Eastern Illinois and Dayton battled down to the wire in a back-and-forth opener Thursday night, with the Panthers holding a narrow 17–14 lead late in the fourth quarter.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Cole LaCrue’s 10-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes remaining put the game out of reach, giving EIU a 24–14 victory in their first home opener in nine years at O’Brien Field.
LaCrue finished with 193 rushing yards and three touchdowns, setting a new program record for rushing yards by a quarterback. The previous record of 142 yards had stood since 2015, set by Jalen Whitlow.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all week, I’m glad for the way I performed and hope to keep building on this,” LaCrue said.
LaCrue wasn’t aware that he broke the record until after the game, but he said it was a great feeling, and he hopes to keep breaking records.
Redshirt junior running back Charles Kellom added 133 rushing yards, providing a steady complement that wore down Dayton’s defense throughout the game.
“He has been here and worked, and all credit goes to coach [Spencer] Treadwell, the offensive line, tight ends, backs and even the quarterbacks,” head coach Chris Wilkerson said. “He’s willing to block the blitz, he’s willing to carry the ball, he’s willing to be a decoy.”
Graduate wide receiver DeAirious Smith also made his first appearance since his season ending injury.
Smith hauled in 58 yards on two catches, including several key third-down receptions that helped sustain drives and keep Dayton’s defense off balance.
“We tried to establish our run early, and just be dominant with that,” Smith said. “As a receiver, you just have to understand when we have games like that, play your part and know your role. My role today was blocking, and when the time came, then it was to catch. I just tried to help the team out as best as I can.”
Smith had a lot of emotions before stepping on the field today, and said he was nervous on the first play, but those feelings didn’t last long.
“After that first play, after I got out on that field and I just realized it’s backyard football, little kid football, like I was playing when I was kid. I just started having fun,” Smith said.
His ability to stretch the field complemented the dominant running game, providing balance to the Panthers’ offense and giving LaCrue and Kellom room to operate.
On the other side of the ball, EIU’s defense played a critical role in the victory.
The pass rush was amped in the second half of the game, and Wilkerson simply said that was depth.
“We’ve been able to play more defensive linemen this year,” Wilkerson said. “I knew going into the game we had 10, 11, 12 guys that we expected to rotate through there.”
The unit limited Dayton to just 280 total yards, forcing pivotal stops on third down and containing the Flyers’ big-play opportunities.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Christopher Sharp was a standout, making five total tackles, with three of them solos.
“You know we came out here and executed,” Sharp said. “We started off a little slow, but we held our own.”
Junior defensive lineman Samuel Robles disrupted Dayton’s rhythm with five tackles and a sack, pressuring the quarterback and halting several potential drives in their tracks
Wilkerson said Robles has gotten better and helped the defense with his twitchiness and being a violent player.
“And even in the run game early in the game, he’s coming down on some of those split flows, and throwing his body around pretty violently and then was able to finish a couple times,” Wilkerson said. “He’s a high-energy guy and has really gotten better and helped our defense.”
Wilkerson said his biggest takeaway from the opener was the team’s ability to maintain poise under pressure, especially with so many new faces in the lineup.
He stressed the team about keeping their composure, while he did the same thing.
“There was no sign of panic. Nobody had a long face about substitutions or playing less or playing more. We just kept preaching ‘next play, next person up,’” Wilkerson said.
He added that the Panthers took pride in finishing strong at the line of scrimmage and executing in the fourth quarter, even as Dayton tried to mount a comeback.
Wilkerson also emphasized the importance of setting a standard for the season, noting that with more than 50 percent of the roster new, maintaining focus and discipline was key.
“There are going to be mistakes, growing pains, and communication glitches,” he said. “But if we continue to stay composed, trust each other, and execute, we can build something special.”
The Panthers will look to carry that momentum into another non-conference game, traveling to face Indiana State. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Indiana State University Memorial Stadium.
Payton Liggins can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
