Eastern Illinois vs. Dayton
O'Brien Field (10,000)  •   Charleston, Ill.
August 28, 2025  •   6 pm   •   TV: ESPN+ 

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NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois opens the 2025 season on Thursday, August 28 as the Panthers host Dayton in the return game of the home-and-home series between the two schools.  EIU played at Dayton during the 2021 season.   The Panthers are coming off a 3-9 season including a 2-6 record in the OVC-Big South, just one season removed from an 8-3 record and end of season FCS Coaches Poll Top 25 ranking.  Dayton comes into the 2025 season after going 6-5 last season including a 4-4 record in Pioneer Football League play.

• Cooper Willman returns as one of the top players in the OVC-Big South as the graduate wide receiver was named the Offensive Preseason Player of the Year by Lindy's Sports.   Willman also added fourth team preseason All-America honors by Phil Steele.   Last season he was a first team All-OVC/Big South selection at both wide receiver and all-purpose player.  Willman ended the season with 66 receptions for 955 yards and eight touchdowns while also serving as the team's punt returner and kickoff return specialist late in the year.  His breakout game came at Gardner-Webb as he set the school record with 291 yards receiving on 11 receptions with three touchdowns.  Willman is currently 19th on the Panthers all-time receiving yards list with 1,335 yards.

• Eastern Illinois brought in a slew of new faces during the off-season with a mixture of four-year transfers, junior college transfers and high school freshmen.  In total, EIU has 53 new faces on the Panthers roster this season which accounts for nearly 50 percent of the Panthers 109 man total roster.  Of the 56 returning players for EIU only 17 have ever started a game in an EIU uniform.

• Eastern Illinois will be opening a fall football season at home for the first time since 2016 when the Panthers hosted Western Illinois at O'Brien Field.   EIU did host Southeast Missouri to open the 2020 season which was played in the spring of 2021.  The Panthers last win to open a season at home was 2012 with a 49-28 win over Southern Illinois.  Last season EIU lost on the road at Illinois in the season opener after winning at Indiana State to open the 2023 season.  This will be EIU's 22nd season opener on a Thursday night with the Panthers holding a 12-9 record in those games.