Transfer wide receiver Samuel Gonzalez had four receptions last week against Indiana State for a team-high 78 yards for Eastern Illinois. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Barry Bottino
Catching four passes for a team-high 78 yards last week was a familiar feeling for Samuel Gonzalez.
The Eastern Illinois wide receiver, who transferred in the off-season from NAIA MidAmerica Nazarene, has been working with quarterback Cole LaCrue for months.
“We bond really well,” said Gonzalez, who leads the team in receiving yards (128) and yards per catch (18.3). “We would get together after practice and throw, talking about what we wanted to do with the season.”
Gonzalez and four other receivers combined for 14 catches and 224 yards in last week’s loss to Indiana State. The quintet gives Eastern the ability to spread the ball around.
“(Wide receivers) coach Tino Smith has done a really good job with the guys in his room,” EIU head coach Chris Wilkerson said. “All those guys have continued to improve. They are complete football players. They take pride in their blocking on the perimeter. They take pride in running routes when they might even anticipate the action being away from them.”
Eastern will need another big game from its receivers this week.
The Panthers (1-2) travel to No. 4/5 Illinois State (3-0) Saturday for the 114th meeting between the two schools, who play for the Mid-America Classic trophy. (2 p.m., ESPN-Plus) The game is the 14th-oldest rivalry in FCS.
In addition to Gonzalez, slot receiver Devin Whitlock (four catches, 30 yards), senior Landers Green (two catches, 70 yards), redshirt sophomore Jeremy Reeves (two catches, 31 yards) and junior college transfer Eli Evans (two catches, 15 yards) contributed last week for the Panthers.
“Gonzalez has been really sure handed,” Wilkerson said. A Florida native, Gonzalez had catches of 33 and 29 yards, the latter of which set up a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Green, meanwhile, hauled in a 54-yard pass – the longest pass play of the game.
“Landers is a very capable wide receiver who has done a good job, especially from a leadership standpoint,” said Wilkerson.
Reeves secured his first career touchdown catch in the third quarter to spark an EIU rally from down 35-7. “Our young guy continues to grow,” Wilkerson said. “He has a lot of potential and is starting to finally get his footing underneath him. He has a very bright future.”
In the past five seasons, Eastern has had only three receivers catch more than 30 passes in a season – Isaiah Hill (39 in 2021), Eli Mirza (61 in 2023) and Cooper Willman (66 in 2024). This fall, Eastern has multiple players who could reach that plateau.
“I’m sure they’d all like to catch 50, 60, 70 balls a year and for us to wing it all over the place,” Wilkerson said, “but they’re willing to do what we need to do to be successful.”
Kickoff: 2 p.m.; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: WEIU.net/hitmix
Key matchup to watch
Illinois State ground game vs. EIU defense: Indiana State rushed for 218 yards and 5.7 yards a carry in Saturday’s 42-35 loss to the Sycamores. The Redbirds have a lethal ground attack, thanks to preseason All-American RB Victor Dawson and a punishing offensive line.
What’s at stake?
The Mid-America Classic Trophy is on the line for EIU. Over the last five seasons, Eastern is 1-4 in the rivalry and has been outscored 152-82.
Quick hits
Eastern committed a whopping 13 penalties for 120 yards against Indiana State, which bothered Wilkerson, who said he was especially frustrated by “the ones that are easier to control. Personal fouls, that’s just a lack of discipline. It takes no talent to make sure we don’t jump offside. The procedural things are unacceptable.” One penalty he didn’t mind was a pass interference call which negated an interception and return for a touchdown by safety Kaleb Lyons. “The hustle penalties, I don’t have a problem with.” … Nearly four decades ago, while he was a high school athlete, Wilkerson met Illinois State head coach Brock Spack. “In the summer of 1989, he started the recruiting process,” Wilkerson said of Spack, who helped recruit the now-EIU coach. At that time, Spack was coaching linebackers at Eastern. Today, he’s the winningest coach in ISU history and has taken his team to two national championship games. “His body of work is as impressive as any coach in the entire country at any level.” … EIU senior running back Charles Kellom leads the team with nine catches and is seventh in the nation with 297 rushing yards. “He’s capable of doing everything a running back is asked to do in our system,” Wilkerson said. “He’s a very good role model for the younger backs in our program.” … Illinois State leads the all-time series, 61-43-9, and has won four of the last five meetings between the in-state rivals. “We have not made it as competitive as we should,” Wilkerson said. … LaCrue, who passed for 282 yards and three TDs against Indiana State, was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week Monday. He also rushed for 65 yards and a score. Linebacker Ja’Wuan Nickson won OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors after compiling 10 tackles, an interception and 1.5 tackles for loss.
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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