Illinois State routs Eastern Illinois 49-13

Eastern Illinois1-313
Illinois State4-049Final
Sat, Sep 19 · Hancock Stadium, Normal, Ill. · Crowd 11,589ESPN+

Illinois State routed Eastern Illinois 49-13.

We had Illinois State favored. It won.

How it swung

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Illinois State a 95% chance, and the closing betting line (Illinois State was a 29.5-point favorite) put it at 99%.

Illinois State led by 11 after the first quarter and by 22 at the half.

Q1Q2Q3Q40+43+36
FinalIllinois State 49-13 Eastern IllinoisIllinois State wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4Won49-13Scores
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4Won49-13Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q4Lowest 0%Lost13-49Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q4Lowest 0%Lost13-49Scores

No single play moved the chance by 20 points.

No single play moved the chance by 20 points.

Illinois State’s chance to win after every play.
How to read this chartStarts from the pregame line (Illinois State -29.5), at 97% for Illinois State (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores.

Every drive

Illinois State scored on 6 of its 9 drives; Eastern Illinois on 3 of its 9.

Illinois State’s drives are teal, Eastern Illinois’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

own goalgoal lineQ1Illinois State: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownEastern Illinois: Punt, from 75 yards out to 72PuntIllinois State: Touchdown, from 69 yards out to 0TouchdownEastern Illinois: Field goal, from 84 yards out to 24Field goalIllinois State: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownQ2Eastern Illinois: Punt, from 75 yards out to 85PuntIllinois State: Fumble, from 71 yards out to 50FumbleEastern Illinois: Field goal, from 50 yards out to 4Field goalIllinois State: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownEastern Illinois: Punt, from 75 yards out to 57PuntIllinois State: End of half, from 95 yards out to 57End of halfQ3Eastern Illinois: Punt returned for a touchdown, from 75 yards out to 69Punt TDEastern Illinois: Punt, from 75 yards out to 40PuntIllinois State: Touchdown, from 80 yards out to 0TouchdownEastern Illinois: Punt, from 75 yards out to 56PuntIllinois State: Touchdown, from 80 yards out to 0TouchdownQ4Eastern Illinois: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownIllinois State: End of game, from 75 yards out to 8End of game

Box score

Illinois State 49, Eastern Illinois 13

Illinois State covered −29.5 by 6.5. The total, 62, went over 53.5.

Eastern Illinois leaders

  • Passing Cole Lacrue 15 of 25, 150 yds
  • Rushing Tyren Buggs 9 for 23 yds; Cole Lacrue 5 for 15 yds, 1 TD
  • Receiving Jeremy Reeves 2 for 44 yds; Alex Ginnever 1 for 31 yds

Illinois State leaders

  • Passing Gage Roy 13 of 19, 172 yds, 2 TD
  • Rushing Tyler Lofton 15 for 62 yds, 2 TD; Anthony Hall 11 for 58 yds, 1 TD
  • Receiving Dylan Lord 6 for 77 yds, 1 TD; Mar'Quan Gary 3 for 72 yds, 1 TD

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last three games

Eastern Illinois · 1-2

Rated 249th in our preseason ratings, 234th now, up 15 spots.

1-2 in its last three, including a 14-point win over Murray State as a 4.5-point underdog.

L 35-42 vs Indiana State #220 of 668

lost by 7 as a 3-point underdog

Eastern Illinois lost 35-42 vs Indiana State. Chance to win started at 51%, low under 1%, high 53%.

L 7-59 @ Minnesota #34 of 668

lost by 52 as a 42.5-point underdog

W 28-14 @ Murray State #251 of 668

won by 14 as a 4.5-point underdog

Eastern Illinois won 28-14 at Murray State. Chance to win started at 33%, low 20%, high better than 99%.

Last three games

Illinois State · 3-0

Rated 126th in our preseason ratings, 107th now, up 19 spots.

Three straight wins — but still hunting a ranked opponent.

Week by week

Illinois State

Wk 1: W 76-0 vs St. Francis (IL)▲76St. Francis (IL)Wk 1: W 41-10 at Western Illinois▲31Western IllinoisWk 2: W 28-24 at Northern Illinois▲4N. Illinois
  • Wk 1Wvs St. Francis (IL)76-0
  • Wk 1Wat Western Illinois41-10
  • Wk 2Wat Northern Illinois28-24

Eastern Illinois

Wk 1: W 28-14 at Murray State▲14Murray StateWk 1: L 7-59 at Minnesota▼52MinnesotaWk 2: L 35-42 vs Indiana State▼7Indiana State
  • Wk 1Wat Murray State28-14
  • Wk 1Lat Minnesota7-59
  • Wk 2Lvs Indiana State35-42

Power rating by week

Illinois State is rated 6.9 points ahead as of week 2. Our power rating by week; higher is better.

-2-7-13Wk 0Wk 1Wk 2Illinois StateEastern Illinois

The series

Illinois State leads the series 22-12

34 meetings since 1975 · Illinois State has won the last 2

Illinois State wonEastern Illinois won1975: Illinois State by 181976: Illinois State by 51977: Illinois State by 201978: Eastern Illinois by 351979: Eastern Illinois by 241980: Eastern Illinois by 171981: Illinois State by 221982: Eastern Illinois by 131983: Eastern Illinois by 311984: Illinois State by 131985: Eastern Illinois by 72003: Illinois State by 72004: Illinois State by 42005: Illinois State by 212006: Illinois State by 142006: Illinois State by 112007: Illinois State by 32008: Eastern Illinois by 42009: Eastern Illinois by 252010: Illinois State by 42011: Eastern Illinois by 72012: Illinois State by 32013: Eastern Illinois by 332014: Illinois State by 192015: Illinois State by 32016: Eastern Illinois by 32017: Illinois State by 312018: Illinois State by 382019: Illinois State by 182021: Illinois State by 72022: Illinois State by 282023: Eastern Illinois by 12024: Illinois State by 242025: Illinois State by 1219752025
  • 2025Illinois State 42-30
  • 2024Illinois State 31-7
  • 2023Eastern Illinois 14-13
  • 2022Illinois State 35-7
  • 2021Illinois State 31-24

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Our model and the betting line agree on Illinois State’s chances here.

50-50Model 95% · Line 99%Eastern IllinoisIllinois State

Illinois State favored by 29.5 · Total 53.5

How games like this usually go

Illinois State by 29.5, and it went to form

50%90%Q1Q2Q3Q450%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 411 games since 2025 with a favorite of 21.5 points or more.

Home field

Illinois State is worth −4.4 points (±6.6) more at home than on the road since 2018 — bottom tenth of FBS, 0th percentile.

14% at home, 31% on the road against FBS opponents (1-6 home, 4-9 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads -5.6 at home vs. away over 54 games — inside the ±8.2 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.

The visitors travel about 83 miles to get here.

Where next