Eastern Illinois opens the season hosting the Dayton Flyers on Thursday night at O’Brien Field

After finishing with a 3-9 record, this year’s team is looking to exceed their expectations.

“You spend all spring and all fall camp going against each other, EIU vs EIU with 40 plus practices,” head coach Chris Wilkerson said. “The guys are excited about a chance to play against somebody else. Anytime you get a chance to open at home, it’s very exciting.” 

Wilkerson also said he believes the chemistry and culture the team has built on will show this season. 

“It does take talent to compete for championships but chemistry and culture matter. This group has done a great job getting to know one another, getting to trust one another and getting to respect one another,” Wilkerson said.

Last season, Dayton was the top defense in all of the football championship subdivision. The Flyers led the nation in total defense, first downs allowed, third down conversion defense, were top 15 in time of possession and penalties and finished 5th in scoring defense with 17 points per game.

Wilkerson explained what the game plan is for Dayton and how they need to execute.

“We gotta make sure we possess the football. We got to win the turnover battle, we need to score points. We go to finish drives,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson said defensively, the team needs to limit the running game. we got to make sure we limit the running game.

“As a football team offense, defense and special teams, we got to be the most physical team. At the end of the day, if we’re the more physical football team this weekend then we’ll come out on top on the positive side of the score,” he said. 

Last season on the offensive side they allowed 156 rushing yards, 250 passing yards and 407 per game, and allowed 50 total touchdowns on the season with 30 passing and 20 rushing.

Graduate linebacker Jesse Garza said he has seen improvements in his position room since offseason training. 

“The guys we have brought in are tremendously talented, and the players we have here has been talented as well,” Garza said. “The combination of the two, the competitiveness and having coach [Rodman] Noel come into the room and bring his knowledge of the game and his coaching style is all around improvement.”

On offense the Panthers averaged 18 points, 76 rushing yards and 266 passing yards per game and finished the season averaging 342 yards of total offense per game with nine rushing and 19 passing touchdowns on the season.

Graduate receiver DeAirious Smith explained the improvements he has seen offensively, defensively and on special teams. 

“This year we have way more talent on both sides this year,” Smith said. “We are more explosive on both sides,and have a lot of mature people who know the game.”

Transfer from the University of Wisconsin redshirt sophomore Cole LaCrue was announced as the starting quarterback after the Panthers second scrimmage during the offseason.

Thursday’s start will be LaCrue’s first in his collegiate career. 

“I’m excited, you have to be confident, the staff believes in me, this team believes in me and at the end of the day I believe in myself, so I’m really looking forward to it,” LaCrue said. 

The Wisconsin transfer talked about his growth since arriving in the spring.

“I think just the knowledge of the system and the understanding of it, the ability to make checks, the ability to give [and go] in the right situation, I think that has been huge for me and just trusting myself.”

LaCrue addressed how the quarterback competition helped him become the starter.

“All the guys are great, we have a great relationship there and competition makes people better and I think it just made me turn on another gear you know, something I really loved is that I wasn’t given the job, I had to earn it,” LaCrue said. “ And I’m proud to say that I did earn it because of the belief in me and belief of what I can do for this team.”

LaCrue left a message for the fans about what to expect from him before the Panthers first game of the season.

“Fireworks, I think, is the best way to describe it. I’m a playmaker and anytime I step on the field it’s showtime,” he said. 

Junior offensive lineman Nic DiSanto said he feels accomplished to be named captain for this year. DiSanto said holding people accountable on and off the field is something he doesn’t take lightly. 

DiSanto talked about building the chemistry between the offensive linemen and LaCrue.

“Really just being around him, him hanging out with us, us hanging out with him, just joking around, just being able to get that more than a teammate vibe from him and between all the offensive line helps a lot,” DiSanto said. 

Graduate safety and team captain Tienne Fridge spoke of the improvements he saw from the team since the spring.

“I think just culturally, I think guys like caring about each other and I think schematically, too, I feel like we’re more unified,” Fridge said.

Graduate wide receiver Cooper Willman talked about what Thursday’s game means for the Panthers.

“We want to take it one game at a time, just go 1-0, it’s a home opener we’re super excited about, it’s an opportunity for us to start this season off the way we want it to and get ourselves on track and set the trajectory of how we want this season to go,” Willman said.

The Panthers are set to host the Flyers for both teams first game of the season tonight at O’Brien Field.

Cameron Thomas can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].