Western Illinois was trying to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, and Eastern Illinois shut that down with redshirt freshman Jacarre Fleming getting out of a hole to make a 30-yard touchdown with 10 minutes left in the quarter. 

This gave the Panthers a two-possession cushion, which six minutes later redshirt freshman kicker Drew Schiller kicked a 20 yard field goal that sealed a 31-23 road win over the Leathernecks. 

The explosive run capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive that dropped nearly five minutes off the clock and drained the energy from the Western Illinois defense who hoped to close the gap.

For Fleming, the breakout run was about more than the scoreboard.

“It was exciting,” Fleming said. “Coach has been saying all week to trust the plan. I just wanted to do my part when my name got called. We’ve been working hard, and to see it pay off, it just shows what this team can do.”

Head coach Chris Wilkerson said the score reflected the kind of complementary football EIU had emphasized since non conference play.

“The biggest thing we talked about all week was effort,” Wilkerson said. “We wanted to be more physical and communicate better. It wasn’t perfect, but the response was great. Every time something happened, they just kept going and going. That’s growth.”

The Panther’s defense embodied that resilience. 

After a pair of quick offensive drives in the first half, EIU’s defenders were on the field for nearly twice as many plays as the offense. 

A stat Wilkerson said weighed heavily into one of the game’s biggest moments.

Midway through the third quarter, facing a fourth-and-one near midfield, the Panthers initially sent on the punt unit. 

But after a quick timeout called by the Leathernecks, Wilkerson waved the offense back out.

“Really, I was worried about our play count,” Wilkerson said. “They [Western Illinois] had run about 46 plays at the half and we’d only run 26. I just felt like if we gave it back, our defense was going to be out on their feet. We had to be aggressive, and the guys executed.”

Junior offensive lineman Nic DiSanto said he wasn’t surprised when the coaches changed course.

“I was just happy they had the confidence,” DiStano said. “We’ve been 100 percent on those so far. Being able to convert that was huge, that was definitely the momentum swing.”

When asked just how close he came to converting the fourth down, DiSanto laughed and cracked a joke.

 “It was close,” he said with a grin. “About six or seven yards.”

Once the chains moved, EIU ran downfield to extend the lead, a turning point that let Fleming to finish the drive with a 55 yard touchdown. 

DiSanto said the Panther’s ability to control the line of scrimmage showed the kind of identity they’ve been building.

“We knew they were a little banged up up front,” DiSanto said. “So being able to get a hat on a hat and use our strength helped a lot.”

He also praised Fleming’s patience and preparation.

“I’ve told [Jacarre] ‘Smoke’ [Fleming] since he’s been here to trust the process,” DiSanto said. “Your chance will come, and when it does, run with it. After that second touchdown I told him, ‘Run behind me and run with your opportunity.’ He did both. I’m really proud of the kid.”

Senior linebacker Tylan Foster who led the Panthers with 10 tackles said the defense took pride in its physicality, especially after the bye week.

“We knew we had to come out more physically,” Foster said. “Coach always tells us, ‘Next play, next drive.’ That was the mindset to just keep responding.”

For EIU, the win meant more than just evening its overall record.

“It’s big to be 2–2, but the most important thing is being 1–0 in conference,” Wilkerson said. “That’s how we’ll be measured. Every week in this league is going to be a one-play kind of game, so we’ve got to keep getting better.”

DiSanto said the Panthers are still finding their stride but trending in the right direction.

“The first few weeks felt like preseason,” DiSanto said. “Now we’re learning who we are. We played complimentary football today, that’s why we won.”

Fleming said the performance was a glimpse of what the Panthers can be when they trust their preparation.

“We practiced hard all week,” Fleming said. “Now we just have to keep that same mentality going forward.”

The Panthers will host Tennessee State next Saturday at O’Brien Field in their second Ohio Valley Conference matchup.

Payton Liggins can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].