In 2023, Eastern football was a program to watch out for, finishing the season with an 8-3 overall record under head coach Chris Wilkerson in only his second year in Charleston.
Today, the Panthers are now 1-3, losing to University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana (week one), Northwestern University (week three) and Illinois State University (week four).
The Panthers’ lone win thus far in the season came from a 27-20 win over the Indiana State Sycamores during week two.
In Eastern’s last game, the Panthers lost to Illinois State 31-7 in the 112th Mid-America Classic.
Although the score is drastic, Wilkerson says there was some good from the Panthers throughout the game. The biggest aspect Wilkerson commented on was the punting.
“Our punt team was the highlight of the day for special teams with Jacob Horvath certainly punting well,” Wilkerson said.
Horvath, the sophomore punter from Bentleigh, Australia was named a Big South-OVC special teams co-player of the week after his performance against Illinois State.
Horvath averaged 51.2 yards per punt with three punts that landed inside the 20-yard line against the Redbirds.
With this non-conference record from four games, it will take a lot for Eastern to get a chance to play in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Within four games, the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference looks like it will be more competitive than it was last year. With Southeast Missouri holding a record of 3-1 going into their fifth week of football, the Redhawks currently have the best record in the Big South-OVC.
With conference play being the only thing on the mind of the Panthers, winning out would be the team’s best chance to mark a spot for playoffs.
Here are two teams in the Big South-OVC the Panthers should keep an eye on: their next two opponents.
1. SEMO
The Redhawks are currently 1-0 in the conference with an overall record of 3-1. SEMO’s only loss came from New Mexico State in a 23-16 game.
SEMO is currently ranked 13th in the FCS after winning against the then seventh ranked Southern Illinois University with a 38-21 win.
Not only are the Redhawks ranked in the Top 25 within the FCS, but the team is also ranked first in the conference.
Before the 2024 season started, Redhawk quarterback Paxton DeLaurent was ranked as the eighth best returning quarterback in the FCS by HERO Sports.
Although DeLaurent got injured during the second quarter of the North Alabama game, he came back to play New Mexico State and recorded a 60% passing rating with 27 out of 45 completions for 295 yards and one passing touchdown.
Within the past four games, DeLaurent recorded 100 out of 165 completions for 12 passing touchdowns and only two interceptions.
After his performance against Southern Illinois, DeLaurent was named the conference’s offensive player of the week. DeLaurent recorded 25 out of 40 completions for 301 yards with four touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior inside linebacker Bryce Norman was ranked as the eighth best returning linebacker in the FCS by HERO Sports and the tenth best by Sports Illustrated.
In a four-game span, Norman recorded 41 total tackles (14 solo, 27 assisted), one sack for 11 yards and one forced fumble. Norman was also named the 2024 Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Year.
Eastern will play SEMO during the homecoming weekend at O’Brien Field, and kickoff is scheduled on Saturday, October 5 at 2 p.m.
Before SEMO plays Eastern in two weeks, the Redbirds will play Northwestern State at Houck Field in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
With how strong the Redbird’s offense is, it will be interesting to see how the Panther defense plays against them.
2. Lindenwood
The Lindenwood Lions are currently 1-3 for the 2024 season.
This team may not look like a team to look out for, but after a 64-0 win over the University of St. Thomas, Lindenwood played great throughout the game.
Lindenwood’s starting quarterback, senior Nate Glantz, has recorded 61 of 104 completions for 659 yards with three passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and four interceptions.
One of Glantz’s strongest targets is junior wide receiver Jeff Caldwell. In the past two games for the Lions, Caldwell recorded 290 receiving yards off 11 catches to record three touchdowns.
Against St. Thomas, Glantz passed the ball to Caldwell for a 93-yard play that resulted in a touchdown. Along with another passing touchdown to senior running back Cortezz Jones, Glantz recorded two rushing touchdowns of his own.
The Panthers will play the Lions this Saturday at O’Brien Field with a kickoff time of 2 p.m.
This game should be one that showcases a strong offense in Lindenwood with targets in Caldwell and Jones. If the Panther defense does not stop the Lion’s run game and they fail to cover the receivers, it will be a long game for the Panther defense.
Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.
