Tennessee Tech running back Torin Baker (right) eludes two EIU defenders Saturday in TTU’s 23-6 victory in Cookeville, Tenn. (Image via TTUSports.com)
By Barry Bottino
Eastern Illinois allowed 200 rushing yards, committed two turnovers and lost its starting quarterback for more than two quarters Saturday.
All of that added up to a 23-6 EIU loss in their season finale at Tennessee Tech, sending the Panthers to a 3-9 record (2-6 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association).
“We wore down late,” Eastern head coach Chris Wilkerson said of his defense, which started five drives at the Tennessee Tech 40 or worse. “The field position has been a problem for us this fall, whether it be with offensive turnovers or special teams inconsistencies. At some point, they start to wear down. (The defense) did a good job early forcing them to kick field goals.”
With TTU (7-5, 6-2) up 3-0 late in the first quarter, the Golden Eagles sacked Panthers quarterback Pierce Holley, leading to a left hand injury that sent Holley to a local hospital for x-rays. He did not return until the fourth quarter.
In the meantime, Tech leaned on its ground game with Jalen Mitchell (131 yards) and Jordan Yates (34 yards, TD) to build a 16-0 lead.
The Panthers closed the gap to 16-6 late in third quarter on sophomore Jay Pearson’s 2-yard TD run, the first of his career.
However, Eastern managed just 241 total yards on 61 plays. TTU gained 328 yards on 60 plays.
Despite the injury, Holley finished 14-for-20 passing for 129 yards. Pearson led EIU with 69 rushing yards. Wide receiver Cooper Willman led all receivers with nine catches and 86 yards.
Holley became the fourth player in EIU history to surpass 3,000 yards in a season. For his career, which began at FCS Georgetown, Holley produced more than 10,000 passing yards.
Game changers
3:57, 1st quarter: Holley was sacked for a six-yard loss and later left the game because of an injured left hand.
2:15, 3rd quarter: Pearson scored on a two-yard run on fourth down for his first career touchdown.
11:04, 4th quarter: Tyler Wilson rushed for a 9-yard score for TTU to give his team a 17-point lead.
What it means
Eastern ends the season with a 3-9 record and an 0-7 mark on the road.
Prime Time Panthers
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Eastern Illinois players in the game:
Willman, WR: The senior raised his team-leading totals to 66 catches and 955 yards.
Pearson, RB: On the strength of a 59-yard run, the sophomore gained a career-high 69 yards.
Anthony Shockey, LB: The senior had 11 total tackles and became the 40th player in EIU history to reach 100 tackles in a season.
What’s next?
The Panthers are scheduled to host Dayton on Aug. 30 to open the 2025 season, according to FBSchedules.com.
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.
Prairie State Pigskin 
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