Eastern Illinois at #10 Alabama
Bryant-Denny Stadium (100,077)  •   Tuscaloosa, Ala.
November 22, 2025  •   1 pm   •   TV: ESPN+ 

GAME LINKS
EIU Complete Notes  |  Alabama Notes  |  Listen Live  |  Live Stats  |  Watch ESPN+ 


NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois will close out the 2025 season on Saturday playing at SEC power Alabama.  EIU closed out its OVC-Big South schedule on Saturday with a road loss at Lindenwood.  After opening conference play 2-0, EIU has lost six straight games entering the final week of the season standing at 3-8 overall, 2-6 in the OVC-Big South.  Alabama had its eight game win streak snapped on Saturday by Oklahoma as the Crimson Tide are now 8-2 overall, 6-1 in the SEC.  The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 10 in both FBS polls this week.

• EIU linebacker Ja'Wuan Nickson will be returning home this weekend as the junior college transfer is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Nickson attended Hillcrest High School before playing two seasons at Riverside City College in California where he earned All-Region honors.  This season Nickson is tied for the team lead for tackles with 89 including a season high 14 tackles against UT Martin.  He has five double figure tackle games this season and his 89 tackles rank him tied for second in the OVC-Big South this season.

• Corner Isaiah Houi had an interception and two pass break-ups as part of his four tackle day on Saturday at Lindenwood.  The sophomore corner ranks first in the OVC-Big South in passes defended this season which is 21st in the FCS.  Last year he moved into the starting line-up late in the season and led the team in pass break-ups with five.  This season he has 11 pass break-ups which moved him into a tie for seventh on the EIU single season list.  Houi is fourth on the team this season with 52 tackles including 45 solo stops.

• Corner Moses Alexander picked off a pass for the second straight week as the senior leads the Panthers with three interceptions this year.  Alexander missed the opening four games of the season and has worked his way into starting over the last four games.  In those four starts he has 21 tackles with two interceptions.  Last season, the Houston transfer started the first six games of the season before a season ending injury.  In those six starts he had 35 tackles with one interception and a 60-yard fumble return for touchdown.

• Graduate wide receiver DeAirious Smith hauled in a touchdown pass for the second straight week as he finished the Lindenwood game with five catches for 48 yards.  Smith now leads the Panthers with 27 receptions this season for 365 yards (13.5 per catch) with three touchdowns.  Earlier this season he became the 36th player in program history to pass the 1,000 yard receiving mark for their EIU career.  He now has 87 career receptions for 1,305 yards and ten career touchdowns.  Smith enters the final week of his collegiate career ranked 22nd on the EIU career receiving chart.