EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHER FOOTBALL Contact: Rich Moser • [email protected] • (217) 581-7480 • Fax (217) 581-6434 • www.EIUpanthers.com GAME 5 OVC Favorites Collide To Open Conference Season Defending Champ EIU Hosts EKU No. 8/12 Eastern Illinois vs. Eastern Kentucky O’Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill. Sept. 28, 2013 • 1:30 p.m. • TV: ESPN3 COACHES: Dino Babers (Hawai’i, 1984) THE GAME EIU Record .....................10-6 (2nd year) Eastern Illinois remained in the top ten in this week’s Sports Network Top 25 OVC Record .....................6-1 (2nd year) following a shoot out loss, 43-39, to last year’s Orange Bowl participant Northern Illinois. vs. Eastern Kentucky ......................... 1-0 The Panthers now look to defend their Ohio Valley Conference title with the conference opener against Eastern Kentucky. Dean Hood (Ohio Wesleyan, 1986) The Panthers rolled through the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 3-1 EKU Record ..................36-25 (6th year) record in what was ranked by the NCAA as the toughest non-conference schedule this OVC Record ..................29-10 (6th year) season. EIU is 13-4 in OVC openers since joining the conference in 1996. This will Overall Record ...............................Same vs. Eastern Illinois ............................. 4-1 be the second time that EIU has opened conference play against Eastern Kentucky, the Panthers winning that previous meeting 21-14 on Sept. 22, 2001 in Richmond. SERIES EIU scored 39 points in the loss at Northern Illinois ending a three game streak of 21st meeting, EKU leads 12-8 scoring 40 or more points in a game. EIU is ranked eighth in the NCAA in scoring Last Meeting: offense, first in total offense and first in passing offense. EIU 24, @ EKU 7 on Oct. 27, 2012 Eastern Kentucky enters the game following a road victory over former OVC member Morehead State. The Colonels are 2-2 this season with a 1-1 record on the road. EKU RANKINGS was 8-3 last season and left out of the FCS playoffs. Eastern Illinois .............................. 8 / 12 Eastern Kentucky ...................... RV / --- THE SERIES .............................. Sports Network/FCS Coaches This will be the 21st meeting between Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels lead the all-time series 12-8 as the two schools have combined for 34 FCS RADIO Panther Radio Network playoff appearances with both schools ranking in the top ten all-time in FCS history Hit Mix 88.9 FM, WRJM 1270 AM, (EKU 20, EIU 14). EIU won last year’s meeting 24-7 in Richmond ending a five game WHOW 1520 AM & WMKR 94.3 FM win streak by the Colonels in the series. EKU holds a 5-4 series lead in games played at www.wrjmdailynews.com O’Brien Field. EIU’s last home win in the series was in 2005. www.weiu.net/hitmix/ Play-by-Play ........................ Mike Bradd Eastern Illinois (3-1, 0-0 OVC) Eastern Kentucky (2-2, 0-0 OVC) Analyst ............................. Jack Ashmore Date Opponent Score/Time Date Opponent Score/Time TELEVISION Aug. 31 at San Diego State W 40-19 Aug. 29 Robert MORRIS W 38-6 ESPN3 Sept. 7 at Southern Illinois W 40-37 (2ot) Sept. 7 at Louisville L 7-44 Play-by-Play ..................... Kevin Ingram Sept. 14 ILLINOIS STATE W 57-24 Sept. 14 Coastal CAROLINA L 32-51 Analyst ................................. Bob Belvin Sept. 21 at Northern Illinois L 39-43 Sept. 21 at Morehead State W 56-24 Sept. 28 • EASTERN KENTUCKY 1:30 pm Sept. 28 • at Eastern Illinois 1:30 pm FOLLOW-US Oct. 10 • at Austin Peay 6 pm Oct. 5 • AUSTIN Peay 5 pm Live Stats ...................... eiupanthers.com Oct. 19 • SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 1:30 pm Oct. 19 • TENNESSEE TECH 2 pm Live Video ...........................ESPN3.com Oct. 26 • at Tennessee State 4 pm Oct. 26 • at Southeast Missouri 1 pm Facebook ........................... /EIUPanthers Nov. 2 • TENNESSEE TECH 12 pm Nov. 2 • TENNESSEE State 12 pm Twitter ...........................@EIU_Panthers Nov. 9 • at Murray State 12 pm Nov. 9 • at Jacksonville State 3 pm Instagram ......................eiupanthernation Nov. 16 • JACKSONVILLE STATE 12 pm Nov. 16 • UT Martin 12 pm Nov. 23 • at UT Martin 1 pm Nov. 23 • at Murray State 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 September 28, 2013 • Eastern Illinois vs. Eastern Kentucky • Page 2 • www.EIUpanthers.com • #DefendOurHouse EIU QUICK HITTERS FCS TOP 25 2013 SPORTS NETWORK (Week 4) Rk. Team 2013 Record 1. North Dakota State (157) 3-0 • Senior quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tied both the Ohio Valley Conference and Eastern 2. Eastern Washington (1) 2-1 3. Towson 4-0 Illinois career record for touchdown passes on Saturday at Northern Illinois. Garoppolo 4. Sam Houston State 3-1 had six touchdown passes against the Huskies to bring his career total to 85, matching 5. Northern Iowa 3-0 former EIU signal caller Tony Romo. 6. South Dakota State 3-1 7. Montana 3-0 8. EASTERN ILLINOIS 3-1 • Jimmy Garoppolo opened the NIU game with near flawless numbers completing 13-of- 9. McNeese State 4-0 16 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns on the Panthers first three drives. Garoppolo 10. New Hampshire 2-1 finished the game with 450 yards passing and six touchdowns. The 450 yards ranks as the sixth 11. Montana State 2-2 best passing day in school history while the six touchdowns are the second best day ranking 12. Coastal Carolina 4-0 13. Central Arkansas 2-2 behind Garoppolo’s record setting seven touchdowns against Illinois State on Sept. 14. 14. James Madison 3-1 15. Georgia Southern 2-1 • Jimmy Garoppolo needs 153 yards passing on Saturday to become the career passing 16. Fordham 4-0 leader in the Ohio Valley Conference. He needs 163 yards to reach the 10,000 yard plateau 17. Wofford 2-2 18. Cal Poly 1-2 for his career. Garoppolo trails current New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton on the 19. Villanova 1-2 Panthers career passing charts as Payton passed for 10,655 yards. 20. Bethune-Cookman 3-1 21. Lehigh 3-0 • Jimmy Garoppolo enters the weekend leading the nation’s top ranked offensive unit as the 22. Richmond 2-2 23. UT Martin 2-1 senior quarterback is in the top ten in every passing category. Garoppolo leads the nation in 24. Northern Arizona 2-1 total offense, passing offense, touchdown passes and points responsible for. He is second 25. Gardner-Webb 3-1 in the nation in pass completions per game and eighth nationally in passing efficiency. Receiving Votes (OVC & 2013 EIU opponents): Illinois State, Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky, • Erik Lora has been Garoppolo’s favorite target again this season as the senior moved past Tennessee State, Southern Illinois the 3,000 yards receiving mark for his career at Northern Illinois. Lora had 14 catches for 198 yards to move his career total to 3,069 yards. Lora needs 108 yards to catch Roy Banks as EIU’s career receiving yards leader. Lora ranks fourth on the OVC career list. 2013 FCS COACHES • Erik Lora continues to extend his record setting career number of catches as he moved his (Week 4) total to 254 on Saturday at Northern Illinois. Lora now ranks 13th on the FCS career list Rk. Team 2013 Record tied with Zach Watkins of Butler. Lora needs five catches to move into 12th and 14 catches 1. North Dakota State (26) 3-0 to move in to the FCS career top ten. 2. Towson 4-0 3. Eastern Washington 2-1 4. Sam Houston State 3-1 • Erik Lora’s 14 catch night at Northern Illinois was the fourth best night in the senior wide 5. Northern Iowa 3-0 receivers career and ranks as the fifth best individual night in school history. Lora holds 6. South Dakota State 3-1 the OVC and EIU single game record with 21 catches set last season against Murray State. 7. New Hampshire 2-1 Lora’s other big receiving days included 17 and 15 catches. 7. Montana 3-0 9 McNeese State 4-0 10. Montana State 2-2 • Erik Lora joined junior Adam Drake in going over 100 yards receiving for the third 11. Coastal Carolina 4-0 straight game at NIU. Lora had 14 catches for 198 yards. Drake hauled in eight catches 12. EASTERN ILLINOIS 3-1 for 137 yards. It marked the first time in school history that EIU has had multiple receivers 13. Central Arkansas 2-2 14. James Madison 3-1 go over 100 yards in three straight games. 15. Wofford 2-2 16. Fordham 4-0 • Erik Lora and Adam Drake have become big targets for Jimmy Garoppolo in the Panthers 17. Lehigh 3-0 first four games this season. Lora leads the NCAA in receptions, touchdown receptions and 18. Bethune-Cookman 3-1 19. Cal Poly 1-2 receiving yards. Drake continues to have a breakout junior year ranking third in the nation 20. Richmond 2-2 in touchdown receptions, fifth in receiving yards and 14th in pass receptions. 21. Villanova 1-2 22. Northern Arizona 2-1 • Adam Drake caught a 43-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo in the first quarter to put EIU 23. Stony Brook 1-2 24. Illinois State 1-2 up 13-0 over NIU. The 43-yard pass marked the 7th big play touchdown EIU has scored 25. Youngstown State 3-1 this season from 40 yards or more. The longest play was an 86-yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to Keiondre Gober against Illinois State.