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Box Score  |  Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois turned the ball over four times on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers lost their 2021 homecoming contest to Tennessee State, 28-0.
 
EIU fell to 1-7 overall, 1-2 in the OVC.   TSU won its third straight game to improve to 4-3 on the season, 2-1 in the OVC.
 
Both team were able to move the ball on their opening drives as TSU marched down to set up a 52-yard field goal attempt by Antonio Zita that missed wide right.  In the spring game in Nashville, Zita connected on three field goals against EIU with a 51-yarder, 62-yarder and game winning 35-yard kick as time expired.  In today's contest at O'Brien Field, Zita would miss on three long field goal attempts.
 
EIU drove into TSU territory and pinned the Tigers at their own 10-yard line following a punt by Logen Neidhardt.  A 3-and-out by the defense gave the Panthers good field position at midfield.  The Tigers defense would stop the EIU drive with the first of three interceptions on the day.  Eddie Graham picked off a pass in the end zone to stop the Panthers march.  Graham added two pass break-ups as EIU was 15-of-35 passing on the day for 115 yards.
 
TSU's second interception of the day would set up the first score of the contest.  James Green picked off a pass and raced back 47-yards being tackled at the two-yard line.  Geremy Hickbottom would rush in from 1-yard out two plays later for the first of his two rushing touchdowns. 
 
TSU drove down late in the second quarter looking to go up two scores before the half, but the Panthers defense held with a goal line stand on 4-and-1 from the one yard line.  Colin Bohanek and Cameron Leach were in on the goal line tackle.  Leach led the Panthers with nine tackles.  Bohanek had seven tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss.
 
A big special teams play set up the second TSU touchdown as Zach Dodson returned a punt to the EIU-18 yard line.  Hickbottom scrambled in on the first play following the punt with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
 
Hickbottom connected with Zaire Thornton for a 16-yard touchdown while Devon Starling rushed in from seven yards out for the final two TSU scores in the fourth quarter.
 
Jaelin Benefield led the EIU rushing attack in his first game of the season finishing with 56 yards on seven carries.  Isaiah Hill, who returned last week, caught three passes for 17 yards.  
 
Starling rushed for 122 yards to led TSU with James Green the leading Tigers tackler with six tackles including the big interception return.