From OVCSports...
Eastern Illinois Panthers (4-2, 3-0 OVC)
at Murray State Racers (2-4, 1-1 OVC)
Saturday, October 14 • 3:00 p.m. CT
Roy Stewart Stadium (16,800) • Murray, Ky.
TV:.................................................. OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=184253
Series Record:......................... Eastern Illinois leads 18-14
Last Meeting:............... Murray State won 40-38 (10/22/16)
Kim Dameron at Eastern Illinois:................... 22-19 (4 yrs.)
Kim Dameron Overall:............................................. same
Mitch Stewart at Murray State:....................... 9-19 (3 yrs.)
Mitch Stewart Overall:.............................................. same
Eastern Illinois Last Week:... W, 24-23 vs. Tennessee Tech
Murray State Last Week:.......... W, 13-10 at #25 UT Martin
GAME NOTES: Sitting tied atop the OVC standings with a three-game winning streak
(and a home game with nationally-ranked Jacksonville State looming next week),
Eastern Illinois will travel to Murray State on Saturday. The Panthers had won
four-straight in the series until a year ago when the Racers came from behind to
pull off a 40-38 victory in a game that featured a combined 1,101 yards of total
offense. Kicker Connor Mitchell was named National Specialist of the Week after
he made six field goals (37, 36, 37, 49, 25, and 29 yards) including what proved
to be the game-winner with 2:31 to play in the game. Mareio McGraw rushed for
139 yards for the Racers while KD Humphries passed for 299 yards and a
touchdown. The Panthers were led by Devin Church who rushed for 155 yards and
two touchdowns and caught four passes for 58 yards and an additional score.
Eastern Illinois head coach Kim Dameron was an assistant coach at Murray State
from 1993-95 under Houston Nutt.
SCOUTING EASTERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Illinois is 3-0 in OVC play for the first
time since 2015 (a year it made the FCS Playoffs) after a 24-23 home win over
Tennessee Tech. The Panthers have won their three Conference games by a combined
seven points this season (and its non-conference win came by just two points).
EIU fell behind 14-3 at halftime and turned to backup quarterback Bud Martin in
the second half. Martin completed 10-of-14 passes for 204 yards and three
touchdowns in leading the comeback. Junior Alexander Hollins was the benefactor
of having Martin in the lineup, catching three second half touchdowns (43, 10
and 10 yards) and finishing the game with 125 receiving yards. Dennis Turner
added four catches for 103 yards. Hollins final touchdown came with 10:47 to
play to put EIU up by four points. TTU trimmed the margin to one with a 33-yard
field goal but missed a 48-yard field goal with second seconds remaining that
would have won the game. Freshman Mark Williams picked off his third pass of the
season late in the fourth quarter; he currently ranks 29th nationally in
interceptions/game (0.5). As a team EIU is fifth nationally in blocked kicks
(3), eighth in fumbles recovered (7) and ninth in third down conversion defense
(28.7%).
SCOUTING MURRAY STATE: After tallying only 170 yards of total offense in
back-to-back losses to Austin Peay and Louisville, Murray State tallied 267
yards of total offense (including 126 yards in the fourth quarter) in topping
No. 25 ranked UT Martin 13-10. The win snapped a six-game losing streak by the
Racers to the Skyhawks. The game was deadlocked at 3-3 entering the fourth
quarter before UTM returned a punt 67 yards for a score. But after throwing an
interception, MSU got the ball back and went 80 yards in four plays, with the
biggest play being a pass to Austin Thomas which he took 48 yards to the
five-yard line before fumbling the ball which was recovered by DeQuan Dallas in
the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. On the ensuing play, Lamont
Crittendon forced a UTM fumble and the MSU offense was able to run the final
4:27 off the clock ending the game on a 32-yard field goal by Gabriel Vicente as
the clock expired. Vicente also hit from 22 yards in the game and is now 8-of-9
on the season (88.9%, 7th nationally). Shuler Bentley passed for 243 yards and a
touchdown in the win with four of those passes going to freshman Rodney Castille
who finished with 92 receiving yards. MSU currently ranks ninth nationally in
interceptions (9) and turnovers gained (14).
