Tackling has been an issue this season for Eastern Illinois this season, according to head coach Chris Wilkerson. The Panthers have allowed 210 rushing yards a game thus far. (Photo by Sandy King, EIUPanthers.com)
By Barry Bottino
Chris Wilkerson’s title at Eastern Illinois is head coach.
This week, during a bye for his team, Wilkerson and his coaches are service as detectives while wearing plenty of other hats as the Panthers (1-4) await the start of Ohio Valley Conference play next week.
“It’s a break without having a game,” Wilkerson said of his coaching staff, “but it’s not really a break.”
Along with teaching fundamentals, the focus will be on “self-scrutiny and what we’re doing well and what we haven’t done well, and why,” he said. “It’s going back and evaluating ourselves and what the players have been successful doing and trying to make sure when we start conference play that we’re putting the guys in the best position possible.”
The Panthers are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and have shown some positive signs of progress, along with several troubling issues.
Here’s a look at three pluses and three minuses so far:
Plus column
Turnover time: The Panthers are tied for 24th nationally in turnover margin, thanks to four interceptions and two fumble recoveries from the defense. Senior linebacker Ja’Wuan Nickson has two of those interceptions.
“The ball is the program,” Wilkerson said. “Defensively, we’ve got to continue to take the football away.”
EIU is one of only five FCS teams not to throw an interception this season. Quarterbacks threw 12 picks a year ago. Second-year starter Cole LaCrue has five TD passes and no interceptions after throwing seven picks in 2025.
Turnovers not only end drives, according to Wilkerson.
“It puts our defense back on the field,” he said, limiting their rest.
Feed Kellom: Senior running back Charles Kellom leads the OVC in rushing (327 yards) and ranks third in total offense (431 yards). His four rushing touchdowns lead the team and include scoring runs of 88 and 76 yards.
While the Panthers break in multiple new receivers, Kellom has a team-high 13 receptions and one TD reception.
He’s a weapon the Panthers will need to lean on heavily in OVC play, which begins Oct. 10 at Gardner-Webb.
Special teams improvement: Transfer punter Cade Cox (43.6 yards per kick) is less than a yard off of last season’s average and has nine punts of 50 yards or more.
Kicker Drew Schiller is 2-for-3 on field goals after six misses last season. His kickoffs feature 18 touchbacks in 12 games a year ago. Now, he has 11 touchbacks in five games.
The return game has shown improvement with punt returns (12.9) averaging three yards more than last season and kickoff returns (20.71) more than three yards better than 2025.
Minus column
Run defense: In four losses, the Panthers have been stung by 989 rushing yards allowed, including 408 against South Dakota State.
EIU’s rush defense per game, which is allowing 210.4 yards, ranks 104th nationally among 124 FCS teams. Sixteen of the 26 touchdowns Eastern has allowed have been on the ground.
“As a defense, we have the talent and the mindset to get the job done,” defensive end Premiere Whitley said. “We’re not holding each other accountable enough. I think that could be a big differentiator as we’re going into our conference games.”
Tackling troubles: Wilkerson called the bye week “a complete reset for us to start conference play,” he said.
Defensively, that likely starts with tackling. The struggles to get ball carriers on the ground have led to far too many big plays. Last weekend, in a 42-7 loss at second-ranked South Dakota State, the Panthers allowed nine plays of 20 yards or more. Six of those plays came in SDSU’s 28-point second half.
Salty schedule: Playing FBS Minnesota and four teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which many consider the best league in the country, was a rugged way to begin 2026.
Two of the MVFC opponents were then-No. 4 Illinois State and No. 2 South Dakota State.
The results were not pretty at times. In four losses, EIU gave up 192 points. According to the Massey Ratings, the Panthers have played the 13th toughest schedule in the nation so far.
Wilkerson hopes the slate will pay dividends.
“Our guys had a chance to experience some of the more physical football teams,” he said. “You hope that – through an iron sharpens iron mentality – develops a little bit of a physical presence for yourself.”
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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