Eastern Illinois University Athletics

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For the second time this season MJ Flowers cracked the 200-yard mark in a game as the redshirt freshman running back rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns during Eastern Illinois 30-17 win over Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon.
 
Flowers scored a pair of touchdowns in the opening quarter before breaking loose for the other two scores in the second half helping EIU improve to 7-3 overall, 3-2 in the Big South-OVC.
 
Flowers scored on runs of eight and two yards as the Panthers jumped out to a 14-0 lead.
 
Tennessee State seemed to find its rhythm in the second quarter as they answered with of 14 points of their own in the quarter. Dayron Johnson caught 9-yard pass from Deveon Bryant for the first score before Karate Brenson caught a 7-yard pass from Draylen Ellis to tie the game at 14-14 with 9:23 left in the opening half.
 
TSU would extend its run to 17-straight points in the second half with Jimmy Lowery knocking home a 43-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 17-14 lead with 8:29 left in the third quarter.
 
It would be all EIU after that field goal as the Panthers held TSU to just 51 yards the remainder of the game and 260 yards total in the contest.
 
Flowers third touchdown came on a 31-yard run with 6:51 left in the third giving EIU the lead at 20-17.   A Julian Patino 34-yard field goal with 1:19 left in the third pushed EIU's advantage to six points.
 
Flowers closed his scoring with a 1-yard rush late in the fourth quarter as he becomes the first EIU player since J.R. Taylor to score four touchdowns in a game and just the ninth time in program history (sixth time by a running back).  He is just the third running back in school history with two or more 200-yard rushing games in a season joining Taylor (2002) and Willie High (1993).
 
While Flowers carried the Panthers offense, the defense and special teams once again made big plays with two special teams plays setting up scores.  NiJhay Burt blocked and recovered a punt in the first quarter.  Payton Orth forced a fumble on a punt return that was recovered by Christopher Sharp.  Tyris Harvey intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop another TSU drive giving EIU two takeaways in the game.
 
Elijawah Tolbert led EIU with 11 tackles.
 
Jeremiah Josephs led TSU with seven tackles.  Josh Green had six tackles and two pass break-ups as TSU falls to 6-4 on the year, 2-3 in the Big South-OVC.