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Box Score |  Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

Nick Coates forced a fumble that Moses Alexander scooped up and raced 60 yards for an early second quarter touchdown as Eastern Illinois defense forced four turnovers in a 27-20 win over Indiana State during Saturday night's home opener at O'Brien Field.

NiJhay Burt had two interceptions and Elijawah Tolbert the other for the Panthers as they ranked as the top two tacklers.   Burt had nine tackles with one tackle for loss.  Tolbert had eight.

MJ Flowers scored an early touchdown rushing for 93 yards in the win.  Flowers scored the Panthers first points of the game capping a 99-yard drive with a one-yard push into the end zone with 2:22 to play in the first.
 
Indiana State tied the game with 12:57 to play in the second quarter on the first of three Elijah Owens touchdown passes hitting Rashad Rochelle for a 16-yard strike.  Owens passed for 260 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.  He hit Plez Lawrence with 1:51 to play in the first half to bring the Sycamores to within one point following a missed point-after-attempt.
 
EIU quickly drove the field and Drew Schiller knocked home a 34-yard field goal to give EIU a 17-13 lead at the half.
 
Schiller extended the lead to 20-13 with a 40-yard field goal midway through the third quarter.  Cooper Willman tacked on EIU's final touchdown with 1:21 to play in the third on a 5-yard pass from Pierce Holley.
 
Holley passed for 268 yards.  Former quarterback turned receiver Terrance Gipson was the top target on the day with six catches for 100 yards.  Eli Mirza had five grabs and Willman three to lead EIU.
 
Burt led a Panthers defense with nine tackles as EIU forced four turnovers and registered three sacks.  Nicholas Oliveira-Chase had two of the three sacks. 
 
Indiana State's final score came with 55 seconds left in the game as Owens his Zavion Taylor for a nine-yard touchdown.  Geoffrey Brown led the Sycamores with nine tackles.