American college football season
The 2023 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Big South–OVC Football Association during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Chris Wilkerson, the Panthers played home games at O'Brien Field in Charleston, Illinois.
Preseason coaches' poll
[edit] The Big South-OVC released their preseason coaches' poll on July 25, 2023. The Panthers were picked to finish in eighth place.[1]
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
1 | Southeast Missouri | 96 (6) |
2 | Gardner-Webb | 86 (2) |
3 | UT Martin | 85 (1) |
4 | Tennessee Tech | 58 (1) |
5 | Tennessee State | 57 |
6 | Bryant | 48 |
7 | Lindenwood | 45 |
8 | Eastern Illinois | 33 |
9 | Charleston Southern | 30 |
10 | Robert Morris | 12 |
Preseason Watchlist
[edit] The Panthers had ten players selected to the preseason Big South-OVC watchlist.[2]
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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| 5:00 p.m. | at Indiana State* | | ESPN+ | W 27–0 | 4,355 |
September 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Bowling Green* | | ESPN+ | L 15–38 | 12,312 |
September 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Illinois State* | | ESPN+ | W 14–13 | 6,602 |
September 23 | 2:00 p.m. | McNeese* | - O'Brien Field
- Charleston, IL
| ESPN+ | W 31–28 | 6,565 |
September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | at Northwestern State* | | ESPN+ | W 19–10 | 6,021 |
October 7 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 18 UT Martin![dagger](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Dagger-14-plain.png) | - O'Brien Field
- Charleston, IL
| ESPN+ | L 27–28 OT | 8,078 |
October 14 | 2:00 p.m. | at Southeast Missouri State | | ESPN+ | L 28–35 | 7,263 |
October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | Bryant | - O'Brien Field
- Charleston, IL
| ESPN+ | W 25–24 OT | 3,690 |
November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | at Lindenwood | | ESPN+ | W 16–10 | 3,788 |
November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | Tennessee State | - O'Brien Field
- Charleston, IL
| ESPN+ | W 30–17 | 3,423 |
November 18 | 11:00 a.m. | at Robert Morris | | ESPN+ | W 28–14 | 2,118 |
- *Non-conference game
Homecoming- Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
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[3][4]
Game Two – Eastern Illinois Panthers (1–0) at Bowling Green Falcons (0–1) – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Eastern Illinois | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
Bowling Green | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
at Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH
- Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C) • Wind: NE 8 mph (13 km/h)
- Game attendance: 12,312
- Referee: Phil Hicks
- TV announcers (ESPN+): David Wilson and Bob Gennarelli
Game information |
- First quarter
- (09:43) BGSU – Odieu Hiliare 10-yard pass from Connor Bazelak (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:11; Bowling Green 7-0)
- (04:57) EIU – Kevin Daniels 15-yard pass from Pierce Holley (William Orth kick failed) (Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:42; Bowling Green 7-6)
- Second quarter
- (12:10) BGSU – Terion Stewart 1-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:17; Bowling Green 14-6)
- (07:02) BGSU – Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim 11-yard pass from Connor Bazelak (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:29; Bowling Green 21-6)
- (01:31) EIU – DeAirious Smith 11-yard pass from Pierce Holley (Holley pass failed) (Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:24; Bowling Green 21-12)
- Third quarter
- (03:23) BGSU – Alan Anaya 27-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 5:18; Bowling Green 24-12)
- (01:07) BGSU – Harold Fannin Jr. 19-yard pass from Connor Bazelak (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:18; Bowling Green 31-12)
- Fourth quarter
- (10:32) EIU – Julian Patino 31-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:30; Bowling Green 31-15)
- (08:35) BGSU – Terion Stewart 1-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:57; Bowling Green 38-15)
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Statistics | Eastern Illinois | Bowling Green |
First downs | 20 | 25 |
Plays–yards | 59-325 | 64-509 |
Rushes–yards | 26–75 | 34–141 |
Passing yards | 250 | 368 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 21–33–1 | 25-30-0 |
Time of possession | 29:48 | 30:12 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 21/32, 250 yards, 2 TDS, 1 INT |
Rushing | Kevin Daniels | 15 carries, 78 yards |
Receiving | DeAirious Smith | 4 receptions, 83 yards, TD |
Bowling Green | Passing | Connor Bazelak | 23/28, 319 yards, 3 TDS |
Rushing | Terion Stewart | 10 carries, 51 yards, 2 TDS |
Receiving | Ta'ron Keith | 6 receptions, 123 yards |
at Northwestern State
[edit] Eastern Illinois Panthers at Northwestern State Demons – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Panthers | 3 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 19 |
Demons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Harry Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, Louisiana
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 91 °F (33 °C)
- Game attendance: 6,021
- Referee: Gary Leeper
- TV: ESPN+
Game information |
First quarter - NWST – Brett Money 23-yard field goal, 6:43. Demons 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 4:26.
- EIU – Julian Patino 23-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 3:02.
Second quarter - EIU – Justin Bowick 52-yard pass from Pierce Holley (Julian Patino kick), 10:28. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:40.
- NWST – Chance Newman 1-yard run (Brett Money kick), 2:28. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:08.
Third quarter - EIU – Kevin Daniels 6-yard run (kick failed), 11:54. Panthers 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:04.
Fourth quarter - EIU – Stone Galloway 22-yard field goal, 8:03. Panthers 19–10. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:52.
|
Statistics | EIU | NWST |
First downs | 18 | 19 |
Total yards | 349 | 350 |
Rushing yards | 75 | 69 |
Passing yards | 274 | 281 |
Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
Time of possession | 28:25 | 31:35 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 19/37, 274 yards, TD |
Rushing | M. J. Flowers | 15 rushes, 48 yards |
Receiving | Justin Bowick | 4 receptions, 130 yards, TD |
Northwestern State | Passing | Quaterius Hawkins | 27/44, 281 yards, INT |
Rushing | Scooter Adams | 9 rushes, 29 yards |
Receiving | Zach Patterson | 7 receptions, 74 yards |
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