Eastern Illinois (1-0) at Minnesota
Huntington Bank Stadium (50,805)  •   Minneapolis, Minn.
September 3, 2026  •   7 pm   •   TV: Peacock

GAME INFORMATION / COVERAGE
EIU Complete Game Notes
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NOTES TO KNOW
• Eastern Illinois opened the 2026 season with a 28-14 win over Murray State.  It marked the second straight season EIU has won its season opener after beating Dayton to open the 2025 campaign.  The August 27 calendar date was the earliest kickoff date in EIU football history.   The Panthers head to Minnesota this Thursday looking to post a 2-0 start to the season for the first time since 2013.

• Charles Kellom rushed for a career high 171 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers win at Murray State.  It was Kellom's second straight season with the Panthers opening the year with a 100-yard game on the ground.  Last year he rushed for 133 yards in the win over Dayton.  It was Kellom's third career 100-yard rushing game with the other against Kent State (104 yards) during his time at Akron.  His 88-yard burst in the second quarter tied for the fourth longest touchdown run in program history.  Kellom was named the OVC Offensive Player of the Week for week one.

• Ja'Wuan Nickson led the Panthers defense in the win at Murray State making ten tackles with seven solo stops and two tackles for loss.  Nickson was a second team All-Conference selection last season and ended just short of the century mark for tackles for the season (95).  It was the sixth time in his EIU career he has recorded double figure tackles with a high of 14 last year against UT Martin.  His interception late in the fourth quarter at Murray State iced the win for the Panthers and was the first of his EIU career.

• Eastern Illinois defense led the Ohio Valley Conference in turnovers gained last season as the Panthers had 18 total turnovers gained for the year (34th in FCS).   The Panthers picked right up again in the season opener with two turnovers gained against Murray State with second half interceptions by Kaleb Lyons and Ja'Wuan Nickson.  EIU ended last season with two interceptions at Alabama and has now extended its streak of games with at least one turnover gained to four straight.  

• Cole LaCrue won the starting quarterback job for the Panthers after an intense battle for the job through the Panthers fall camp.   LaCrue responded going 11-of-18 for 101 yards and one touchdown.   He added 18 yards on the ground as the EIU offense did not turn the ball over during the game.  It was the eighth career start for LaCrue who started the first two games of the 2025 season and then the final five games of the season finishing the year with 854 yards and four touchdowns through the air while rushing for another 498 yards and seven touchdowns.

• Defensive lineman Premiere Whitley pushed his way through the middle and knocked down a second quarter Murray State field goal attempt as the transfer from Prairie View A&M finished the game with one tackle.  The blocked field goal marked the eighth straight season that EIU has had at least one blocked kick by its defense and special teams unit.  Whitley was one of seven EIU defensive lineman to record at least one tackle in the contest.