 last year playing Syracuse Minnesota ............RV in USA Today poll in the Texas Bowl. It marked the second straight season Minnesota advanced to a bowl .............................. Sports Network/FCS Coaches game under Jerry Kill. RADIO Panther Radio Network THE SERIES Hit Mix 88.9 FM, WSVZ 98.3 FM, This will be the first meeting between Eastern Illinois and Minnesota. The Panthers WHOW 1520 AM & WMKR 94.3 FM are 0-6 in previous games against teams from the Big Ten Conference. EIU is 1-0 against www.network1sports.com/station/wsvz teams from Minnesota with a 1986 win over Winona State. Minnesota head coach Jerry www.weiu.net/hitmix/ Kill is 2-1 against Eastern Illinois during his time as the head coach at Southern Illinois. Play-by-Play ........................ Mike Bradd Analyst ............................. Jack Ashmore Eastern Illinois (12-2, 8-0 OVC) Minnesota (8-5, 4-4 Big Ten) TELEVISION Date Opponent Score/Time Date Opponent Score/Time Big Ten Network Aug. 28 at Minnesota 6 pm Aug. 28 EASTERN ILLINOIS 6 pm Play-by-Play ........................ Eric Collins Sept. 6 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 6 pm Sept. 6 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 2:30 pm Analyst ................................Glen Mason Sept. 13 at Illinois State 12 pm Sept. 13 at TCU 3 pm Sideline ..............................Jamie Hersch Sept. 20 • AUSTIN PEAY 1:30 pm Sept. 20 SAN JOSE STATE TBA Sept. 27 at Ohio TBA Sept. 27 • at Michigan TBA FOLLOW-US Oct. 11 • at Eastern Kentucky 5 pm Oct. 11 • NORTHWESTERN TBA Live Stats .................... gophersports.com Oct. 18 • at Southeast Missouri 1 pm Oct. 18 • PURDUE 11 am Live Video ..........................................n/a Oct. 25 • TENNESSEE STATE (HC) 1:30 pm Oct. 25 • at Illinois 11 am Facebook ........................... /EIUPanthers Nov. 1 • at Tennessee Tech 1:30 pm Nov. 8 • IOWA TBA Twitter ...........................@EIU_Panthers Nov. 8 • MURRAY STATE 12 pm Nov. 15 • OHIO STATE TBA Instagram ......................eiupanthernation Nov. 15 • at Jacksonville State 3 pm Nov. 22 • at Nebraska TBA Nov. 22 • UT MARTIN 12 pm Nov. 29 • at Wisconsin TBA • Ohio Valley Conference Game • Big Ten 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 August 28, 2014 • Eastern Illinois at Minnesota • Page 2 • www.eiupanthers.com • #EIUBleedBlue FCS TOP 25 2014 SPORTS NETWORK (Preseason Poll) Rk. Team 2013 Record • Running back Shepard Little has been named one of the 20 players on the preseason Walter 1. Eastern Washington (82) 12-3 2. North Dakota State (62) 15-0 Payton Award watch list. Little ranked 10th in the nation in all-purpose yards last season 3. Southeastern Louisiana (2) 11-3 (2,192) and 7th in rushing yards (1,551). Little looks to join former EIU quarterbacks Tony 4. New Hampshire (1) 10-5 Romo (2002) and Jimmy Garoppolo (2013) as winners of the award. 5. Montana 10-3 6. Jacksonville State 11-4 7. Coastal Carolina 12-3 • Shepard Little rushed for 1,551 yards last season during his first Single Season Rushing Totals 8. McNeese State 10-3 season on the field. It was the second highest single season total 1. Poke Cobb (1979) * ...... 1,609 9. Northern Iowa 7-5 in school history. Little’s total placed him 17th on the Panthers 2. Shepard Little (2013) .... 1,551 10. South Dakota State 9-5 3. J.R. Taylor (2002) .......... 1,522 all-time career rushing list. He needs 81 yards to catch James 4. Willie High (1993) ........ 1,487 11. Fordham 12-2 5. Willlie High (1995) ....... 1,458 12. Villanova 6-5 Marable (1985-88) for 16th on the career list. Little’s 7.15 yards * led NCAA Division II 13. Towson 13-3 per carry last season ranked first in school history. 14. Chattanooga 8-4 15. Tennessee State 10-4 • Shepard Little and backfield mate Taylor Duncan return as the top yard producing running 16. EASTERN ILLINOIS 12-2 17. Sam Houston State 9-5 back combo in the FCS this season. Little rushed for 1,551 yards while Duncan fell just short 18. Montana State 7-5 of the 1,000 yard marker finishing at 988 despite missing two games. The pair ranked second 19. William & Mary 7-5 in the nation in combined backfield production with 2,539 yards. North Dakota State’s two 20. Richmond 6-6 running backs led the nation with 2,675 yards as NDSU won its third straight FCS National 21. Furman 8-6 22. Bethune-Cookman 10-3 Championship. Duncan ranks 19th on the Panthers career rushing chart. 23. Northern Arizona 9-3 24. Youngstown State 8-4 • Shepard Little had touchdowns come in all forms last season as he ranked second on the 25. Maine 10-3 team behind All-American wide receiver Erik Lora with 19 touchdowns. Little scored Receiving Votes (OVC & 2014 EIU opponents): 15 touchdowns on the ground, had two touchdown receptions and returned two punts for Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Eastern Kentucky touchdowns. Little added a touchdown pass in a home win over Jacksonville State. His 19 touchdowns rank third on the EIU single season list. 2014 FCS COACHES • Quarterback Andrew Manley is one of two quarterbacks expected to play at Minnesota in the (Preseason Poll) season opener. Manley came out of spring practice as the starter but has been challenged for the spot by transfer Jalen Whitlow. Manley played in just five games last season completing Rk. Team 2013 Record 2. North Dakota State (18) 15-0 2-of-7 pass attempts. Manley does has one win over Minnesota to his credit as he led New 1. Eastern Washington (6) 12-3 Mexico State to a 28-21 win over Minnesota in head coach Jerry Kill’s first home game for the 3. Southeastern Louisiana (1) 11-3 Gophers. Manley was 20-of-31 for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the win. 4. New Hampshire (1) 10-5 5. Montana 10-3 6. Coastal Carolina 12-3 • Quarterback Jalen Whitlow will also see time at Minnesota as the summer transfer from 7. Towson (1) 13-3 Kentucky has battled for the starting job in fall camp. Whitlow started 15 games over the past 8. Jacksonville State 11-4 two seasons for the Wildcats passing for 1,836 yards and rushing for 663. His best passing 9. McNeese State 10-3 performance was 225 yards against SEC East Division Champion Missouri last season. He 10. South Dakota State 9-5 11. EASTERN ILLINOIS 12-2 was 17-of-27 against the Tigers rushing for one touchdown. 12. Fordham 12-2 13. Villanova 6-5 • Eastern Illinois posted a record offensive season last year as the school set 11 Ohio Valley 14. Sam Houston State 9-5 Conference records in addition to breaking nearly every school single season offensive mark. 15. Northern Iowa 7-5 16. Chattanooga 8-4 The Panthers prolific offense was led by seniors Jimmy Garoppolo (quarterback) and Erik 17. Tennessee State 10-4 Lora (wide receiver) but several key returners for the 2014 season were instrumental in that 18. Furman 8-6 success. EIU returns both starting running backs from last year in Shepard Little and Taylor 19. Montana State 7-5 Duncan along with three starting wide receivers - Adam Drake, Keiondre Gober and Jeff 20. Maine 10-3 21. Youngstown State 8-4 LePak. The Panthers finished the year ranking in the FCS Top 5 all time for total offense and 22.