Eastern Illinois (2-4, 1-0 OVC) vs. Lindenwood (1-4, 1-1 OVC)
O'Brien Field (10,000)  •   Charleston, Ill.
October 17, 2026  •   2:00 pm   •   TV: ESPN+

GAME COVERAGE
* EIU Complete Game Notes
* Lindenwood Game Notes
* Watch ESPN+
* Listen Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU
* Live Stats

NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois returns home to O'Brien Field as the Panthers play just their second home game of the 2026 season this Saturday hosting Lindenwood.  The Panthers opened the conference slate with a 21-7 road win at Gardner-Webb last week to improve to 2-4 overall, 1-0 in the OVC.  Lindenwood comes into the game at 1-4 overall, 1-1 in the OVC following a loss to Southeast Missouri last week after beating Charleston Southern in the season opener.

• Charles Kellom carried the load for the Eastern Illinois offense on Saturday at Gardner-Webb with a career-high 34 carries for 153 yards.  It was his third 100-yard game this season and fifth of his collegiate career (4 at EIU).  Kellom scored on a pair of short rushing touchdowns giving him seven total touchdowns this season.  He is currently second in the OVC in rushing yards with 480 and third in scoring.  Earlier this year Kellom went over the 1,000 yard mark at EIU and has moved up to 30th on the EIU career rushing chart with 1,191 yards. 

• Eastern Illinois defense and special teams extended the Panthers consecutive game streak with at least one turnover gained to nine straight games as EIU had six takeaways in the Ohio Valley Conference opener at Gardner-Webb.  EIU recovered five fumbles and had one interception in the 21-7 win.  EIU's last game with six or more takeaways was the 2023 season opener with six against Indiana State.  EIU is now ranked 15th in the FCS in turnovers gained with 12 this season.  EIU's last game with five or more fumble recoveries was Nov. 8, 2003 against Tennessee Tech with six fumble recoveries and eight total turnovers gained (6 FR / 2 INT).

• Redshirt freshman linebacker Davian Humphrey was named the OVC Rookie of the Week following his performance in the win at Gardner-Webb.  Humphrey had two big plays on special teams forcing a fumble on one punt return while recovering a fumble on a mishandled punt attempt by GWU.  Humphrey's recovery at the 1-yard line set up EIU's first score.  He finished the game with three total tackles and now has eight tackles for the season. 

• Eastern Illinois returns home this Saturday after playing five of its first six games on the road as the Panthers will not have played at O'Brien Field in 35 days.  It marks the fourth time in the program's Division I history that EIU has played five of its first six games on the road (1990, 1993, 2021) and ties for the longest span between home games with the 1993 season.  EIU is one of only seven schools to have played just one home game to this point in the season.

• Eastern Illinois is one of three teams in the FCS that have not thrown an interception this season as the Panthers get set for their seventh game of the season.  The three teams currently with no interceptions thrown are Butler, Eastern Illinois and Lehigh.   Last season EIU threw 12 interceptions, tied for 89th most in the FCS.  EIU quarterback Cole LaCrue has 104 straight passing attempts without an interception.  The EIU and OVC record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception is 230 set by EIU's Johnathan Brantley in 2018.