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CARBONDALE, Ill. – Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois both took advantage of the wind aided field but at the end of the day it was the Salukis walking away with a 45-28 victory in EIU head coach Bob Spoo's final game.

EIU scored the only points into the wind on its opening drive as Jimmy Garoppolo hit Chris Wright for a 28-yard touchdown strike.  The remaining 66 points of the day were with the wind as EIU finished the year at 2-9 overall. 

SIU improved to 3-7 as Jewel Hampton scored on the Salukis second play to tie the game at 7-7.  SIU would tack on rushing touchdowns by Kory Faulkner and Shariff Harris to go up 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Panthers then turned to Jake Walker in the second quarter as he finished with three rushing touchdowns to take a 28-21 halftime lead.  Walker scored from 2, 7 and 1 yard as he finished with 67 yards on the game.  Walker became the first Panthers running back to score three touchdowns in a game since the 2008 season.

SIU took advantage of the wind at their back in the third quarter as they scored 24 points.  Jackson MacLachlan opened the scoring with a 40-yard field goal.  Faulker then hit MyCole Pruitt for a 2-yard pass to put the Salukis back in front 31-28 with 10:22 left.

Hampton and Faulkner added touchdowns to close out the quarter with Faulker running in from 1-yard out with 16 seconds left in the third.  Hampton finished with 110 yards rushing.  Faulkner had 55 yards rushing.  He was effective passing the ball finishing 16-of-22 for 234 yards.

EIU had a chance to cut into the lead in the fourth quarter as they were driving in the red zone.  Boo Rodgers intercepted a Garoppolo pass at the goal line to end the threat with 7:08 remaining.  Garoppolo was 22-of-34 for 276 yards but had three interceptions on the afternoon.

EIU senior Cory Leman led the team in tackles with 11 while Alex McNulty added eight tackles with a sack.  Scott Cole led SIU's defense with eight tackles.

EIU will open the 2012 season on August 30 hosting Southern Illinois at O'Brien Field.