Eastern Illinois cornerback Moses Alexander (4) eyes a loose ball Saturday night in Charleston in the second quarter, which he picked up and returned 60 yards for a TD. (Photo by GoPanthers.com)
By Barry Bottino
CHARLESTON – The long pass down the middle of the field sailed high above Eastern Illinois cornerback NiJhay Burt and Indiana State receiver Rashad Rochelle.
Running side by side with the receiver, Burt outjumped Rochelle for the ball less than 6 minutes into the game, starting a takeaway trend Saturday night for EIU, which beat the Sycamores, 27-20, in front of a home opener crowd of 7,222 at O’Brien Field.
Burt grabbed a nearly identical interception late in the third quarter as Eastern (1-1) collected four total turnovers to beat its regional rival from Terre Haute.
“I see the ball in the air, I’ve gotta get it,” said Burt, a junior who collected his fourth and fifth career interceptions. “The turnovers build momentum for the offense. I love that our quarterback (Pierce Holley) trusts us to know that we’re going to get him the ball back. That’s all I want, to earn the trust of our quarterback.”
“He’s just a ballhawk,” EIU head coach Chris Wilkerson said of Burt. “He’s a phenomenal athlete and one of our most explosive players.”
The defense put points on the board early in the second quarter when safety Nick Coates jarred the ball loose from Indiana State tight end Lance Rees. Cornerback Moses Alexander scooped the loose ball up at the EIU 40-yard line and followed a convoy of blockers for 60 yards to the end zone for a 14-7 lead.
On the following drive, linebacker Elijawah Tolbert, who had eight tackles, grabbed an interception on a pass that was tipped by EIU defensive lineman Tre’jon Lewis.
Eastern freshman kicker Drew Schiller connected on a 34-yard field goal to end the first half and a 40 yarder midway through the third quarter.
Late in the third quarter, senior wide receiver Cooper Willman caught a 5-yard scoring pass from Holley (19-for-32, 268 yards) to give EIU its biggest lead of the night, a 27-13 advantage.
The Sycamores leaned on quarterback Elijah Owens, a Jacksonville, Ill., native, who was 30-for-37 passing for 260 yards and three touchdown passes. The elusive Owens also rushed for 44 yards, which led the team, and slipped out of several potential sacks.
“It puts a lot of stress on you,” Wilkerson said. “You want to play man to man, but if you get the defenders’ backs turned, all of a sudden he pulls the ball down. If you play zone, he can make the throws, even all the way to the outside of the field.”
Owens’ 9-yard scoring pass with 55 seconds remaining in the game closed the Sycamores’ deficit to seven points.
But EIU ran out the clock after wide receiver Eli Mirza covered the ensuing onside kick.
Game changers
9:18, 1st quarter: EIU cornerback NiJhay Burt grabbed the first of his two interceptions on a deep ball intended for Indiana State leading receiver Rashad Rochelle.
10:27, 2nd quarter: EIU safety Nick Coates forced a fumble, which was picked up and returned 60 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Moses Alexander.
1:21, 3rd quarter: Wide receiver Cooper Willman caught a 5-yard pass from QB Pierce Holley and stretched the ball over the goal line for a TD and a 27-13 EIU lead, its largest of the night.
What it means
The Panthers rebounded from last week’s shutout loss to FBS Illinois and beat a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent.
Prime Time Panthers
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top Eastern Illinois players in the game:
Burt, CB: His two interceptions turned the momentum toward EIU and were part of four turnovers created by the defense. He also had nine tackles.
Terrance Gipson, WR: The Texas native stepped in when fellow wide receiver DeAirious Smith was injured and caught six passes for 100 yards.
M.J. Flowers, RB: The sophomore from Ohio rushed for 93 yards and scored on a 1-yard touchdown to cap a 99-yard first-quarter scoring drive.
What’s next?
Eastern travels to Evanston for a 6:30 p.m. game against Northwestern on Sept. 14.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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