Eastern Illinois looks to regroup on the road Saturday when the Panthers visit Charleston Southern in an OVC–Big South matchup in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Panthers enter at 3–4 overall, and 2-2 in conference while the Buccaneers are 2–6, and 1-3 in conference.
Eastern’s offense has averaged just under 22 points per game this season. Redshirt freshman quarterback Connor Wolf leads the passing attack with more than 800 yards on the year, but the Panthers used all three quarterbacks in last week’s 38–20 loss to Southeast Missouri State.
Wolf started the game, completing 3 of 8 passes for 49 yards before being replaced by redshirt sophomore Cole LaCrue, who went 5 of 15 for 73 yards and three interceptions.
LaCrue also led the team in rushing with 99 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Freshman Brady Ford made his first collegiate appearance, completing 4 of 6 passes for 54 yards with one interception.
Head coach Chris Wilkerson said the decision to use all three quarterbacks was about preparation and readiness.
“Once Connor [Wolf] was unable to continue to play and knowing how Cole [LaCrue] plays, I figured Brady [Ford] was a play or two away from potentially being thrown into a situation, having had no experience,” Wilkerson said. “We wanted to make sure that we got him in there as quickly as possible. There were some mistakes, but there was also some positive stuff. I’m glad he got a chance to get into the game. We’ve got to make sure that he’s as prepared as possible if and when his number is called.”
Wilkerson said the offense’s main goal this week is to take care of the football and finish drives.
“We had four drives [on] Saturday that were inside the 25-yard line that resulted in six points [overall from the four drives],” Wilkerson said. “We’ve got to be able to finish drives offensively and take care of the football.”
Graduate wide receiver Cooper Willman said the receivers and quarterbacks have emphasized timing and trust.
“The quarterbacks depend on us a lot,” Willman said. “We’ve got to be in the right positions for them and instill that confidence that we’re going to catch the ball and make a play. It all comes down to trust and more reps with each other.”
Willman added that the offense has been focused on communication and precision.
“We’re just getting every single route right throughout practice,” Willman said. “It’s constant communication, what they’re thinking, and just working as a whole offense. We haven’t been where we wanted to be the last couple of weeks, but we’re excited to show what we can do and get back to the winning train.”
The Panthers’ defense has forced 10 turnovers this season, ranking 43rd nationally in the FCS.
For the second straight week, Eastern recovered a fumble on special teams. This time it was redshirt sophomore defensive back Christopher Sharp falling on the loose ball. Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Knowledge Davis added another recovery on defense, while redshirt senior defensive back Moses Alexander intercepted a pass in the end zone, which made it the Panthers’ second pick of the year.
Graduate linebacker Jesse Garza said practices have been more competitive to simulate game speed.
“We changed up the practice schedule a little bit, so it’s a little more good-on-good,” Garza said. “It might be a little more physical with the game for us, and I think that’ll help a lot.”
Junior linebacker Ja’Wuan Nickson said the key is staying locked in and eliminating breakdowns.
“We know our jobs, but sometimes the flow of the game might be going too fast,” Nickson said. “The teams that score on us are the ones that have the big plays. No team has consistently put together drives against us for a full game.”
Wilkerson agreed, emphasizing that the defense must eliminate mental errors and play sound coverage.
“We cannot allow the big play,” Wilkerson said. “We’ve got to make sure that we work top down, make people have to throw the ball in front of us, rally, and tackle them. We’ve gotten that stuff cleaned up and have to continue to emphasize it.”
Charleston Southern enters the matchup averaging just over 17 points per game while allowing 29 per contest.
The Buccaneers have leaned on their rushing attack but have struggled with offensive consistency. Defensively, linebacker Steve Zayachkowsky leads the team with more than 70 tackles this season, and the unit has shown flashes of pressure with multiple tackles for loss in recent games.
Kickoff is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Buccaneer Field in Charleston, South Carolina.
Payton Liggins can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
