Reinvigorated offense key as Eastern Illinois opens with Indiana State

The Panthers enter year two under head coach and EIU alum Chris Wilkerson. (Photo by EIUPanthers.com)

By Dan Verdun

Early in fall camp, head coach Chris Wilkerson noted his Eastern Illinois football team was “preparing for the marathon” but “as we get further into this, it will be much more focused on the (Indiana State) Sycamores.” 

Much of that focus will likely be on EIU’s offense Thursday night in Terre Haute, Ind.

Moreover, it starts with re-establishing a productive running game. The top three rushers from a year ago are all gone, either via the transfer portal or graduation.

That said, departed quarterback Dom Shoffner’s team-high 425 rushing yards wasn’t exactly the ground game EIU desired.

Eastern hasn’t produced a runner with more than 500 yards since 2018 or a 1,000-yard back since Devin Church ran for 1,066 yards in 2016.

As a result, the Panthers have bulked up their offensive line in both strength and depth.

“We were very blessed to add players, both in the first-year class that are here for the first time this fall and some transfers that joined us at the (spring) semester,” Wilkerson said.

EIU brought in two transfer running backs: Juwon Farri, who rushed for 28 touchdowns and nearly 2,900 yards in four years at Monmouth, and Kevin Daniels, who was a freshman All-American at Northern Arizona when he ran for 1,146 yards in 2021.

“Kevin was with us all spring but didn’t do a whole lot coming off injury,” Wilkerson said. “(Since then), he has been rock solid with the ball in his hands, catching the ball out of the backfield and blocking on the blitz. He’s twitchy, big and physical.”

The two newcomers will be joined by three current Panthers – junior Kendi Young, redshirt freshmen MJ Flowers and Jay Pearson – in Eastern’s backfield.

This week’s opponent

EIU (2-9 last season) renews its regional rivalry with Indiana State (2-9). The schools are separated by 50 miles, according to Google maps.

The series between the Panthers and Sycamores is the second most played in EIU history. First facing each other in 1901, the pair have met 87 times.

The two schools have played in EIU’s season opener 27 times, including every season between 1956 and ’70.

EIU leads the series, 44-40-4. Indiana State, however, has won three straight from the Panthers. Eastern’s last victory was a 22-20 triumph in 2017.

“It’s a great rivalry,” Indiana State head coach Curt Mallory said. “I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for their football program. We’re close in proximity. It’s always a great day. I just respect the heck out of them.”

(5 p.m. CDT kickoff, TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: link available through EIUPanthers.com)

One matchup to watch

EIU defense vs. QB Cade Chambers: The Panthers lost several key members from last year’s defense, including coordinator Adam Gristick who took a position with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. Thus, Clay Bignell takes over the role with a defense anchored by linebacker Elijawah Tolbert.

Chambers, last year’s Missouri Valley Football Conference freshman of the year, finished 10th in the NCAA FCS and second in the MVFC in passing yards per completion (14.43) a season ago.

“His confidence just built as the season went on. His composure got better,” Mallory said of Chambers. “You’re seeing him not only lead the offense but lead the football team. Any time you can do that with a quarterback who guys on both sides of the ball respond to, you have someone special.”

What’s at stake

Both programs are coming off down years, so while this certainly isn’t a “must win” matchup, a victory by either side would help put last season in the rearview mirror and build positive energy for this fall.

“It’s going to be a great opener, a great challenge for us,” Mallory said.

“It is the most important game on our schedule because it’s the first game on our schedule,” EIU head coach Chris Wilkerson. “We want to go over there and show them we are a different football team (than in the past). It has felt more and more like our football team since that very last day in Martin, Tenn. last November.”

Quick hits

Eastern Illinois will open its 118th season of football . . . Kicker Stone Galloway returns for his senior year and has been named to the preseason watch list for the Fred Mitchell Award, presented to the top non-FBS kicker in the nation. Galloway was a first-team All-OVC selection last year going 11-of-12 on field goals and 27-of-27 on extra points . . . Former Panthers Jimmy Garoppolo (Las Vegas Raiders) and Kamu Grugier-Hill (Carolina Panthers) are both on active NFL rosters as players while former Panther quarterback Sean Payton returns as an NFL head coach (Denver Broncos).

Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.

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