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NASHVILLE – Interceptions were the story of the day at LP Field as both No. 25 Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State capitalized on pick offs, but it was a field goal that handed EIU a 38-35 win on Saturday evening.

 

Following 59 minutes and 57 seconds of action, junior Tyler Wilke knocked home a 30-yard field goal to lift the Panthers to the win.  Eastern Illinois improved to 6-3, 5-1 in the OVC on the year while Tennessee State fell to 3-5, 2-2 in the OVC.

 

Tennessee State jumped on top for a 21-7 lead as they returned two Bodie Reeder interceptions to the end zone.  Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had the first with a 69-yard return at 6:37 in the first quarter.  Marquez Hall added another on the first play of the second quarter, going 78-yards for a score.

 

Eastern Illinois used the interception to its advantage midway through the third quarter as Rashad Haynes picked of his fifth pass of the season. Haynes returned the ball 74 yards to put the Panthers in the red zone.  Two plays later Ademola Adeniji scored from six yards out to put EIU up 28-21 at 5:24 in the third.

 

EIU opened the game scoring on its first possession as the Panthers drove 65 yards in nine plays to score on a Reeder strike to Micah Rucker. 

 

TSU responded on their first drive as freshman quarterback Calvin McNairl hit Ronald Evans for a 50-yard play on the first play from scrimmage.  McNairl would score on a sneak from one yard out to tie the game at 7-7.  The score was the first TSU touchdown against the EIU defense since the 2004 season.

 

After TSU went up 21-7 following the two interceptions, the Panthers battled their way back into the game.  Trent Steckel scored from one yard out with 12:17 left in the second while Travorus Bess scooted around the left hand corner for 39 yards to make it 21-21 at 2:47.

 

EIU would dominate the first half statistics with 16 first downs compared to just two for TSU.  EIU had 236 yards on the ground with Adeniji rushing for 117 in the first as the teams headed into the half tied.

 

Tennessee State would again tie the game with 41 seconds left in the third quarter with Terrence Wright scoring from one yard out.

 

The teams traded scores again in the fourth quarter as EIU scored on a running back pass from Bess to Rucker form eight yards out.  The key play on the drive was a fourth and three conversion by Adeniji.  TSU knotted the game at 35-35 with 3:54 left in regulation on a Wright two-yard run.

 

Adeniji finished with 155 yards.  Bess added 127 as the Panthers churned out 351 yards on the ground. EIU held Tennessee State's Javarris Williams in check holding one of the OVC's top runners to just 86 yards.  Williams did move into second place on the TSU career rushing list.

 

The Panthers will have an off week next before ending the season with games at Jacksonville State on Nov. 10 and versus Samford on Nov. 17.