No. 2 Eastern Illinois Hosts No. 17 Tennessee State
EIU Opens Playoffs At Home For First Time Since 2006
No. 2 Eastern Illinois vs. No. 17 Tennessee State
O'Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Illinois
Dec. 7, 2013 • 1 p.m. • TV: ESPN3
The Game
Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State will meet for the second time this season as EIU enters the FCS playoffs as the No. 2 overall national seed. The Panthers were 11-1 during the regular season and posted an 8-0 OVC record.
EIU features OVC Offensive Player of the Year Jimmy Garoppolo who is a finalist for the 2013 Walter Payton Award. He is joined by senior wide receiver Erik Lora who is also a finalist for the Payton Award. Lora was the OVC Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 after setting an FCS single season record with 136 receptions.
This will mark the third time in school history that EIU has faced a team in the FCS playoffs that the Panthers previously played during the regular season. In 1983 EIU played Indiana State in the regular season and lost to the Sycamores in the first round of the playoffs. In 2006 EIU played Illinois State in the regular season and lost to the Redbirds in the first round of the playoffs.
Tennessee State enters the game having beaten Butler, 31-0, in the FCS playoff first round. It was the first playoff win by an Ohio Valley Conference school since 2000.
THE SERIES
This will be the 17th meeting between Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State. EIU holds a slight 9-7 all-time series advantage. EIU won the regular season meeting between the two schools on Oct. 26 in Nashville, 34-16. In that game EIU jumped out to a 28-7 lead as Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 410 yards and four touchdowns. The two schools have previously met in the FCS playoffs. TSU beat EIU 20-19 in the 1982 FCS Quarterfinals as the Panthers missed a 46-yard field goal with 55 seconds remaining. TSU later forfeited the contest due to use of an ineligible player.
• Jimmy Garoppolo capped his regular season campaign for the Walter Payton Award with a 477 yard, six touchdown passing day at UT Martin. It was the fourth highest single passing total in school history and Garoppolo's second best (480 vs. Illinois State). Garoppolo had the fourth best total offense game in school history with 476 yards.
• Jimmy Garoppolo finished the regular season with 4,489 passing yards and 48 touchdowns as he won Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors. Garoppolo's totals are the highest among all NCAA Division I players (FBS and FCS). He is fifth on the all-time FCS single season passing yards list and third on the all-time FCS single season touchdown passes list.
• Without three starters in the line-up Eastern Illinois offense responded with 704 yards of total offense, the second highest total in school history. EIU scored 70 points, the second highest total in school history with ten touchdowns and one field goal.
• Adam Drake and Jeff LePak combined for the highest total of receiving yards by a pair of EIU receivers in school history. Drake had 225 yards receiving while LePak had 196 yards receiving as they combined for 421 yards. Both receivers caught three touchdowns in the win over UT Martin.
• Adam Drake stepped into the role of primary receiver against UT Martin finishing with 14 catches for 225 yards and three first quarter touchdown catches. The 14 catches tied for the fifth highest single game total in school history. The 225 yards was the fourth highest total in school history.
• With his big receiving day Adam Drake moved in to the EIU single season top ten in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Drake is fifth on the receiving yards list with 1,145 yards, fourth on the receptions list with 75 and sixth in touchdown receptions with 12.
• Shepard Little had his sixth 100-yard rushing day of the season and third straight at UT Martin as the sophomore won the regular season OVC rushing title with 1,309 yards. Little earned first team All-OVC honors as his total is eighth on the EIU single season rushing list.
• Shepard Little found the end zone for the seventh straight game with a rushing touchdown at UT Martin as Little finished with 13 rushing touchdowns. He has two punt returns for touchdown and two touchdown receptions this year to rank fourth on the EIU single season touchdowns scored list with 17.
• Eastern Illinois offensive line was rewarded for its stellar play this season as the Panthers had two players earn first team All-OVC honors in Collin Seibert and Dominic Pagliara. Center Nick Borre was a second team All-OVC selection and redshirt freshman Jimmy Lowery was on the All-Newcomer team. EIU ranks third in the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed this season with only 46 TFL allowed. EIU has allowed just 16 sacks.
• With points in all four quarters of the win over UT Martin, Eastern Illinois has now scored points in 28 consecutive quarters. The last time EIU did not score in a quarter was the fourth quarter of the 42-7 win over Eastern Kentucky. EIU did not trail in an OVC game this season as the Panthers posted an 8-0 record.
• Eastern Illinois has had a quick strike, big play offense throughout the season. EIU has 13 scoring drives this season with touchdowns of 40 yards or more that have taken less than one minute. EIU's longest scoring play of the season was an 86-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to Keiondre Gober. The quickest scoring drive with a touchdown over 40 yards this season was seven seconds when Garoppolo connected with Gober for a 62-yard touchdown pass.
• Eastern Illinois defense forced five turnovers against UT Martin as the Panthers ended the regular season with 32 turnovers which ranks EIU fifth in the FCS in turnovers gained. EIU has 14 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries this season. Jourdan Wickliffe and Alex McNulty are tied for the team lead with three interceptions each. Pat Wertz has four fumble recoveries.
• With points in all four quarters of the win over UT Martin, Eastern Illinois has now scored points in 28 consecutive quarters. The last time EIU did not score in a quarter was the fourth quarter of the 42-7 win over Eastern Kentucky. EIU did not trail in an OVC game this season as the Panthers posted an 8-0 record.
• Eastern Illinois has had a quick strike, big play offense throughout the season. EIU has 13 scoring drives this season with touchdowns of 40 yards or more that have taken less than one minute. EIU's longest scoring play of the season was an 86-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to Keiondre Gober. The quickest scoring drive with a touchdown over 40 yards this season was seven seconds when Garoppolo connected with Gober for a 62-yard touchdown pass.
• Eastern Illinois defense forced five turnovers against UT Martin as the Panthers ended the regular season with 32 turnovers which ranks EIU fifth in the FCS in turnovers gained. EIU has 14 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries this season. Jourdan Wickliffe and Alex McNulty are tied for the team lead with three interceptions each. Pat Wertz has four fumble recoveries.
• While Eastern Illinois offense has taken most of the headlines this season with its 48.8 points first in the nation scoring average, the Panthers defense has been the underlying story line. EIU is now 20th in scoring defense allowing just 21.7 points per game. EIU's total defense is second in the conference games only allowing 303.2 yards per game. During OVC action this year EIU has allowed only one 100-yard rusher and no 300-yard passers in eight games.
• Eastern Illinois has been balanced on defense this season and early leads by the offense have allowed a large number of players to play in games. EIU has 18 different players with 20 or more tackles this season including 13 players with 3 or more tackles for loss this year. Jourdan Wickliffe is 7th in the OVC in tackles with 83. Robert Haynes is the only other EIU player in the OVC top twenty with 66 tackles good for 19th.
• Sophomore Dino Fanti ranks second in the OVC in tackles for loss this season as he leads the Panthers with 13.5. Fanti needs a half tackle for loss to break into the EIU single season top ten for tackles for loss. Fanti had 1.5 tackles for loss at UT Martin.
• Eastern Illinois features a diverse group of linebackers with six players all making starts in the rotation this season. Robert Haynes was a second team All-OVC selection this year and he leads the corps with 66 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. Adam Gristick is fourth on the Panthers team with 52 tackles and senior Antonio Taylor is fifth with 49 tackles. LeQuince McCall, Alex Helms and Kamu Grugier-Hill rank seventh through ninth on the EIU team in tackles. All six have 40 or more tackles this year.
• Senior Alex McNulty picked off his third pass of the season at UT Martin as he had interceptions to book end the regular season. McNulty was the FCS National Defensive Player of the Week in week one after EIU beat San Diego State. McNulty had two interceptions in that win. The senior has started at both safety and corner this year and is sixth on the team with 47 tackles.
• Eastern Illinois became just the fourth Ohio Valley Conference school to win 11 games in a regular season as the Panthers finished with an 11-1 record. EIU joins Tennessee State (1999), Murray State (1995) and Middle Tennessee (1985) as the four schools to accomplish that feat. The record for wins in a season by an OVC school is 13 by Eastern Kentucky in 1982.
• Eastern Illinois set its own school record for wins in a regular season with its 11th win at UT Martin. The Panthers previously had won ten games in a regular season on four occasions in 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1995. The record for total wins in a season is 12 by the 1978 NCAA Division II National Championship team.
• Eastern Illinois enters the playoffs with the nation's second longest active home win streak at 10 games. EIU trails only North Dakota State in that category as the Bison have won 11 straight home games. NDSU is the number one seed in this year's FCS Playoff field and hosts Furman on Saturday.
• When EIU and TSU meet on Saturday it will mark the third time that OVC teams have met in the FCS playoffs. Eastern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee met in 1984 & 1991.
OUT OF THE GATES EARLY
Eastern Illinois has put away most of its Ohio Valley Conference opponents in the first half this season as the Panthers have outscored conference foes 273 to 46 in the opening 30 minutes this season. That is an average of 34.1 to 5.7 points at the half. Against Jacksonville State, EIU scored 35 points in the first quarter to set a school record for points in a quarter, breaking the previous mark of 30. In the final regular season game, EIU led UT Martin 47-9 at the half. EIU's defense has also pitched three first half shutouts in OVC play.
EASTERN ILLINOIS TO HOST 9TH PLAYOFF GAME
Eastern Illinois will be hosting its ninth playoff game when the Panthers take the field against Tennessee State on Saturday. EIU is currently 4-4 all-time in home playoff games with the last win for EIU coming on Nov. 29, 1986 against Murray State. The Panthers would lose the following week to Eastern Kentucky on a two-point conversion and are on a four-game home playoff losing streak.
PANTHERS RANKED IN TOP FIVE IN FCS
Eastern Illinois remained at number two in both FCS polls this week. This is the fifth season that EIU has been ranked in the top five in the nation since the Panthers joined the FCS ranks in 1981. This matches EIU's highest national ranking set in November of 2002. EIU is 12-2 in regular season games as a top five ranked team, one of the losses coming to open the 2002 season at Hawai'i with EIU ranked No. 4. The ranking is the highest for an OVC school since Jacksonville State was ranked No. 2 in October of 2010.EASTERN ILLINOIS TO HOST 9TH PLAYOFF GAME
Eastern Illinois will be hosting its ninth playoff game when the Panthers take the field against Tennessee State on Saturday. EIU is currently 4-4 all-time in home playoff games with the last win for EIU coming on Nov. 29, 1986 against Murray State. The Panthers would lose the following week to Eastern Kentucky on a two-point conversion and are on a four-game home playoff losing streak.
PANTHERS RANKED IN TOP FIVE IN FCS
EASTERN ILLINOIS HEAD COACH DINO BABERS
Dino Babers made an immediate impact on the Eastern Illinois program taking the Panthers from last in the OVC in 2011 to first in the conference in 2012 during his first season as head coach. Babers was a former assistant on EIU head coach Bob Spoo's first staff in 1987 and returned to EIU as the head coach in December of 2011. He was named the OVC Coach of the Year in 2012 and finished third in voting for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award. In 2013 Babers was again named the OVC Coach of the Year and is currently a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. Babers record at EIU is 18-6, including a 14-1 record in the OVC. He is a 1984 graduate of the University of Hawai'i.
Dino Babers made an immediate impact on the Eastern Illinois program taking the Panthers from last in the OVC in 2011 to first in the conference in 2012 during his first season as head coach. Babers was a former assistant on EIU head coach Bob Spoo's first staff in 1987 and returned to EIU as the head coach in December of 2011. He was named the OVC Coach of the Year in 2012 and finished third in voting for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award. In 2013 Babers was again named the OVC Coach of the Year and is currently a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. Babers record at EIU is 18-6, including a 14-1 record in the OVC. He is a 1984 graduate of the University of Hawai'i.
TENNESSEE STATE HEAD COACH ROD REED
Rod Reed took over as head coach of his alma mater in 2010 and has the program once again competing in the top half of the Ohio Valley Conference. He has posted a 25-20 mark in four years emphasizing a hard hitting defensive approach. Reed played at TSU in the 1980's earning his degree in 1989. As a player he set the school record for tackles and was part of TSU's 1986 NCAA I-AA playoff team. He was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach in 2009 for the program before taking over as head coach following that season.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE
Tennessee State features one of the best defenses in the country led by OVC Defensive Player of the Year Anthony Bass. Bass leads the OVC in sacks with ten while TSU is 20th in the FCS in sacks per game this season. The secondary is ranked 4th in the nation with 20 interceptions led by Daniel Fitzpatrick with eight. On offense quarterback Michael German has returned and led the team to a 31-0 victory at Butler on Saturday. Tim Broughton has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season with five rushing touchdowns.
ON THIS DATE IN EIU HISTORY
Eastern Illinois has never competed in a game on December 7 in the history of the football program. Twice before the Panthers have played a contest on Dec. 6. In 1980 the Panthers beat North Alabama 56-31 as Kevin Staple ran for 120 yards and two scores in the NCAA Division II national semifinal. In 1986, EIU lost in the FCS quarterfinals to Eastern Kentucky, 24-22, as Sean Payton threw for 394 yards. EKU broke up a two-point conversion with 27 seconds remaining to preserve the win.
COURTESY EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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