Eastern Illinois
1-3OVC · O'Brien Stadium · 10,000 · 6,971 avg in 2026
LastL 13–49 at Illinois State · Sat Sep 19 · Cole LaCrue 150 pass yds, 15 rush yds, 1 TD
Nextat South Dakota State · Sat Sep 26 · 7 pm ET · Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium · series 0-1 · Game preview
Updated Tue Sep 22 · through week 3
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 27 | #249 | #254 | +4.5✓ | @Murray State | W 28–14 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 1 | Sep 4 | #249 | #29 | +42.5✗ | @Minnesota | L 7–59 114 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 12 | #201 | #228 | +3✗ | Indiana State | L 35–42 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 19 | #237 | #90 | +29.5✗ | @Illinois State | L 13–49 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 26 | #239 | #103 | @South Dakota State | ||||
| 6 | Oct 10 | @Gardner-Webb | ||||||
| 7 | Oct 17 | Lindenwood | ||||||
| 8 | Oct 24 | Southeast Missouri State | ||||||
| 9 | Oct 31 | @UT Martin | ||||||
| 10 | Nov 7 | Western Illinois | ||||||
| 11 | Nov 14 | @Tennessee State | ||||||
| 12 | Nov 21 | Charleston Southern |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19 | @Illinois State | L 13–49 | — | — | — | -0.081 | 34.6% | 135.4% | Defense's roughest night |
| Sep 12 | Indiana State | L 35–42 | — | — | — | +0.274 | 48.6% | 157.4% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Sep 4 | @Minnesota | L 7–59 | 110 | 0 | 23:39 | -0.384 | 10.9% | 165.8% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Aug 27 | @Murray State | W 28–14 | — | — | — | +0.183 | 39.4% | 128.8% | Best defensive stand |
| Season average (4 games) | 110 | 0.0 | -0.002 | 33.4% | 146.9% | ||||
Eastern Illinois is the historic Ohio Valley Panther program that fell from I-AA relevance into a decade of rebuilding, and whose fanbase is waiting for the resurgence.
Eastern Illinois was a fixture in FCS playoff conversations in the late 2000s and 2010s, but the program has spent recent years in the basement of the OVC-Big South, going 3-9 in…
The season in chapters
What fans said
L 35–42 vs Indiana State
Real posts from the day of the game, chosen by community score · usernames not shown
What it is like to watch them2026 · 1-3
✓ measured from 4 games · ranks are among OVC teams the same season
Recent form · last 10 games · incl. 2025
Eastern Illinois has won one of its last five.
Cold. 1-9 over the last 10, and lost the last three.
Next Sep 26
vs South Dakota State · away
Outcome band · Eastern Illinois · 2026
Outcome band · Eastern Illinois · 2026Eastern Illinois' most likely season is 1-11 — mid-table finish. The floor is 0-12; the ceiling is 4-8.
No season-path projection for this program yet, so this is last season's record with a two-win swing down and a three-win swing up, over a 12-game frame.
More in this tab
Game day
Eastern Illinois is the historic Ohio Valley Panther program that fell from I-AA relevance into a decade of rebuilding, and whose fanbase is waiting for the resurgence.
Offseason moves
The Offseason Ledger · Eastern Illinois
1 verified update · portal · recruiting · staff · news- News
Charles Kellom: 19 car · 171 yds · 3 TD at Murray State
Top 1% rushing yards game since 2021. at Murray State (FCS) W 28-14.
Recruiting buzz
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.