EIU Game Notes  |  TSU Game Notes  |  Listen Live  |  Watch Live  |  Live Stats  |  Tickets  |

Eastern Illinois (2-7, 1-6 OVC) vs. Tennessee State (3-5, 2-3 OVC)
O'Brien Field (10,000)   •   Charleston, Ill.
November 5, 2011   •   1:30 pm   •   TV: WEIU

THE GAME
Eastern Illinois will close out the O'Brien Field portion of the Bob Spoo coaching era as the Panthers host Tennessee State for the Bob Spoo Legacy Game.  The long time head coach announced that this will be his final season at EIU after 25 years as the Panthers head coach and 50 years in the coaching profession. 

The Panthers would like to send Spoo out with a win in his final home game and work towards a season ending win streak.  That streak began last week with a 19-10 victory at Austin Peay, ending what had been a six-game OVC losing streak.  Last season EIU beat APSU and Tennessee State to end the OVC portion of their schedule before losing at Illinois State in the season finale. 

Tennessee State enters the game following an off week.  The Tigers lost at Eastern Kentucky in their last outing following wins over Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech.  TSU is 3-5 overall, 2-3 in the conference.

THE SERIES
This will be the 15th meeting between Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State with the Panthers holding a slim 8-6 series advantage.  EIU won 31-28 in overtime last season in Nashville.  TSU was a 21-10 winner during its last visit to O'Brien Field in 2010.  All but one of the meetings between the two schools have occurred as members of the Ohio Valley Conference.  The other meeting was a NCAA playoff meeting in 1982 which was later forfeited back to EIU.

• Jake Walker rushed for 124 yards and the go ahead touchdown at Austin Peay on Saturday.  Walker became the first EIU running back to go over the century mark in 15 games.  The last running back to finish with more than 100 yards in a game was Jimmy Potempa with 101 yards against Jacksonville State on Sept. 25, 2010.  Walker now has 404 yards on the season and ranks second on the team with six touchdowns scored.

• Senior Cory Leman moved into the Panthers career top ten for tackles in the first half at Austin Peay.  Leman finished with ten tackles in the game as he passed Donald Thomas (2004-07) and James Dorsey (1992-95) for tenth place.  Leman enters Saturday's game with 306 career tackles.  He needs one tackle to tie John Noll (1987-90) for 9th place on the career list and five tackles to tie John Jurkovic (1985-89) for 8th place on the career list.  Leman leads EIU this year with 87 tackles which ranks 3rd in the OVC and 34th in the NCAA.

• In addition to moving himself into the career top ten for tackles, Cory Leman earned recognition off the field this week as he was named one of ten finalists for the ARA Sportsmanship Award.  The award is given to the NCAA Division I football player who best personifies the spirit of sportsmanship.  Already this fall Leman was named a semifinalist for the William Campbell Trophy awarded to the nation's top academic football player.

• Kicker Cameron Berra knocked home two field goals from inside of 30 yards on Saturday as he increased his season numbers to 6-of-8 in field goals.  His field goal in the fourth quarter gave the sophomore 14 made field goals at Eastern Illinois and tied him for 10th place on the EIU career field goals made list with Austin Signor (2008-09).  Berra needs one more field goal to tie Ray D'Alessio (1989-90) for 9th place and two field goals to tie Dave Strauch (1982-83) for 8th place.  For his career Berra has made 14-of-19 field goals with a long of 43 yards last year at Tennessee Tech.

• Freshman corner D.J. Bland blocked his second field goal of the season on Saturday at Austin Peay.  Bland was able to lay out and block a 52-yard effort by the Governors kicker.  Bland's other block this season was on a 45-yard field goal attempt by Southeast Missouri.  Bland has 35 tackles on the year (24 solo) with two tackles for loss and two pass break-ups.

• Eastern Illinois wide receiver Chris Wright extended his string of consecutive games with a touchdown reception to three straight with a 52-yard reception from Jimmy Garoppolo at Austin Peay.  Wright now has nine touchdowns on the season which is tied for sixth on the EIU single season list.  His career touchdown receptions total is now at 19 which stands alone in 8th place on the career list.  Wright is currently second in the OVC in touchdowns scored this season.  He has 75 career receptions for 1,399 yards.  Wright has caught at least one pass in 20 straight games dating back to the Panthers 2010 loss to Tennessee State.

• As wide receiver Chris Wright's numbers continue to climb so do those of sophomore quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.   Garoppolo jumped into several single season and career categories on Saturday with his 201 yard day at Austin Peay.  His touchdown pass to Wright in the second quarter gave him 32 for his career which is tied for 6th with Mike Simpson (1996-97) on the career list.  It was the 18th touchdown pass of the season for Garoppolo who needs one more to tie Jake Christensen (2009) and Simpson (1996) for 10th on the single season list with 19.  The 201 yards passing increased Garoppolo's career total to 3,858 yards which is now 8th on the career list as he passed Steve Turk, Bodie Reeder and Ron Gustafson on Saturday.  He needs 43 yards to catch Simpson for 7th place on the career list.  Garoppolo's season total for yards is 2,219 as he needs 79 yards to crack the single season top ten catching Eric Arnold (1989 - 2,238 yards).  Garoppolo is currently first in the OVC in passing efficiency and 28th nationally.

• Junior Artavious Dowdell collected two of the Panthers four sacks on Saturday as he is now the OVC leader in sacks with five for the season.  Dowdell is fifth on the Panthers team with 40 tackles and the team leader with 7.5 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries.  Dowdell's career sack total now stands at 12.5 as he needs three more to catch Pierre Walters (2005-08) for 10th place on the career list at 15.5.  Dowdell is on the verge of cracking the career tackles for loss top ten as he enters the final two games with 24 career tackles for loss.  He needs two more to catch Keith Wojnowski (1980-82) for 10th place. 

• Senior Gordy Kickels had one of his best days for the Panthers defense finishing with 9 tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss at Austin Peay.  Kickels moved over the 200 tackles mark for his career.  He also has 21 career tackles for loss and three career sacks.

• James Cooper earned his first career start on Saturday at Austin Peay finishing with a career high six tackles and one pass defense.  Cooper is now tied for the team lead with four pass break-ups on the season while ranking ninth on the team with 32 tackles (21 solo).  Cooper will be one of two players graduating early and participating in senior day with eligibility remaining.

• Senior Mike Garrity earned his second career start on Saturday at Austin Peay and helped anchor the Panthers offensive line playing right guard.  Garrity's other career start was last season against Central Arkansas when he was hurt early in the game and missed the remainder of the year.  The Panthers offensive line did not allow a sack at Austin Peay marking the first time in 30 games that EIU has not allowed a sack in a game.  The last time was Sept. 19, 2009 during a 23-14 win over Southeast Missouri.  Garrity's insertion into the starting line-up marked the first time this season that EIU has had to make a change up front.  EIU played the first eight games with the starting combination of Collin Seibert (RT), Alex Pierce (RG), Kevin Kapellas (C), Eric Zink (LG) and Dominic Pagliara (LT).

• Eastern Illinois will honor the members of its senior class on Saturday prior to head coach Bob Spoo's final home game.  The Panther seniors are listed below with quick notes about each:

#3 Lorence Ricks
(6-1, 176, WR, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
Ricks is a three-year starter at wide receiver... missed most of this season with an injury suffered in the Tennessee Tech game... ranks second on EIU's career list for kick return yardage with 1,408 yards including a touchdown at Jacksonville State in 2009... was named the National Special Teams Player of the Week once in 2009... 2011 team captain.

#8 Cory Leman
(6-0, 221, LB, Champaign, Ill.)
Leman is a four-year starter at linebacker... moved into the Panthers career top ten in tackles with 306 during recent win at Austin Peay... has ten career games with double figure tackles including a high of 16 at Southeast Missouri in 2009... named one of ten finalists for the 2011 ARA Sportsmanship Award... 2011 team captain.

#19 Nick Martinez
(6-0, 209, SS, Miami, Fla.)
Martinez is a two-year starter for the Panthers at the strong safety position... helped clinch season opening victory over Illinois State with a pair of interceptions... has been limited this season due to injury... enters final game with 109 career tackles.

#24 James Cooper
(5-10, 186, DB, Maywood, Ill.)
Cooper is a three-year player that earned his first career start at Austin Peay on Saturday... will graduate early with one year of eligibility remaining... has helped provide veteran leadership in a young secondary this season making 32 tackles with four passes defended.

#40 Keithan Hedrick
(5-11, 191, SS, Markham, Ill.)
Hedrick is a two-year player who has started on EIU's special teams this season... will graduate early with two years of eligibility remaining with plans on attending law school next fall... has made two special teams tackles this season. 

#46 Gordy Kickels
(6-1, 215, LB, Lemont, Ill.)
Kickels has been a three-year starter at linebacker... moved over the 200 career tackles mark on Saturday at Austin Peay... has recorded 21 tackles for loss with six fumble recoveries... has four games with double digit tackles including career high 12 at UT Martin in 2010... 2011 team captain.

#75 Mike Garrity
(6-6, 305, OL, Batavia, Ill)
Garrity is a two-year member of the Panthers football team... started one game in 2010 before missing remainder of the season with injury... earned second career start on Saturday at Austin Peay helping Panthers post highest team rushing total of the season.

#76 Eric Zink
(6-6, 266, OL, Oshkosh, Wis.)
Zink is a four-year starter on the Eastern Illinois offensive line playing left guard... moved into starting line-up as a true freshman... played two games at left tackle as a junior... preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference guard for 2011 season... 2011 team captain.

• Eastern Illinois will honor head coach Bob Spoo on Saturday following the Panthers contest with Tennessee State.  On hand will be many players who have played over the past 25 years under Spoo with those players being recognized as collective groups prior to the start of the game.  Spoo won his 68th OVC contest on Saturday at Austin Peay moving into sole possession of 4th place on the OVC conference wins list.  Spoo moved past long time Western Kentucky head coach Jimmy Feix. 

Coach (School) Wins
1.) Roy Kidd (Eastern Kentucky)...207
2.) Boots Donnelly (Middle Tenn & Austin Peay)...102
3.) Charles Murphy (Middle Tenn)...73
4.) Bob Spoo (Eastern Illinois)...68
5.) Jimmy Feix  (Western Kentucky)...67

EASTERN ILLINOIS HEAD COACH BOB SPOO
The dean of Ohio Valley Conference Coaches, Eastern Illinois head coach Bob Spoo returns to the sidelines for his 24th season on the sidelines and 25th season overall.  Spoo missed the 2006 season with a medical illness.  His career record is 144-129-1 at EIU including a 68-43 mark in OVC action.  In November of 2010 Spoo announced that the 2011 season would be his final year of coaching ending a 25-year run as the Panthers head coach and a 50-year span of coaching at both the high school and collegiate level.  Since taking over the program in 1987, Spoo has become one of the most respected coaches in the game with numerous assistants moving on to succeed at all levels of the coaching business.  He was the 1995 Football Gazette I-AA Coach of the Year and runner-up for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award in 2000.  In 2009 he was named OVC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career and one of five finalists for the Liberty Mutual FCS Coach of the Year.  A 1960 graduate of Purdue University, Spoo has coached the Panthers to 9 NCAA FCS playoff berths and eleven Top 25 national rankings.  Spoo is currently tied for fourth among longest tenured active coaches at the NCAA Division I level and is fifth all-time in FCS playoff appearances.

• 2011 marks 25th season as EIU head coach
• 2011 marks 50th season in coaching profession
  (started at Fenwick HS in Chicago in 1961)
• Ranks 5th in NCAA FCS playoff appearances with 9
• Ranks 5th among active FCS coaches with FCS (only) wins
• Ranks 4th in OVC wins with 68
• OVC Coach of the Year - 2001, 2005, 2009
• Football Gazette I-AA Coach of the Year in 1995
• Runner-up for Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year in 2000

TENNESSEE STATE HEAD COACH RON REED
Ron Reed is in his second season coaching at his alma mater.  A record setter as a player at Tennessee State in the mid-1980's, Reed was the defensive coordinator for five years at TSU before taking over last season.  In his brief stint as the TSU head coach Reed has compiled a record of 6-13 overall, 2-11 in OVC play.  The Tigers lost in overtime in Reed's only head coaching match-up with EIU last season.

SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE
Tennessee State enters the game following an off week as the Tigers offense is led by first year quarterback Michael German.  German has taken over as the starter in the last five games and has passed for 1,264 yards and eight touchdowns.  Trabis Ward and Dante' Thomas provide a balanced rushing attack with both players over 500 yards on the season.  TSU's defense likes to put pressure on the quarterback as they rank first in the OVC and 23rd in the NCAA with 22 sacks.  Rico Council and Antonio Harper lead the squad with 3.5 sacks.  Council has a team-high 67 tackles.

ON THIS DATE IN EIU HISTORY
November 5, 1988 - Jeff Rolson led the Panthers defense as they shutout fifth-ranked Western Kentucky, 6-0 at O'Brien Field.  Rolson had 12 total tackles including three sacks as EIU limited the Hilltoppers to just 214 yards of total offense.  Warren Pearson caught a 25-yard pass from Kurt Simon in the second quarter to account for all of the game's scoring.