Eastern Illinois vs. No. 25 Illinois State
O'Brien Field (10,000)  •   Charleston, Ill.
September 16, 2023  •   2 p.m.   •   TV: ESPN+

GAME COVERAGE
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NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois and Illinois State will meet for the 111th time in the Mid-America Classic on Saturday afternoon.  The rivalry is the eighth longest played non-Ivy League FCS series between schools (16th overall among FCS schools counting Ivy League).  The schools first met in 1901 with EIU winning 28-0.  The schools began playing for a traveling trophy in the rivalry with the 100th meeting of the series on Sept. 1, 2011 (a 33-26 EIU win).  The two schools have missed playing just three times since World War II - in 1996 due to conference realignment, in 2001 due to 9/11 and in 2020 due to COVID.

• Quarterback Pierce Holley continues to pace the Panthers offensive attack as the transfer quarterback passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns at Bowling Green.  Holley currently ranks 18th in the FCS in passing yards with 494 and 11th in the nation with four touchdown passes.  Including his time as a two-year starter at Georgetown, Holley went over the 4,500 yard mark for career passing yards at Bowling Green and has 25 career touchdown passes.

• Running back Kevin Daniels was a versatile part of the Panthers offense for the second straight week finishing the Bowling Green game with 116 all-purpose yards.   Daniels has rushed for 135 yards this season with a 4.8 yards per carry average.   He hauled in four passes for 38 yards on Saturday including a 15-yard touchdown for the Panthers opening touchdown.  Including his time at Northern Arizona, Daniels has 1,418 career rushing yards which is 38th among active FCS players.  Teammate Juwon Farri is eighth on that active list with 2,486 yards after his time in the backfield at Monmouth University.

• Elijawah Tolbert recorded double figure tackles for the second straight week as the junior linebacker had 11 stops on Saturday at Bowling Green. Tolbert was the FCS National Defensive Player of the Week after the Panthers opening week win over Indiana State.  His 22 tackles this season rank 20th in the FCS and first in the OVC this season.  

• Daniel Luoma handled the kickoff duties for a second straight week for EIU as the native of Finland is averaging 63.1 yards per kickoff with two touchbacks.  A blocking tight end by trade, Luoma caught his first career pass at Bowling Green with a five yard reception.