Eastern Illinois vs. Indiana State
O'Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill.
September 7, 2024 • 6 pm • TV: ESPN+
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NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois hosts Indiana State for the Panthers home opener at O'Brien Field on Saturday night. Both teams enter the game 0-1 after shutout losses to Big Ten teams on the opening weekend (EIU at Illinois / Indiana State at Purdue). EIU went 4-1 at home last season including a win over nationally ranked Illinois State in the home opener. The home opening win snapped a nine season losing streak in season openers and made head coach
Chris Wilkerson 1-1 in home openers as EIU's head coach.
• Last season Eastern Illinois allowed 35 sacks on the season for an average of 3.2 sacks per game which ranked 111th in the FCS. With a veteran offensive line returning for the 2024 season, EIU did a good job of protecting the quarterback in the season opener at Big Ten opponent Illinois. EIU allowed just one quarterback sack on the night while surrendering just three total tackles for loss by the Illini defense. EIU returned starters
Drew Wilder,
Sebastian Pares,
Nic DiSanto and
Jack Valente up front. The newcomer to the group was junior college transfer
Sandro Malicevic. Sixth year offensive lineman
Elkhanan Tanelus also saw time up front during the opener. EIU's one sack allowed ranks the Panthers 23rd this season.
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Anthony Shockey was part of an active linebackers corps in the season opener as the team captain finished with nine tackles, all solo stops. The nine solo tackles currently rank Shockey tied for second in the FCS in solo tackles made along with teammate
Elijawah Tolbert. It was his second career nine solo tackle game after making nine solo stops in a ten tackle game at Lindenwood last season. Shockey's career high is 11 tackles at Bowling Green last season. Shockey added one pass break-up to his defensive night. The FCS national leader in solo tackles is Indiana State linebacker Garret Ollendieck with 13.
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Elijawah Tolbert was active in the season opener for the second straight year. Last season Tolbert spearheaded an EIU defense that shutout Indiana State as the linebacker earned FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors. This year Tolbert was a preseason All-American and named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award. To open up his candidacy he finished with a team high 12 tackles including nine solo stops and 1.5 tackles for loss at Illinois. The nine solo stops ties Tolbert for second in the FCS with teammate and fellow linebacker
Anthony Shockey. It was the fifth double figure tackle game of Tolbert's career and matched his career high of 12 set last season at Northwestern State.
• Last season EIU led the FCS in turnover margin as the Panthers turned the ball over just ten times for the entire year leading to 17 points scored off turnovers by EIU opponents. In the season opener EIU turned the ball over four times including three times in the opening half which Illinois converted into 17 points. The last time EIU had turned the ball over four or more times in a game was Nov. 19, 2022 at UT Martin.
Complete EIU Game Notes at Link Above...
