EIU Looks To Keep FCS Playoff Hopes Alive
Panthers Host UT Martin For Senior Day
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UT Martin Game Notes |
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No. 24 Eastern Illinois vs. UT Martin
O'Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill.
November 5, 2016 • 1 p.m. • TV: WEIU / OVC Digital Network
NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois will be playing its senior day game as the Panthers will honor 15 players that will be playing their final home game at O'Brien Field. Five players have been four-year members of the program (
Anthony Taylor,
Pono Choy,
Elven Walker,
Seth McDonald and
Evan Kanz) compiling a 29-18 record with one OVC Championship and two FCS playoff appearances.
• Saturday's game will match two of the best teams in the nation in terms of converting on 3rd down. UT Martin and Eastern Illinois rank first and second in the OVC in 3rd down conversion with both ranking in the top twenty nationally. UTM is converting at 47.7 percent to rank 13th in the country. EIU is 17th in the country on third down converting at 45.8 percent.
•
Devin Church continues to lead the Ohio Valley Conference in rushing despite being held in check at Jacksonville State. Church has rushed for 788 yards this season. He is looking to become the first EIU player since
Shepard Little in 2013 to lead the OVC in rushing. The only other Panthers player to win the OVC rushing title was J.R. Taylor during the 2002 season.
• Eastern Illinois played its second straight game without forcing a turnover as the Panthers lost at Jacksonville State. Over the last two weeks EIU has turned the ball over eight times without a turnover gained. The last time EIU went back-to-back games without a turnover gained was 2011 when the Panthers played three straight games without a turnover gained (Oct. 1, 8, 15).
• Junior kicker
Nick Bruno continues to move up the EIU career points scored list. Bruno added two extra points at Jacksonville State as he ranks 11th all-time in points scored at EIU with 196. Bruno needs two more points to tie Justin Lynch for 10th place on the Panthers all-time list. The career scoring leader for EIU is J.R. Taylor with 310 points.
THE SERIES
• Eastern Illinois and UT Martin will be meeting for the 22nd time when the two schools meet this Saturday. EIU holds a 14-7 all-time series lead including a 23-21 win on the road last season. UTM has won four of the last six match-ups including two straight over EIU at O'Brien Field. The Panthers last home win over UT Martin was in 2009, a 49-13 victory. EIU won the first nine meetings in the series which began in 1995.
