Eastern Illinois (1-2) at No. 17/15 Illinois State (2-1)
Hancock Stadium (13,391) •  Normal, Ill.
September 21, 2024 •  6 pm  •  TV: ESPN+ & Marquee
GAME INFO LINKS
EIU Game Notes | ISU Game Notes | Listen EIU Radio Network | Live Stats | Watch ESPN+
NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois and Illinois State will meet for the 112th time in the Mid-America Classic on Saturday afternoon. The rivalry is the eighth longest played non-Ivy League FCS series between schools (14th 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. EIU enters at 1-2 on the year while Illinois State is 2-1 and nationally ranked.
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Tre'jon Lewis came through the middle in the second quarter at Northwestern on Saturday night and blocked a Wildcats 41-yard field goal attempt. It was the second straight year that Lewis has picked up a blocked field goal after blocking one last year in the home win over Bryant. It marked the sixth straight season EIU has blocked at least one kick during the year. Lewis finished the game at Northwestern with two tackles and a quarterback hurry. He has nine tackles this season.
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Eli Mirza extended his streak of consecutive games with multiple catches as the senior All-Conference wide receiver hauled in two passes for 17 yards including a 13-yard touchdown reception which tied the game with Northwestern at 7-7 in the second quarter. Mirza has caught multiple passes in 14 straight games giving him 71 catches for 828 yards during his EIU career. Last season he ranked 22nd in the FCS in receptions and had a top game of ten catches for 119 yards against UT Martin.
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Nicholas Oliveira-Chace added to his team leading sack total on Saturday at Northwestern finishing with four total tackles including one sack and an additional tackle for loss. In the previous week's home win over Indiana State Oliveira-Chace had two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. On the season he ranks 16th in the FCS in sacks (3) and 15th in tackles for loss (4.5). Both of those are rank him in the top two in the Big South - OVC for those categories ranking second in sacks and first in tackles for loss.Â
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Elijawah Tolbert continues to rack up tackles during his senior season as he finished tied for the team lead with eight tackles in Saturday's game at Northwestern. The two-time first team All-Conference linebacker and Buck Buchanan Award candidate had four solo tackles and four assisted tackles against the Wildcats. On the season Tolbert leads the Panthers with 28 tackles which ranks 27th in the FCS and third in the Big South - OVC. His 18 solo tackles are tied for the team lead with
Anthony Shockey and rank tied for ninth in the FCS.
